Awareness, uptake and willingness to seek treatment for menopausal symptoms among postmenopausal women in Benue South, Nigeria

Background Menopause is a natural biological process in women involving various physiological changes that marks the end of menstrual cycles and reproductive years. Despite the availability of treatment options, many women remain unaware of them and do not seek medical care. This study aimed to assess awareness, uptake, willingness to seek treatment for menopausal symptoms and their determinants among postmenopausal women in Benue South, Nigeria. Methods A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted among postmenopausal women aged ≥ 45 years in four randomly selected Local Government Areas of Benue South, Nigeria. Participants were selected using a multistage sampling technique. Menopause Rate Scale (MRS) was used to assess symptom severity. Data were collected using a structured electronic questionnaire (Kobo Toolbox) and analyzed with SPSS Version 20 (Armonk, NY: IBM Corporation). Descriptive statistics were presented as mean and tables, while multivariate logistic regression identified the determinants of treatment awareness, uptake and willingness to seek treatment. Results The mean age of the study participants was 59.74 ± 9.47 years. Most women (61.0%) reported moderate symptoms on the MRS. Treatment awareness (6.4%) and uptake (4.8%) were low, although 71.1% expressed willingness to seek care. Tertiary education (aOR = 3.139, CI = 1.059–9.300) and prior treatment use (aOR = 139.825, CI = 46.171–423.443) were significantly associated with treatment awareness. Age category of 45–49 years (aOR = 189.934, CI = 54.809–658.193) and treatment awareness (aOR = 6.227, CI = 1.358–28.560) were determinants of treatment uptake for menopause. Factors influencing the willingness to seek treatment for menopause included Christianity (aOR = 0.153, CI = 0.035–0.671), Islam (aOR = 0.125, CI = 0.025–0.633), secondary education (aOR = 0.599, CI = 0.384–0.935), mild symptoms (aOR = 0.107, CI = 0.014–0.828), moderate symptoms (aOR = 0.032, CI = 0.004–0.233), and severe symptoms (aOR = 0.052, CI = 0.007–0.402). Conclusions Awareness and uptake of menopausal treatment are low in Benue South, Nigeria. Targeted interventions are needed to improve awareness, accessibility, and care-seeking among postmenopausal women in Nigeria.