July 18, 2000

BIRMINGHAM, AL — An innovative UAB (University of Alabama at Birmingham) research program aims to help women make wise decisions on issues surrounding menopause, including hysterectomy and hormone replacement therapy.

ENDOW (Ethnicity, Needs and Decisions of Women) is a federally funded, multi-site trial for women approaching, going through or past menopause. The project developed and uses an award-winning video and an accompanying booklet to assist women with challenging questions related to menopause, particularly hysterectomy and hormone replacement. Over 600,000 hysterectomies are performed each year in the United States, according to Dr. Cora E. Lewis, associate professor of preventive medicine and principal investigator of the study at UAB.

“Despite the high rate of hysterectomy in this country, we know very little about how women make decisions regarding this often elective surgery,” says Lewis. “In particular, we don’t know how ethnicity and cultural factors may influence these decisions.”

The ENDOW project surveyed 4,000 women to better understand their decision-making process. Researchers then created the video, booklet and other tools to assist women in that process. Currently, the project is assessing these tools to determine their effectiveness. The video recently received a Telly Award for 2000. The 20 year-old Telly Awards have become a well-known, highly respected national film and video competition.

“While these tools were created to help with questions concerning menopause, they can really be an aid for any major decision a woman is faced with, such as buying a car or considering a new job,” says Lewis. “And they can certainly assist in making other health care decisions."

The decision to have a hysterectomy or begin hormone replacement therapy can be controversial. Physicians are not in agreement about the benefits of hysterectomy and there are questions about the long-term health risks of hormone replacement therapy.

The video was produced in conjunction with Hall Fourche Communications in Minnesota. Funding for the ENDOW project comes from the Women’s Health Initiative of the National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Additional information is available at the ENDOW web site, www.dopm.uab.edu/endow.