RESUMEN
To determine knowledge and attitude towards menopause among women aged 40 - 60 year presenting with gynecological complaints. Descriptive cross sectional survey. Obstetrics and Gynaecology Unit III, Civil Hospital Karachi from February 2009 to January 2010. Two-hundred premenopausal and postmenopausal women of 40 - 60 year of age were recruited in the study. They were interviewed after informed consent to obtain information about knowledge and attitude towards menopause. Data entered and analyzed by SPSS version 10. Descriptive statistics like frequencies, percentage proportions were calculated to present all categorical variables. The mean age of the participants was 46.8 year, 54.5% were premenopausal and 45.5% postmenopausal, out of them 10% had surgical menopause. 99% were married and 98.5% multiparous and grand multiparous. Only 22% were educated. 94% had heard about menopause, only 30% knew about symptoms, consequences [22%] and treatment of menopause [11%] especially hormone replacement therapy [HRT - 2%]. Ageing and natural transition were considered the common reasons of menopause. Only 21.5% had negative attitude towards menopause due to reason of somatic problems, loss of fertility and feminity. 58.5% considered treatment for menopause unnecessary. Majority of women knew about menopause but lacked knowledge because of limited source of information, education and cultural taboos