Hormone Replacement Therapy Explained

Types Of Hormone Replacement Therapy

There are three main types of hormone replacement therapy. Hormone replacement therapy with estrogen only is common in women who have had a hysterectomy because there is no risk of endometrial cancer. Cyclical hormone therapy replacement is for women who are still menstruating but have symptoms of menopause. Continuous hormone replacement therapy is used in women who have already gone through menopause. In some cases, a doctor may prescribe Tibolone, which is a synthetic hormone using a combination of progestogen and estrogen.

Complications

Hormone replacement therapy was once considered a miracle treatment when it was first developed in 2002. Over time, several studies challenged the long-term health of women who were given the therapy, including one study that linked hormone replacement therapy to an increased risk of breast cancer, ovarian cancer, and other conditions. Because of these studies, guidelines changed, and doctors were told only to prescribe hormone replacement therapy under certain circumstances. As a result, an estimated fifty thousand women suffered premature deaths because estrogen-only therapy was withheld from them.