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Hormone Replacement Therapy

Hormone replacement therapy involves women who are going through or have been through menopause taking oestrogen and sometimes progesterone to counteract the effects of the menopause. These two hormones both play different roles and have different effects when they are no longer produced in the body. Hormone replacement therapy helps women maintain a normal standard of living, and can help them through the years following menopause that yield the most symptoms.

Oestrogen is the hormone that is produced by the ovaries and causes eggs to be released. It has many other effects, from developing secondary female characteristics such as breast development to naturally lubricating the vagina. The ovaries produce oestrogen for the majority of a woman’s life, but stop when she goes through menopause. Menopause is the point when the woman’s eggs have run out, so the ovaries no longer need to produce oestrogen to stimulate their release. Women have a certain number of eggs in their bodies when they are born, and these eggs are released monthly, either one or two at a time. The body cannot create new eggs, so when the eggs are gone, no more can be released. Most women will experience the menopause in their fifties, or possibly their late forties. This is the natural time for this transition to occur. Some women do experience early menopause as a result of disorders that have affected the ovaries.

This can occur in women in their twenties or later. Hormone replacement therapy is useful for older women, but essential for younger women.

Hormone replacement therapy involves taking artificial hormones in a variety of forms, to maintain normal functioning. Some women may inject the hormones, some may take pills or wear patches or have the hormones administered in another similar way. Menopause affects the production of both oestrogen and progesterone. Progesterone only serves to maintain the lining of the womb, so it is not essential for women past childbearing age. It does however minimise the risk of cancer developing in the womb, so many women will take it as well as oestrogen.

There are long-term risks that must be considered when choosing to undergo hormone replacement therapy. It can increase the chances of developing certain types of cancer, and can also potentially cause DVT (deep vein thrombosis). The risks must be assessed by a GP before a woman begins hormone replacement therapy, and it is often considered safe if only used for a few years.