Many women remain uncertain about taking hormone therapy for symptoms of menopause. Some women however suffer with the many symptoms associated with menopause. These common discomforts include hot flashes, vaginal dryness, painful intercourse, irritable mood, sleep difficulty and weight gain. All of these can be very distressing!

It seems that women are often concerned about risk of breast cancer when taking hormones. In fact the risks are relatively very small. Data from the Women’s Health Initiative indicate that the overall attributable risk of invasive breast cancer in women receiving estrogen plus progestin was 8 more cases per 10,000 women-years. No increased risk for invasive breast cancer was detected for women who never used hormone therapy in the past or for those receiving estrogen only.

To address these concerns, the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) convened a multidisciplinary group of healthcare providers to discuss the benefits and risks of hormone therapy for women in menopause with symptoms of night sweats, sleep problems, vaginal dryness, mood and sleep disorders.

Their conclusion was that hormone therapy, whether in pill form, transdermal, or vaginal routes, is the most effective treatment for symptoms of menopause. Healthy symptomatic women should be offered the option of hormone therapy for menopausal symptoms. Symptom relief with hormone therapy for many younger women (at the onset of menopause) with menopausal symptoms outweighs the risks and may provide an overall improvement in quality of life. Hormone therapy should be individualized for symptomatic women. This involves tailoring the regimen and dose to individual needs. Please call 480-860-2322 to schedule a consult with Dr. Simon, OB/GYN in Scottsdale, or your healthcare professional to discuss menopause in detail.

Tags: Hormone Therapy, Menopause