Bayer U.S. Surveys Shed Further Light on the Diversity of Menopause Care Approaches and Menopause Symptom Experiences

• National surveys explore the menopause experience and need for individualized care
• Review select survey findings here: https://www.bayer.com/sites/default/files/bwh-harris-poll-infographic-final.pdf

With women spending an average of one-third of their lives in menopause¹ and many symptoms persisting for seven years after their menstrual cycle ceases,² Bayer commissioned two surveys conducted by The Harris Poll to explore the menopause experience for women and providers. These surveys identified gaps in the understanding of the menopause experience for both women and providers.

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One survey, which surveyed approximately 1,000 U.S. women in menopause or post menopause aged 40-70, shows insights about the menopause experience and perceptions around care conversations. Among the surveyed women who did not discuss their menopause symptoms with a healthcare provider, some (34%) did not because they thought these symptoms were normal for their age,³ shedding light on the importance of proactive education and symptom validation for women entering menopause.

Menopause experience findings include:

• Of a provided list of 18 potential symptoms associated with menopause, the top five most common potential menopause symptoms that surveyed women ever experienced, even if not diagnosed as such, included weight gain (51%), waking up at night (48%), vasomotor symptoms (or “hot flashes”) (44%), mood swings/changes, low mood, and/or irritability (41%), and loss of libido/sexual desire (40%).³
• Among the 93% of surveyed women who experienced symptoms associated with menopause, more than 4 in 5 (88%) discussed their symptoms with their provider, with the following as their initial motivation:³
  • 41% to know if what they were experiencing was normal
  • 33% because symptoms were disruptive to their quality of life
  • 32% to understand potential treatment options
  • 31% to learn more about menopause
  • 31% to learn what was causing their symptoms

Approximately 600 healthcare providers (HCPs) with menopause experience or expertise (including 301 providers working in an OBGYN setting and 305 providers working in a primary care setting) were surveyed to offer personal perspectives of their patients’ menopause experience and the provider-patient interaction. Though provider perceptions may vary, these survey findings show what information gaps may exist between women in menopause and their providers.

Menopause care findings include:

• Nearly three-quarters (73%) of surveyed providers reported they typically proactively bring up menopause at an age-appropriate time (on average, age 45), while 50% of surveyed women who have discussed menopause with their provider say they themselves initiated the conversation.³
• Over three-quarters (78%) of surveyed providers stated that they feel that at least half of their patients in menopause and post menopause between the ages of 40-70 were aware that changes in frequency/duration of periods are associated with menopause, whereas less than a third (31%) of surveyed women reported being aware of that connection.³
• Under half (47%) of surveyed providers who bring up menopause, if a patient’s needs or symptoms suggest that a conversation would be helpful, reported using tools like health intake forms to collect information about patients’ menopause symptoms.³
• Surveyed women (89%) and providers (98%) agreed that menopause symptoms are worthy of medical treatment.³

“Conducting regular research, such as surveys, is a useful tool in understanding the experiences and needs of women and those who provide their care. With current insights, we can better work together to advance how we deliver menopause care and tailored symptom management strategies to improve the experience of the menopause transition,” said Dr. Angie Lee, Executive Medical Director, Bayer Women’s Healthcare, U.S. Medical Affairs. “There are other milestones in women’s lives where, due to proactive provider education and public information, women may feel more prepared. We should aspire to place menopause education and awareness as part of the core talk track in women’s health.”

By commissioning these surveys and partnering with key advocacy groups, Bayer remains committed to uplifting women's voices in order to better understand the menopause experience with the goal of helping drive progress, information and education for women and providers alike. These surveys show there is still work to be done to bridge some gaps between patients and providers.

Research Methodology

The patient research was conducted online in the United States by The Harris Poll on behalf of Bayer among 1,007 U.S. Females aged 40-70 who regularly see a healthcare provider for women’s health and are currently in menopause or post menopause. Respondents living in Louisiana, Washington D.C., and Tennessee had no potential conflict of interest affiliation. The survey was conducted 7/23/24-8/1/24. Data are weighted where necessary by education, age, race/ethnicity, region, income, household size, marital status, employment, and smoking status to bring them in line with their actual proportions in the population.

The healthcare provider (HCP) research was conducted online in the United States by The Harris Poll on behalf of Bayer among 606 total HCPs including 301 working in an OBGYN setting and 305 working in a primary care setting. “OBGYN” setting is defined as MDs/DOs specializing in Obstetrics/gynecology (OBGYNs) or Gynecology (270), and NPs/ PAs working in an OBGYN setting (31). “PCP” setting is defined as MDs/DOs specializing in family practice, general practice, or internal medicine (272) and NPs/PAs in a PCP setting (33). All HCP respondents were aged 18+ and practiced in the U.S. (excluding Minnesota and Vermont). Respondents did not have a conflict of interest, were duly licensed, practiced more than 2 years but less than 36, spent at least 70% of their time in direct patient care, and saw a minimum of 10 (PCP physicians and NP/PAs) to 15 (OBGYN physicians) women for symptoms associated with menopause in a typical month. NPs and PAs were also licensed to prescribe drug therapies. The survey was conducted 7/22/24-8/31/24. Data are weighted where necessary separately by OBGYNs and PCPs by gender and age to bring them in line with their actual proportions in the population. Data for NPs/PAs in a PCP or OBGYN setting were not weighted.

Respondents for this survey were selected from among those who have agreed to participate in online surveys. The sampling precision of Harris online polls is measured by using a Bayesian credible interval. For the patient survey, the total sample data is accurate to within ± 3.6 percentage points using a 95% confidence level. For the HCP survey, the total sample data is accurate to within ± 4.9 percentage points using a 95% confidence level. These credible intervals will be wider among subsets of the surveyed populations of interest. All sample surveys and polls, whether or not they use probability sampling, are subject to other multiple sources of error which are most often not possible to quantify or estimate, including, but not limited to coverage error, error associated with nonresponse, error associated with question wording and response options, and post-survey weighting and adjustments.

About Women’s Healthcare at Bayer

Women’s Health is in Bayer’s DNA. As a global leader in women’s healthcare Bayer has a long-standing commitment to delivering science for a better life by advancing a portfolio of innovative treatments. Bayer offers a wide range of effective short- and long-acting birth control methods as well as therapies for menopause management and gynecological diseases. Bayer is also focusing on innovative options to address the unmet medical needs of women worldwide. Additionally, Bayer intends to provide 100 million women per year in low-and-middle income countries by 2030 with access to family planning by funding multi-stakeholder aid programs for capacity building and by ensuring the supply of affordable modern contraceptives. This is part of the comprehensive sustainability measures and commitments from 2020 onwards and in line with the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations.

About Bayer

Bayer is a global enterprise with core competencies in the life science fields of health care and nutrition. In line with its mission, “Health for all, Hunger for none,” the company’s products and services are designed to help people and the planet thrive by supporting efforts to master the major challenges presented by a growing and aging global population. Bayer is committed to driving sustainable development and generating a positive impact with its businesses. At the same time, the Group aims to increase its earning power and create value through innovation and growth. The Bayer brand stands for trust, reliability and quality throughout the world. In fiscal 2023, the Group employed around 100,000 people and had sales of 47.6 billion euros. R&D expenses before special items amounted to 5.8 billion euros. For more information, go to www.bayer.com.

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Forward-Looking Statements

This release may contain forward-looking statements based on current assumptions and forecasts made by Bayer management. Various known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors could lead to material differences between the actual future results, financial situation, development or performance of the company and the estimates given here. These factors include those discussed in Bayer’s public reports which are available on the Bayer website at www.bayer.com. The company assumes no liability whatsoever to update these forward-looking statements or to conform them to future events or developments.

References

¹ Charandabi Mohammadalizadeh S, Rezeai N, Hakimi S, et al. Quality of Life Postmenopausal Women and Their Spouses: A Community-Based Study. 2015; 17(3):e21599. doi: 10.5812/ircmj.21599.

² Whiteley J, deCosta DiBonaventura M, Samuel Wagner J, et al. (2013). The impact of menopausal symptoms on quality of life, productivity, and economic outcomes. J Womens Health; 22(11): 983-990.

³ Menopause Patient + HCP Survey Research Findings. Conducted by The Harris Poll July 22 – August 1, 2024.

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