Characteristics of menopausal women: a survey of King and Pierce counties in Washington, 1973-2974.

Age-specific menopause rates, frequency and duration of menopausal estrogen use, and characteristics of users and non-users of menopausal estrogen therapy are presented for the population of King and Pierce counties in the state of Washington from 1973-1974 survey data. Age-specific menopause rates do not differ substantially from rates derived from data from the 1960-1962 US Health Examination Survey, although women over 50 years of age were more likely to report operative menopause in the present study than in the Health Examination Survey. The estimated frequency of menopausal estrogen use of over 3 months' duration in the population was 51%; this is in contrast to an estimated 26% rate of severe menopausal symptoms. Median use of menopausal estrogen therapy was over 10 years. Estrogen users were younger than non-users and reported more formal education. More users had had difficulty with severe menopausal symptoms and more had had a hysterectomy.