Located on the Central American isthmus, Costa Rica (CR) is bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the south, the Caribbean Sea to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. Furthermore, new educational programs for these women and the health professionals who serve them are necessary, as well as investigations of the safety and efficacy of the herbal supplements women use to manage their menopausal symptoms. Considering the aging population, the high use of herbal medicines by menopausal women and the lack of clinical studies on these treatments, future research should focus on gaining a better understanding of menopause in this population. Overall, there is a significant lack of scientific and medical research on menopausal women in Costa Rica. Fortunately, the strain of HPV infecting these women is not associated with cervical cancer. Recently, a disturbing increase in the incidence of human papilloma virus infections in menopausal women has been reported, due in part to more sexual freedom after menopause. However, clinical data on the safety and efficacy of any of these treatments is lacking. A wide variety of herbal therapies are used, and some of these herbs have estrogenic activities in vitro. Similar to other Latin American women, the use of hormone therapy by Costa Rican women is low and instead they use alternative therapies, including massage, dietary changes and herbal medicines. One study of rural women in Monteverde reported that women knew little about the menopausal transition, as the subject was not discussed.

Similar to their US counterparts, Costa Rican women enter menopause at ~50 years of age, have similar symptoms, including hot flashes and night sweats, as well as an overall negative attitude toward the menopausal transition.

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