Foundation Team
Medical Editors
Karen J. Carlson, MD
Clinical Advisors
Steve Goldstein, MD
Katherine E. Hartmann, MD, PhD
Keith Isaacson, MD
Lee A. Learman, MD, PhD
Malcolm G. Munro, MD
William Parker, MD
Robert C. Reiter, MD
Elizabeth A. Stewart, MD
Mary E. Wechter, MD
Robert Neuwirth, MD
Clinical Leads
Margaret Lynch, PhD
Women may experience abnormal uterine bleeding during their reproductive years. Symptoms can interfere with a woman’s quality of life. To help women with abnormal uterine bleeding understand their treatment choices and work with their health care provider to choose the treatment that is best for them, the Foundation has developed a Shared Decision-Making® program called Treatment Choices for Abnormal Uterine Bleeding.
This program is for women who are considering treatment for abnormal uterine bleeding that is not caused by a cancerous condition or by uterine fibroids (for which the Foundation has created a separate program). The abnormal uterine bleeding program describes a variety of treatment choices, such as watchful waiting, medical therapy (non-hormonal and hormonal), medicated intrauterine device (IUD), endometrial ablation and hysterectomy (with or without surgical removal of the ovaries). The program discusses the benefits and risks of each of these treatment choices. It also raises other issues women might need to know, such as the separate decision for those undergoing hysterectomy, about whether to also remove the ovaries.
Because every woman is different, the best treatment depends on how much a woman’s symptoms impact her daily activities, how close she is to menopause (when symptoms usually go away), and how she feels about the side effects of different treatment options, including their effects on fertility and pregnancy.
Interviews showcase real patients who have chosen different treatment options featured in this program. These women describe how they made their treatment decisions and how it has affected them both physically and emotionally. The program also features commentary by a gynecologist.
This program was developed with our production partner, Health Dialog. It is available as a DVD, a booklet and a web-based program (Health Crossroads®) for Health Dialog members.
