Hormone Replacement Therapy | HRT | Menopause

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Here:</span> <div itemscope itemprop="itemListElement" itemtype="http://schema.org/ListItem"> <a href="https://medlineplus.gov/" itemprop="item"><span itemprop="name">Home</span></a> → <meta itemprop="position" content="1"/> </div> <div itemscope itemprop="itemListElement" itemtype="http://schema.org/ListItem"> <a href="https://medlineplus.gov/healthtopics.html" itemprop="item"><span itemprop="name">Health Topics</span></a> → <meta itemprop="position" content="2"/> </div> <div> <span>Hormone Replacement Therapy</span> </div> </div> </div> <span class="page-url print-only">URL of this page: https://medlineplus.gov/hormonereplacementtherapy.html</span> <div id="topic"> <article> <div class="page-info"> <div class="page-title syndicate"> <a id="start" name="start"></a> <h1 itemprop="name" class="with-also"> Hormone Replacement Therapy </h1> <span class="alsocalled">Also called: ERT, Estrogen replacement therapy, HRT, Menopausal hormone therapy</span> </div> <div class="page-actions"></div> </div> <div class="main"> <section id="toc-section"> <div id="table-of-contents"> <span class="toc-label">On this page</span> <div class="toccolumn"> <h3>Basics</h3> <ul class="bulletlist"> <li> <a title="Go to: Summary" href="#summary">Summary</a> </li> <li> <a title="Go to: Start Here" href="#cat_51">Start Here</a> </li> <li> <a title="Go to: Treatments and Therapies" href="#cat_78">Treatments and Therapies</a> </li> </ul> </div> <div class="toccolumn"> <h3>Learn More</h3> <ul class="bulletlist"> <li> <a title="Go to: Related Issues" href="#cat_47">Related Issues</a> </li> </ul> </div> <p class="evencols clearsection hrdividor"></p> <div class="toccolumn"> <h3>See, Play and Learn</h3> <ul class="bulletlist"> <li class="noinfo-subcat">No links available</li> </ul> </div> <p class="threecols clearsection hrdividor"></p> <div class="toccolumn"> <h3>Research</h3> <ul class="bulletlist"> <li> <a title="Go to: Clinical Trials" href="#cat_27">Clinical Trials</a> </li> <li> <a title="Go to: Journal Articles" href="#cat_59">Journal Articles</a> </li> </ul> </div> <p class="evencols clearsection hrdividor"></p> <div class="toccolumn"> <h3>Resources</h3> <ul class="bulletlist"> <li> <a title="Go to: Find an Expert" href="#cat_83">Find an Expert</a> </li> </ul> </div> <div class="toccolumn"> <h3>For You</h3> <ul class="bulletlist"> <li> <a title="Go to: Patient Handouts" href="#cat_69">Patient Handouts</a> </li> </ul> </div> </div> </section> <a name="summary"></a> <section id="topsum_section"> <div class="summary-title syndicate"> <h2>Summary</h2> </div> <div id="topic-summary" class="syndicate"><p> <a href="https://medlineplus.gov/menopause.html">Menopause</a> is the time in a woman's life when her period stops. It is a normal part of aging. In the years before and during menopause, the levels of female hormones can go up and down. This can cause symptoms such as hot flashes, night sweats, pain during sex, and vaginal dryness. For some women, the symptoms are mild, and they go away on their own. Other women take hormone replacement therapy (HRT), also called menopausal hormone therapy, to relieve these symptoms. HRT may also protect against <a href="https://medlineplus.gov/osteoporosis.html">osteoporosis</a>. </p> <p>HRT is not for everyone. You should not use HRT if you:</p><ul> <li>Think that you are pregnant</li> <li>Have problems with vaginal bleeding</li> <li>Have had certain kinds of cancers</li> <li>Have had a stroke or heart attack</li> <li>Have had blood clots</li> <li>Have liver disease</li> </ul> <p>There are different types of HRT. Some have only one hormone, while others have two. Most are pills that you take every day, but there are also skin patches, vaginal creams, gels, and rings.</p> <p>Taking HRT has some risks. For some women, hormone therapy may increase their chances of getting <a href="https://medlineplus.gov/bloodclots.html">blood clots</a>, <a href="https://medlineplus.gov/heartattack.html">heart attacks</a>, <a href="https://medlineplus.gov/stroke.html">strokes</a>, <a href="https://medlineplus.gov/breastcancer.html">breast cancer</a>, and <a href="https://medlineplus.gov/gallbladderdiseases.html">gallbladder disease</a>. Certain types of HRT have a higher risk, and each woman's own risks can vary, depending upon her medical history and lifestyle. You and your health care provider need to discuss the risks and benefits for you. If you do decide to take HRT, it should be the lowest dose that helps and for the shortest time needed. You should check if you still need to take HRT every 3-6 months.</p> <p class="attribution">Food and Drug Administration</p></div> </section> <a name="cat_51"></a> <section id="cat_51_section"> <div class="section"> <div class="section-header expanded"> <div class="section-title syndicate"> <h2>Start Here </h2> </div> <div class="section-button"> <button title="Expand/Collapse section" role="button" aria-controls="section" aria-pressed="true" type="submit"> <span class="icon icon-section-action"></span> </button> </div> <div aria-live="polite" class="sm-live-area hide-offscreen"></div> </div> <div id="section51" class="section-body expanded syndicate" aria-expanded="true"> <ul class="bulletlist"> <li> <a href="https://www.fda.gov/media/130242/download" target="TheNewWin" data-sid="157988" >Menopause and Hormones: Common Questions</a> <span class="desc-text"> <span class="orgs"> (Food and Drug Administration)</span> - <span class="desccode">PDF</span> </span> <span class="also-lang"> Also in <a target="TheNewWin2" href="https://www.fda.gov/consumers/free-publications-women/la-menopausia-y-las-hormonas-preguntas-comunes-menopause-hormones-common-questions" data-sid="157989">Spanish</a> </span> </li> <li> <a href="https://www.fda.gov/consumers/free-publications-women/menopause-medicines-help-you" target="TheNewWin" data-sid="99886" >Menopause: Medicines to Help You</a> <span class="desc-text"> <span class="orgs"> (Food and Drug Administration)</span> </span> </li> </ul> </div> </div> </section> <a name="cat_78"></a> <section id="cat_78_section"> <div class="section"> <div class="section-header"> <div class="section-title"> <h2>Treatments and Therapies </h2> </div> <div class="section-button"> <button title="Expand/Collapse section" role="button" aria-controls="section" aria-pressed="true" type="submit"> <span class="icon icon-section-action"></span> </button> </div> <div aria-live="polite" class="sm-live-area hide-offscreen"></div> </div> <div id="section78" class="section-body"> <ul class="bulletlist"> <li> <a href="https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/tips/things-to-know-about-menopausal-symptoms-and-complementary-health-practices" target="TheNewWin" data-sid="111178" data-org="NCCIH">4 Things to Know about Menopausal Symptoms and Complementary Health Practices</a> <span class="desc-text"> <img width="25" height="16" alt="From the National Institutes of Health" title="From the National Institutes of Health" src="https://medlineplus.gov/images/nih.png" class="imgdesc"> <span class="orgs"> (National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health)</span> </span> </li> </ul> </div> </div> </section> <a name="cat_47"></a> <section id="cat_47_section"> <div class="section"> <div class="section-header"> <div class="section-title"> <h2>Related Issues </h2> </div> <div class="section-button"> <button title="Expand/Collapse section" role="button" aria-controls="section" aria-pressed="true" type="submit"> <span class="icon icon-section-action"></span> </button> </div> <div aria-live="polite" class="sm-live-area hide-offscreen"></div> </div> <div id="section47" class="section-body"> <ul class="bulletlist"> <li> <a href="https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/menopause/expert-answers/bioidentical-hormones/faq-20058460?p=1" target="TheNewWin" data-sid="140666" >Bioidentical Hormones: Are They Safer?</a> <span class="desc-text"> <span class="orgs"> (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)</span> </span> <span class="also-lang"> Also in <a target="TheNewWin2" href="https://www.mayoclinic.org/es/diseases-conditions/menopause/expert-answers/bioidentical-hormones/faq-20058460?p=1" data-sid="145327">Spanish</a> </span> </li> <li> <a href="https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/hormones/mht-fact-sheet" target="TheNewWin" data-sid="34285" data-org="NCI">Menopausal Hormone Therapy and Cancer</a> <span class="desc-text"> <img width="25" height="16" alt="From the National Institutes of Health" title="From the National Institutes of Health" src="https://medlineplus.gov/images/nih.png" class="imgdesc"> <span class="orgs"> (National Cancer Institute)</span> </span> <span class="also-lang"> Also in <a target="TheNewWin2" href="https://www.cancer.gov/espanol/cancer/causas-prevencion/riesgo/hormonas/hoja-informativa-hormonas-menopausia" data-sid="30643">Spanish</a> </span> </li> <li> <a href="https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/menopause/expert-answers/hormone-replacement-therapy/faq-20058499?p=1" target="TheNewWin" data-sid="88216" >Menopause Hormone Therapy: Does It Cause Vaginal Bleeding?</a> <span class="desc-text"> <span class="orgs"> (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)</span> </span> <span class="also-lang"> Also in <a target="TheNewWin2" href="https://www.mayoclinic.org/es/diseases-conditions/menopause/expert-answers/hormone-replacement-therapy/faq-20058499?p=1" data-sid="130953">Spanish</a> </span> </li> <li> <a href="https://www.womenshealth.gov/menopause/menopause-treatment" target="TheNewWin" data-sid="99415" >Menopause Treatment</a> <span class="desc-text"> <span class="orgs"> (Department of Health and Human Services, Office on Women's Health)</span> </span> </li> </ul> </div> </div> </section> <a name="cat_27"></a> <section id="cat_27_section"> <div class="section"> <div class="section-header"> <div class="section-title"> <h2>Clinical Trials </h2> </div> <div class="section-button"> <button title="Expand/Collapse section" role="button" aria-controls="section" aria-pressed="true" type="submit"> <span class="icon icon-section-action"></span> </button> </div> <div aria-live="polite" class="sm-live-area hide-offscreen"></div> </div> <div id="section27" class="section-body"> <ul class="bulletlist"> <li> <a href="https://clinicaltrials.gov/search?intr=estrogen+replacement+therapy&aggFilters=status:not%20rec" target="TheNewWin" data-sid="33091" data-org="NIH">ClinicalTrials.gov: Estrogen Replacement Therapy</a> <span class="desc-text"> <img width="25" height="16" alt="From the National Institutes of Health" title="From the National Institutes of Health" src="https://medlineplus.gov/images/nih.png" class="imgdesc"> <span class="orgs"> (National Institutes of Health)</span> </span> </li> <li> <a href="https://clinicaltrials.gov/search?cond=%28menopause+OR+postmenopause%29&term=%22hormone+replacement+therapy%22&aggFilters=status:not%20rec" target="TheNewWin" data-sid="33095" data-org="NIH">ClinicalTrials.gov: Hormone Replacement Therapy</a> <span class="desc-text"> <img width="25" height="16" alt="From the National Institutes of Health" title="From the National Institutes of Health" src="https://medlineplus.gov/images/nih.png" class="imgdesc"> <span class="orgs"> (National Institutes of Health)</span> </span> </li> </ul> </div> </div> </section> <a name="cat_59"></a> <section id="cat_59_section"> <div class="section"> <div class="section-header"> <div class="section-title"> <h2>Journal Articles <span class="subheading">References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)</span> </h2> </div> <div class="section-button"> <button title="Expand/Collapse section" role="button" aria-controls="section" aria-pressed="true" type="submit"> <span class="icon icon-section-action"></span> </button> </div> <div aria-live="polite" class="sm-live-area hide-offscreen"></div> </div> <div id="section59" class="section-body"> <ul class="bulletlist"> <li> <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/39443936" target="TheNewWin" data-sid="32813" >Article: Exploring hormone replacement therapy dynamics among menopausal women in Kuala Lumpur...</a> <span class="desc-text"> </span> </li> <li> <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/39408643" target="TheNewWin" data-sid="32813" >Article: Transition Period and Young Adulthood in Patients with Childhood Onset Growth...</a> <span class="desc-text"> </span> </li> <li> <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/39381971" target="TheNewWin" data-sid="32813" >Article: Gender identity in Klinefelter Syndrome: a patient-centered approach to treatment.</a> <span class="desc-text"> </span> </li> <li> <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=%22Hormone+Replacement+Therapy%22%5Bmajr%3Anoexp%5D+AND+humans%5Bmh%5D+AND+english%5Bla%5D+AND+%22last+1+Year%22+%5Bedat%5D+NOT+%28letter%5Bpt%5D+OR+case+reports%5Bpt%5D+OR+editorial%5Bpt%5D+OR+comment%5Bpt%5D%29+AND+free+full+text%5Bsb%5D+" target="TheNewWin" data-sid="32813" >Hormone Replacement Therapy -- see more articles</a> <span class="desc-text"> </span> </li> </ul> </div> </div> </section> <a name="cat_83"></a> <section id="cat_83_section"> <div class="section"> <div class="section-header"> <div class="section-title"> <h2>Find an Expert </h2> </div> <div class="section-button"> <button title="Expand/Collapse section" role="button" aria-controls="section" aria-pressed="true" type="submit"> <span class="icon icon-section-action"></span> </button> </div> <div aria-live="polite" class="sm-live-area hide-offscreen"></div> </div> <div id="section83" class="section-body"> <ul class="bulletlist"> <li> <a href="https://www.womenshealth.gov/" target="TheNewWin" data-sid="1031" >Department of Health and Human Services, Office on Women's Health</a> <span class="desc-text"> </span> <span class="also-lang"> Also in <a target="TheNewWin2" href="https://espanol.womenshealth.gov/" data-sid="9242">Spanish</a> </span> </li> <li> <a href="https://www.endocrine.org/" target="TheNewWin" data-sid="3079" >Endocrine Society</a> <span class="desc-text"> </span> </li> <li> <a href="https://www.nia.nih.gov/" target="TheNewWin" data-sid="506" data-org="NIA">National Institute on Aging</a> <span class="desc-text"> <img width="25" height="16" alt="From the National Institutes of Health" title="From the National Institutes of Health" src="https://medlineplus.gov/images/nih.png" class="imgdesc"> </span> <span class="also-lang"> Also in <a target="TheNewWin2" href="https://www.nia.nih.gov/espanol" data-sid="67125">Spanish</a> </span> </li> </ul> </div> </div> </section> <a name="cat_69"></a> <section id="cat_69_section"> <div class="section"> <div class="section-header"> <div class="section-title"> <h2>Patient Handouts </h2> </div> <div class="section-button"> <button title="Expand/Collapse section" role="button" aria-controls="section" aria-pressed="true" type="submit"> <span class="icon icon-section-action"></span> </button> </div> <div aria-live="polite" class="sm-live-area hide-offscreen"></div> </div> <div id="section69" class="section-body"> <ul class="bulletlist"> <li> <a href="https://medlineplus.gov/ency/patientinstructions/000694.htm" data-sid="114544" >Deciding about hormone therapy</a> <span class="desc-text"> <span class="orgs"> (Medical Encyclopedia)</span> </span> <span class="also-lang"> Also in <a href="https://medlineplus.gov/spanish/ency/patientinstructions/000694.htm" data-sid="114720">Spanish</a> </span> </li> <li> <a href="https://medlineplus.gov/ency/patientinstructions/000695.htm" data-sid="114545" >Types of hormone therapy</a> <span class="desc-text"> <span class="orgs"> (Medical Encyclopedia)</span> </span> <span class="also-lang"> Also in <a href="https://medlineplus.gov/spanish/ency/patientinstructions/000695.htm" data-sid="114721">Spanish</a> </span> </li> </ul> </div> </div> </section> </div> <div class="side"> <aside> <section id="ht-img-section"> <div class="side-section"> <div class="section-header hide-offscreen"> <h2>Topic Image</h2> </div> <div class="section-body no-header"> <img src="https://medlineplus.gov/images/HormoneReplacementTherapy.jpg" title="Hormone Replacement Therapy" alt="Hormone Replacement Therapy" /> </div> </div> </section> <section id="encyclopedia-box"> <div class="side-section"> <div class="section-header red"> <h2>MEDICAL ENCYCLOPEDIA</h2> </div> <div id="more_encyclopedia" class="section-body"> <ul> <li><a data-sid="114544" href="https://medlineplus.gov/ency/patientinstructions/000694.htm">Deciding about hormone therapy</a></li> <li><a data-sid="82807" href="https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/002584.htm">Estrogen overdose</a></li> <li><a data-sid="114545" href="https://medlineplus.gov/ency/patientinstructions/000695.htm">Types of hormone therapy</a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </section> <section id="related-topics"> <div class="side-section"> <div class="section-header"> <h2>Related Health Topics</h2> </div> <div class="section-body"> <ul id="related"> <li><a href="https://medlineplus.gov/menopause.html">Menopause</a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </section> <section id="primary-institute-section"> <div class="side-section"> <div class="section-header"> <h2>National Institutes of Health</h2> </div> <div class="section-body"> The primary NIH organization for research on <span class="italic">Hormone Replacement Therapy</span> is the <a href="https://www.nia.nih.gov/" target="TheNewWin">National Institute on Aging</a> </div> </div> </section> <section> <div class="side-section"> <div class="section-header hide-offscreen"> <h2>Disclaimers</h2> </div> <div class="section-body no-header"> MedlinePlus links to health information from the National Institutes of Health and other federal government agencies. MedlinePlus also links to health information from non-government Web sites. See our <a href="https://medlineplus.gov/disclaimers.html">disclaimer</a> about external links and our <a href="https://medlineplus.gov/criteria.html">quality guidelines</a>. </div> </div> </section> </aside> </div> <div class="page-action-bottom"> <div class="page-actions"></div> </div> </article> </div> <p>The information on this site should not be used as a substitute for professional medical care or advice. Contact a health care provider if you have questions about your health.</p> <div id="citation-how-to"> <button><span>Learn how to cite this page</span></button> </div> </div> <footer> <div id="mplus-footer"> <div class="footer1"> <ul class="secondarynav"> <li><a href="https://medlineplus.gov/about/">About MedlinePlus</a></li> <li><a href="https://medlineplus.gov/whatsnew/">What's New</a></li> <li><a href="https://medlineplus.gov/sitemap.html">Site Map</a></li> <li><a href="https://support.nlm.nih.gov/knowledgebase/category/?id=CAT-01231&category=medlineplus&from=https%3A//medlineplus.gov/hormonereplacementtherapy.html" target="_blank"><span>Customer Support</span></a></li> </ul> <ul class="follow-footer"> <li> <a href="https://medlineplus.gov/rss.html" class="follow-item">Subscribe to RSS<img src="https://medlineplus.gov/images/feed.png" class="social-media-toolkit-icon" alt="RSS" title="RSS"></a> </li> <li> <span class="follow-label">Follow us</span> <a href="https://twitter.com/medlineplus" class="follow-item" target="_blank"> <img src="https://medlineplus.gov/images/i_share_twitter.png" class="follow-icon" alt="X" title="X"> </a> <a href="https://facebook.com/Mplus.gov/" class="follow-item" target="_blank"> <img src="https://medlineplus.gov/images/i_share_fb.png" class="follow-icon" alt="Facebook" title="Facebook"> </a> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/mplusgov/" class="follow-item" target="_blank"> <img src="https://medlineplus.gov/images/Instagram_Glyph_Gradient_RGB.png" class="follow-icon" alt="Instagram" title="Instagram"> </a> </li> <li> <a href="https://medlineplus.gov/social-media-toolkit/" class="social-media-toolkit-item">Social Media Toolkit<img src="https://medlineplus.gov/images/i_social_media_toolkit.png" class="social-media-toolkit-icon" alt="Social Media Toolkit" title="Social Media Toolkit"></a> </li> </ul> </div> <div class="footer2"> <ul> <li><a href=" https://www.nlm.nih.gov/web_policies.html" target='_blank'>NLM Web Policies</a></li> <li><a href="https://medlineplus.gov/about/using/usingcontent/" >Copyright</a></li> <li><a href="https://medlineplus.gov/accessibility.html">Accessibility</a></li> <li><a href="https://medlineplus.gov/about/using/criteria/">Guidelines for Links</a></li> <li><a href="https://medlineplus.gov/plugins.html">Viewers & Players</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.hhs.gov/vulnerability-disclosure-policy/index.html" target="_blank">HHS Vulnerability Disclosure</a></li> <li><a href="https://medlineplus.gov/medlineplus-connect/">MedlinePlus Connect for EHRs</a></li> <li><a href="https://medlineplus.gov/about/developers/">For Developers</a></li> </ul> <div class="address"> <a href="https://www.nlm.nih.gov" target="_blank">National Library of Medicine</a> <span>8600 Rockville Pike, Bethesda, MD 20894</span> <a href="https://www.hhs.gov" target="_blank">U.S. Department of Health and Human Services</a> <a href="https://www.nih.gov" target="_blank">National Institutes of Health</a> </div> <div class="date"> <span id="lastupdate">Last updated September 9, 2024</span> </div> <div class="return-top"><a href="#top" title="Return to top"><img class="return-top-icon" alt="Return to top" src="https://medlineplus.gov/images/return-top.png"></a></div> </div> </div> </footer> </div> <script src="https://medlineplus.gov/jslib/jquery-3.6.0.min.js" type="text/javascript"></script> <script src="https://medlineplus.gov/jslib/mplus-frontend-controls-new.js" type="text/javascript"></script> <script src="https://medlineplus.gov/jslib/mplus-share.js?id=1112022" type="text/javascript"></script>  <script src="https://medlineplus.gov/jslib/control.js" type="text/javascript"></script> <script src="https://medlineplus.gov/uswds/js/uswds.min.js" type="text/javascript"></script> <script type='application/ld+json'> [ { "@context": "http://schema.org", "@type": "MedicalWebPage", "name": "Hormone Replacement Therapy", "description": "Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) can relieve menopause symptoms. Risks include breast cancer and stroke. Certain types of HRT have a higher risk. ", "mainContentOfPage": "\u000AMenopause is the time in a woman\u0027s life when her period stops. It is a normal part of aging. In the years before and during menopause, the levels of female hormones can go up and down. This can cause symptoms such as hot flashes, night sweats, pain during sex, and vaginal dryness. For some women, the symptoms are mild, and they go away on their own. Other women take hormone replacement therapy (HRT), also called menopausal hormone therapy, to relieve these symptoms. HRT may also protect against osteoporosis. \u000A\u000AHRT is not for everyone. You should not use HRT if you: \u000AThink that you are pregnant\u000AHave problems with vaginal bleeding\u000AHave had certain kinds of cancers\u000AHave had a stroke or heart attack\u000AHave had blood clots\u000AHave liver disease\u000A\u000A\u000AThere are different types of HRT. Some have only one hormone, while others have two. Most are pills that you take every day, but there are also skin patches, vaginal creams, gels, and rings.\u000A \u000ATaking HRT has some risks. For some women, hormone therapy may increase their chances of getting blood clots, heart attacks, strokes, breast cancer, and gallbladder disease. Certain types of HRT have a higher risk, and each woman\u0027s own risks can vary, depending upon her medical history and lifestyle. You and your health care provider need to discuss the risks and benefits for you. If you do decide to take HRT, it should be the lowest dose that helps and for the shortest time needed. You should check if you still need to take HRT every 3\u002D6 months.\u000A\u000AFood and Drug Administration", "primaryImageOfPage": { "@type": "ImageObject", "contentUrl": "https://medlineplus.gov/images/HormoneReplacementTherapy.jpg" }, "url": "https://medlineplus.gov/hormonereplacementtherapy.html" } ] </script> </body> </html>

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Hormone Replacement Therapy | HRT | Menopause | MedlinePlus