ReviewFrontiers in global women's health2026
Utilisation of hormone replacement therapy in Arab countries: a systematic review.
Review in Frontiers in global women's health, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
1 citing paper in PubMed.
- Utilisation of hormone replacement therapy in Arab countries: a systematic review.Frontiers in global women's health · 2026Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Background: Menopause is a major transition in women's health and may be associated with vasomotor symptoms and increased risk of osteoporosis and cardiovascular disease. Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is an effective treatment option, yet uptake is reported to be limited in many settings. This systematic review aimed to synthesise evidence on factors associated with HRT uptake and utilisation in Arab countries and to summarise proposed strategies to support informed decision-making. Methods: We searched Embase, MEDLINE, WHO IRIS, Cochrane Library, PubMed, and Scopus for studies published up to March 2025. Eligible studies examined HRT uptake/utilisation, knowledge, perceptions, or attitudes among women in the 22 Arab countries. Two reviewers screened records using Covidence, with disagreements resolved by a third reviewer. Study quality was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale adapted for cross-sectional studies. Findings were synthesised thematically. PROSPERO: CRD420251007430. Findings: Fifteen cross-sectional studies met inclusion criteria. HRT uptake was generally low; in 11 studies fewer than 20% of participants reported use, with reported prevalence ranging from 0% to 48% across settings. Factors positively associated with uptake included higher educational attainment, employment, healthcare provider influence and access to consultation, and greater baseline knowledge of menopause and HRT. Barriers included risk concerns, cultural conservatism, and preference for herbal or "natural" remedies. In several studies, media was a primary source of menopause-related information, while physician-led counselling was less frequently reported. Conclusion: Evidence from Arab countries indicates predominantly low HRT utilisation, shaped by knowledge gaps, risk perceptions, and socio-cultural factors, alongside variable healthcare-provider engagement. Studies most commonly recommended community education and strengthened clinician communication to support informed decision-making. Systematic Review Registration: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/view/CRD420251007430, PROSPERO CRD420251007430.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.