“The use of compounded bioidentical hormone
replacement therapies is not recommended
given the issues related to their purity, potency and safety”.1
Umbrella
What may the Bioidentical Hormones Umbrella include?
Depending on the Source (DotS) this Umbrella may include:
- Bioequivalent Hormone Therapy
- Bioidentical Hormone Medications
- Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy (BHRT)
- Bioidentical Hormone Therapy (BHT)
- Bioidentical Hormones
- Bioidenticals
- Custom-Compounded Bioidentical Hormone Therapy (C-CHT)
- Custom-Made Bioidentical Hormones
- Custom-Mixed Bioidentical Hormones
- Hormone Therapy Alternatives
- Natural Hormone Therapies
- Pharmacy Compounded Hormones
- ‘Compounded’ Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy (cBHRT)
- ‘Regulated’ Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy (rBHRT)
Bioidentical Hormones
What are bioidentical hormones?
DotS the definition of bioidentical hormones may vary. On page one in Menopausal Hormone Therapy the European Menopause and Andropause Society’s definition is:
Bioidentical Hormone Therapy
What is bioidentical hormone therapy?
DotS the definition of bioidentical hormone therapy may vary. In Menopause FAQs: Hormone Therapy for Menopause Symptoms – Q. I’ve heard about something called bioidentical hormones. What are they? the North American Menopause Society’s (NAMS) definition is:
Body-Identical Hormone Therapy
What is body-identical hormone therapy?
DotS the definition of body-identical hormone therapy may vary. In Bioidentical Custom Compounded Hormone Therapy the Australasian Menopause Society’s (AMS) definition is:
Drug Compounding
What is drug compounding?
DotS the definition of drug compounding may vary. In Compounding and the FDA: Questions and Answers – What Is Compounding? the (United States) Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) definition is:
Approved or Not
Are compounded bioidentical hormones approved by individual Country Drug Regulatory bodies for example the FDA?
In Compounding and the FDA: Questions and Answers – Are Compounded Drugs Approved By FDA? the FDA elaborate on:
Natural or Not
Are bioidentical hormones natural?
In Bioidentical Hormones: Are They Safer? Are bioidentical or natural hormones safer and more effective than hormones used in traditional hormone therapy for menopause symptoms? the (United States) Mayo Clinic author explains:
In Menopause Management Options: Pharmacy-Compounded Hormones (Bioidentical Hormones) the (Australian) Jean Hailes for Women’s Health (JH) note:

Pharmacy-compounded preparations can contain oestrogens, progesterone and sometimes other hormones such as testosterone. The preparations are made into capsules, creams, gels, drops (applied to the tongue), lozenges or troches (soft square-shaped tablets) that are sucked inside the cheek.
All hormone therapies are manufactured synthetically. Hormones are only natural when they are in the human body”.8
Safe or Not
Are bioidentical hormones safe?
In Bioidentical Hormones: Risks and Benefits – What Are the Risks of Bioidentical Hormones?, published 15 May 2022, the (United States) Cleveland Clinic elaborate on:
On page 771 in The 2022 Hormone Therapy Position Statement of The North American Menopause Society, published July 2022, and endorsed by multiply organizations, the NAMS explain:
Testing or Not
Is serum, saliva or urine hormone testing necessary?
On page 771 in The 2022 Hormone Therapy Position Statement of The North American Menopause Society, published July 2022, and endorsed by multiply organizations, the NAMS note:
Recommended or Not
Do menopause societies, women’s health organizations and other organization, recommend the use of compounded hormone therapy?
On page four in the Joint Position Statement By the British Menopause Society, Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists and Society for Endocrinology on Best Practice Recommendations for the Care of Women Experiencing the Menopause, first published online 10 June 2022, one of the recommendations is:
- “The use of compounded bioidentical hormone replacement therapies is not recommended given the issues related to their purity, potency and safety. The potential benefits of bioidentical hormone therapy can be achieved using conventionally licensed products available through NHS prescribing without having to resort to compounded varieties from specialist pharmacies”.12
In Menopause Management Options: Pharmacy-Compounded Hormones (Bioidentical Hormones) the JH also note:
In The 2023 Practitioner’s Toolkit for Managing Menopause: Management – Considerations for All Women At Menopause: Menopausal Hormone Therapy, published online 30 October 2023, the authors explain:
- “The prescription of individually formulated and compounded hormone preparations is not recommended”.14
Government Approved
Are government approved bioidentical hormones available?
Yes. In Bioidentical Hormone Therapy: Custom Compounded versus Government Approved published in 2020, the NAMS elaborate on:
On page 771 in The 2022 Hormone Therapy Position Statement of The North American Menopause Society, published July 2022, and endorsed by multiply organizations, the NAMS also note:
In Menopause Management Options: Pharmacy-Compounded Hormones (Bioidentical Hormones) the JH include:
Health Care Provider
What if I choose to use bioidentical hormones?
If you choose to use bioidentical hormones it may be in your best interest to also choose to tell your health care providers you are doing this. The JH caution:
Health Topics A-Z
Where may I find Health Topics A-Z related to Bioidentical Hormones?
In Health Topics A-Z you may find:
Links
Where may I find Links related to Bioidentical Hormones?
Your Country may have Links similar to:
Links
This Links List to third party websites is neither comprehensive nor exhaustive. Inclusion on this Links List does not imply endorsement or recommendation. Non-inclusion on this Links List does not imply non-endorsement or non-recommendation. Third party websites are not under the control of Meno Martha International Menopause Directory. Third party websites may contain explicit medical images and/or sexual references. Please read Meno Martha International Menopause Directory’s Links Policy before proceeding to a Link. Please contact Webmaster if you experience a problem with a Link.New or Updated
- Bioidentical Hormones
- Menopause: Understanding the Changes and Finding Relief | Dr Susan Davis | The Proof Podcast EP 256
- Nonhormone Treatments for Hot Flashes and Night Sweats
- The South African Menopause Society (SAMS) Statement on Compounded (Bioidentical) Menopausal Hormone Therapy [18 October 2023]
- Video Series-2023: NAMS 2023 Nonhormone Therapies Position Statement for Bothersome Menopause Symptoms
- Video Series-2023: New FDA-Approved Nonhormone Option for the Treatment of Hot Flashes
- 20 Years of Data Lead To Changes In Perceptions, Usage of Menopausal HT
- Askearlymenopause.org [Ask EM] [+ Video: What Is Early Menopause?]
- BMS Statement on Testosterone
- BMS TV: Bioidentical Hormones
- BMS TV: Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT)
- BMS TV: Testosterone Explained
- Bioidentical Custom Compounded Hormone Therapy
- Bioidentical HRT [British Menopause Society Consensus Statement, 2019]
- Bioidentical Hormones
- Bioidentical Hormones
- Bioidentical Hormones – Ask Dr Jean
- Bioidentical Hormones: Are They Safer?
- Complementary/Alternative Therapies for Menopausal Women
- Compounded Bioidentical Hormone Therapy
- Compounded Bioidentical Hormone Therapy [Video]
- Compounding and the FDA: Questions and Answers
- Deciding About Hormone Therapy
- Deciding About Hormone Therapy Use
- Dr Louise Newson: The Truth About the Menopause & HRT
- Emerging Research In the Management of Menopausal Symptoms
- Fact or Fiction? The Role of Regulated Body-Identical Hormone Therapy for Menopausal Women
- Find A Menopause Practitioner [United States and Other]
- Find An AMS Doctor [Australasian Menopause Society i.e. Australia and New Zealand]
- Find Your Nearest BMS Menopause Specialist [British Menopause Society]
- Follicle-Stimulating Hormone (FSH) Levels Test
- HRT and Alternatives
- HRT: Summary
- Hot Flashes
- Hot Flashes
- Hot Flashes: What Can I Do? [+ Video: What Are the Signs and Symptoms of Menopause?]
- How To Find Relief for Hot Flashes At Night
- I Forgot To Ask the Doctor – E9: The Menopause: Can Every Woman That Wants It Have HRT?
- Is It Really ‘FDA Approved?’ FDA Doesn’t Approve Compounded Drugs
- Joint Position Statement by the British Menopause Society, Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists and Society for Endocrinology on Best Practice Recommendations for the Care of Women Experiencing the Menopause
- Later Years (Around 50 Years and Over): Menopause and Post Menopause Health – Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) [+ Video: Is HRT Bad for You?]
- Later Years (Around 50 Years and Over): Menopause and Post Menopause Health – Signs and Symptoms [+ Video: Talking Menopause With Your GP]
- Looking At HRT In Perspective
- Luteinizing Hormone (LH) Levels Test
- Mayo Clinic Minute: Help With Hot Flashes Due To Menopause [+ Video Courtesy: Mayo Clinic News Network]
- Mayo Clinic Minute: Lifestyle Changes To Manage Menopause Symptoms [+ Video]
- Menopause
- Menopause
- Menopause & Herbs
- Menopause Management Options: Pharmacy-Compounded Hormones
- Menopause Map: Downloadable Resources – My Personal Path Print Tools: Questions for Your Health Care Provider
- Menopause Map: Downloadable Resources – My Personal Path Print Tools: Symptom Tracker
- Menopause Patient Information [Videos] 3. The Risks & Benefits of HRT
- Menopause Patient Information [Videos] 4. The Different Types of HRT
- Menopause Preparedness Toolkit Video Series: Treating Vasomotor Symptoms of Menopause
- Menopause Symptoms and Relief
- Menopause Symptoms: Mayo Clinic Expert Outlines Hormone and Nonhormonal Therapies
- Menopause Treatment: Bioidentical Hormones
- Menopause Treatments: What Works, What Doesn’t
- Menopause What Are the Symptoms?
- Menopause and HRT
- Menopause, Perimenopause, Hormone Therapy and Other Treatments With Madelyn Butler, MD [Podcast]
- Menopause Preparedness Toolkit: A Woman’s Empowerment Guide
- Menopause: Diagnosis & Treatment
- Menopause: Diagnosis and Management – Information for the Public: Questions To Ask About Menopause – Treatment for Menopausal Symptoms [NICE Guideline]
- Menopause: Understanding the Changes and Finding Relief | Dr Susan Davis | The Proof Podcast EP #256
- National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) Study on the Clinical Utility of Treating Patients With Compounded “Bioidentical” Hormone Therapy
- National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health: Herbs At A Glance
- National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health: How Safe Is This Product or Practice?
- National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health: Natural Doesn’t Necessarily Mean Safer, or Better
- Natural Remedies To Help Manage Perimenopause Symptoms
- Natural Therapies
- Navigating Menopause: Expert Insights and Solutions | Dr Susan Davis | The Proof Podcast EP 245
- Neither Natural Nor Safe: Compounded Bioidentical Hormones Need Better Evidence
- Nonhormone Treatments for Hot Flashes and Night Sweats
- Office of Dietary Supplements: Black Cohosh
- Office of Dietary Supplements: Dietary Supplement Fact Sheets
- Safety and Efficacy of Compounded Bioidentical Hormone Therapy (cBHT) In Perimenopausal and Postmenopausal Women: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials
- The Clinical Utility of Compounded Bioidentical Hormone Therapy: A Review of Safety, Effectiveness, and Use (2020)
- The North American Menopause Society Releases Its 2022 Hormone Therapy Position Statement
- The South African Menopause Society (SAMS) Statement on Compounded (Bioidentical) Menopausal Hormone Therapy
- The Truth About Menopause Supplements | Dr Sarah Berry
- Therapy for the Effects of Menopause
- Tips To Help Manage Menopause Symptoms
- Using Natural Therapies In the Menopause Transition – Webinar
- Vaginal Dryness
- Vaginal Dryness Alternative Treatments
- Video Series-2022: Hormone Therapy: Understanding the Risks and Benefits
- Video Series-2022: Perimenopause, Signs, Symptoms, and Solutions
- Video Series-2023: NAMS 2023 Nonhormone Therapies Position Statement for Bothersome Menopause Symptoms
- Video Series-2023: New FDA-Approved Nonhormone Option for the Treatment of Hot Flashes
- Videos and Podcasts: Videos – Interviews: A Simple Approach To Menopause: The Menopause Quick Six (www.MQ6.ca)
- What Everyone Should Know About Menopause Symptoms
- Why Didn’t Anyone Tell Me This? Episode 3: Dr Annice Mukherjee: Your Essential Menopause Toolkit
Sources
Where may I find the Sources quoted?
You may find the Sources quoted at:
Sources
- Hamoda, H., Mukherjee, A., Morris, E., Baldeweg, S. E., Jayasena, C. N., Briggs, P., Moger, S. Joint Position Statement By the British Menopause Society, Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists and Society for Endocrinology on Best Practice Recommendations for the Care of Women Experiencing the Menopause. First Published Online 10 June 2022:3-4. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/20533691221104879 Accessed: 23 November 2023
- Menopausal Hormone Therapy. 2022:1. European Menopause and Andropause Society https://emas-online.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Menopausal-hormone-therapy.pdf Accessed: 23 November 2023
- Menopause FAQs: Hormone Therapy for Menopause Symptoms – Q. I’ve heard about something called bioidentical hormones. What are they? North American Menopause Society https://www.menopause.org/for-women/menopause-faqs-hormone-therapy-for-menopause-symptoms Accessed: 23 November 2023
- Bioidentical Custom Compounded Hormone Therapy. Content Updated: May 2018. Australasian Menopause Society https://www.menopause.org.au/hp/information-sheets/212-bioidentical-hormones-for-menopausal-symptoms Accessed: 23 November 2023
- Compounding and the FDA: Questions and Answers – What Is Compounding? Content Current As of: 29 June 2022. Food and Drug Administration https://www.fda.gov/drugs/guidancecomplianceregulatoryinformation/pharmacycompounding/ucm339764.htm Accessed: 23 November 2023
- Compounding and the FDA: Questions and Answers – What Is Compounding? Content Current As of: 29 June 2022. Food and Drug Administration https://www.fda.gov/drugs/guidancecomplianceregulatoryinformation/pharmacycompounding/ucm339764.htm Accessed: 23 November 2023
- Burnett, T. Bioidentical Hormones: Are They Safer? 07 December 2022. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/menopause/expert-answers/bioidentical-hormones/faq-20058460 Accessed: 23 November 2023
- Menopause Management Options: Pharmacy-Compounded Hormones (Bioidentical Hormones). Last Updated: 04 September 2023 | Last Reviewed: 19 August 2022. Jean Hailes for Women’s Health https://jeanhailes.org.au/health-a-z/menopause/menopause-management/ Accessed: 23 November 2023
- Bioidentical Hormones: Risks and Benefits – What Are the Risks of Bioidentical Hormones? 15 May 2022. Cleveland Clinic https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/15660-bioidentical-hormones Accessed: 23 November 2023
- The 2022 Hormone Therapy Position Statement of The North American Menopause Society. July 2022:771. North American Menopause Society https://www.menopause.org/docs/default-source/professional/nams-2022-hormone-therapy-position-statement.pdf Accessed: 23 November 2023
- The 2022 Hormone Therapy Position Statement of The North American Menopause Society. July 2022:771. North American Menopause Society https://www.menopause.org/docs/default-source/professional/nams-2022-hormone-therapy-position-statement.pdf Accessed: 23 November 2023
- Hamoda, H., Mukherjee, A., Morris, E., Baldeweg, S. E., Jayasena, C. N., Briggs, P., Moger, S. Joint Position Statement By the British Menopause Society, Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists and Society for Endocrinology on Best Practice Recommendations for the Care of Women Experiencing the Menopause. First Published Online 10 June 2022:3-4. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/20533691221104879 Accessed: 23 November 2023
- Menopause Management Options: Pharmacy-Compounded Hormones (Bioidentical Hormones). Last Updated: 04 September 2023 | Last Reviewed: 19 August 2022. Jean Hailes for Women’s Health https://jeanhailes.org.au/health-a-z/menopause/menopause-management/ Accessed: 23 November 2023
- Davis, S. R., Taylor, S., Hemachandra, C., Magraith, K., Ebeling, P. R., Jane, F., and Islam, R. M. The 2023 Practitioner’s Toolkit for Managing Menopause: Management – Considerations for All Women At Menopause: Menopausal Hormone Therapy. Published Online: 30 October 2023 https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13697137.2023.2258783 Accessed: 24 November 2023
- Bioidentical Hormone Therapy: Custom Compounded versus Government Approved. 2020. North American Menopause Society https://www.menopause.org/docs/default-source/2015/mn-bioidenticals.pdf Accessed: 23 November 2023
- The 2022 Hormone Therapy Position Statement of The North American Menopause Society. July 2022:771. North American Menopause Society https://www.menopause.org/docs/default-source/professional/nams-2022-hormone-therapy-position-statement.pdf Accessed: 23 November 2023
- Menopause Management Options: Pharmacy-Compounded Hormones (Bioidentical Hormones). Last Updated: 04 September 2023 | Last Reviewed: 19 August 2022. Jean Hailes for Women’s Health https://jeanhailes.org.au/health-a-z/menopause/menopause-management/ Accessed: 23 November 2023
- Menopause Management Options: Pharmacy-Compounded Hormones (Bioidentical Hormones). Last Updated: 04 September 2023 | Last Reviewed: 19 August 2022. Jean Hailes for Women’s Health https://jeanhailes.org.au/health-a-z/menopause/menopause-management/ Accessed: 23 November 2023