Hormone Therapy and Contraception

“It is important to realise that HRT is not a method of
contraception. If periods have not stopped before starting
HRT then a method of contraception should be used…”.1

Umbrella

What may the Hormone Therapy and Contraception Umbrella include?

Depending on the Source (DotS) this Umbrella may include:

  • Birth Control
  • Conception
  • Contraception
  • Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT)
  • Hormone Therapy (HT)
  • Menopausal Hormone Therapy (MHT)
  • Pregnancy

Contraceptive or Not

Is hormone therapy (HT), hormone replacement therapy (HRT) or menopausal hormone therapy (MHT) a contraceptive to prevent becoming pregnant?

No. The (Australian) Jean Hailes for Women’s Health (JH) caution:

“Note that MHT is not a contraceptive”.2

In Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT): Sequential Combined Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) Tablets and Patches: Pregnancy, Breastfeeding and Fertility While Taking or Using Sequential Combined Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) – Sequential Combined HRT and Fertility, page last reviewed 18 January 2023, the (United Kingdom) NHS note:

“There’s a chance that you could become pregnant while taking HRT as it does not act as contraception.

Even if you think that you’ve gone through the menopause, there’s a small chance that you could become pregnant”.3

Contraceptive Advice

What is contraceptive advice?

In Contraception: Contraception and Menopause the JH advise:

“If you’re younger than 50 and you don’t want to fall pregnant, you should use contraception for at least two years after your final period.

If you’re 50 or older and you don’t want to fall pregnant, you should use contraception for at least one year after your final period”.4

In Later Years (Around 50 Years and Over): Menopause and Post Menopause Health – Sexual Wellbeing, Intimacy and Menopause the (Scottish) NHS Inform explain:

“It’s still possible to get pregnant during perimenopause so, if you need to, keep having conversations about contraception. If you use barrier methods with your partner, it’s important to keep using condoms as less lubrication and thinning vaginal walls during menopause can make you more vulnerable to contracting a sexually transmitted infection”.5

Contraception Methods

What are some methods of contraception when using HRT?

In Contraception for Older Women: Hormone Replacement Therapy the (British) Women’s Health Concern (WHC) explain:

“It is important to realise that HRT is not a method of contraception. If periods have not stopped before starting HRT then a method of contraception should be used in addition to HRT. Suitable methods to consider would be barrier methods, an IUD, the progestogen-only pill or the IUS. As well as being an effective method of contraception, the Mirena® IUS has the additional advantage of providing the progestogen component of HRT and so minimises bleeding problems and other side-effects that might occur from the progestogen”.6

Contraception

How long may women need to use contraception?

In Contraception for Older Women: Hormone Replacement Therapy the WHC also note:

“Once HRT has been started, it can be difficult to know when contraception can be stopped since HRT will often produce regular monthly bleeds. It is best to continue contraception alongside HRT until the age of 55 when contraception is no longer needed”.7

Health Care Provider

If I choose to use HT what may I choose to use for contraception?

In Looking After Yourself Around the Time of Menopause: How Does Menopause Affect Fertility? When Is It Safe To Stop Contraception? the JH note:

“Talk to your doctor about the best contraception for you”.8

Health Topics A-Z

Where may I find Health Topics A-Z related to Hormone Therapy and Pregnancy?

In Health Topics A-Z you may find:

Health Topics A-Z

Links

Where may I find Links related to Hormone Therapy and Contraception?

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

  1. A Guide To Birth Control In Your 40s and 50s
  2. Birth Control Methods
  3. Birth Control Options: Things To Consider
  4. Can You Get Pregnant After Menopause?
  5. Consumer Video and Podcast Series: 2023 Consumer Videos and Podcasts – Premature and Early Menopause
  6. Consumer Video and Podcast Series: 2024 Consumer Videos and Podcasts – Preparing for Your Menopause Health Care Visit
  7. Contraception
  8. Contraception
  9. Contraception
  10. Contraception During Perimenopause: HRT, the Pill and the Mirena Coil | Dr Louise Newson Podcast
  11. Contraception and the Menopause
  12. Contraception for the Older Woman
  13. Contraception Choices: Know All Your Options
  14. Contraception: Methods of Contraception
  15. Deciding About Hormone Therapy Use
  16. FAQs: Barrier Methods of Birth Control: Spermicide, Condom, Sponge, Diaphragm, and Cervical Cap
  17. FAQs: Combined Hormonal Birth Control: Pill, Patch, and Ring
  18. FAQs: Emergency Contraception
  19. FAQs: Hormone Therapy for Menopause
  20. Find A Menopause Practitioner [United States and Other]
  21. Find An AMS Member [Australasian Menopause Society i.e. Australia and New Zealand]
  22. Find Your Nearest BMS Menopause Specialist [British Menopause Society]
  23. HRT Is Not #contraception and So If You Are Perimenopausal Then Added Contraception Is Needed
  24. HRT Questions Answered
  25. Hormone Replacement Therapy
  26. Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT)
  27. Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT): Sequential Combined Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) Tablets and Patches
  28. Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT): Sequential Combined Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) Tablets and Patches: Common Questions About Sequential Combined Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT)
  29. Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT): Sequential Combined Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) Tablets and Patches: Pregnancy, Breastfeeding and Fertility While Taking or Using Sequential Combined Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) – Sequential Combined HRT and Fertility
  30. How To Talk To Your Doctor About Menopause
    Menopause
  31. Later Years (Around 50 Years and Over): Menopause and Post Menopause Health – Sexual Wellbeing, Intimacy and Menopause [+ Video: Menopause Is the End of Your Sex Life] [Other Languages and Formats]
  32. Let’s Talk About Perimenopause
  33. Looking After Yourself Around the Time of Menopause
  34. Menopause
  35. Menopause
  36. Menopause
  37. Menopause Map: Downloadable Resources – My Personal Path Print Tools: Questions for Your Health Care Provider
    Hormone Therapy and Contraception
  38. Menopause Map: Downloadable Resources – Stages of Menopause: Perimenopause
  39. Menopause Patient Information [Videos] 2. Talking To Your GP About Menopause
  40. Menopause Preparedness Toolkit: A Woman’s Empowerment Guide
  41. Menopause Preparedness Toolkit: A Woman’s Empowerment Guide – Reproductive Aging and Midlife
  42. Menopause, Perimenopause, Hormone Therapy and Other Treatments With Madelyn Butler, MD [Podcast]
  43. Menopause: Identification and Management [NICE Guideline Published: 12 November 2015 Last Updated: 07 November 2024]
    Hormone Therapy and Contraception
  44. Menopause: Identification and Management: NICE Guideline [NG23] [07 November 2024]
  45. Menopause: Understanding the Changes and Finding Relief | Dr Susan Davis | The Proof Podcast EP 256
  46. Mymenoplan.org [My Menoplan, United States]
  47. Perimenopause
  48. Perimenopause
  49. Perimenopause and Menopause Checklist: Translated Checklists
  50. Perimenopause and Menopause Symptom Checklist
  51. The Menopause Society Statement on Misinformation Surrounding Hormone Therapy
    Hormone Therapy and Contraception
  52. Videos & Podcasts: Videos – Menopause and Hormone Therapy: Current Perspectives and Controversies
  53. Videos and Podcasts: Videos – A Simple Approach To Menopause: The Menopause Quick Six (www.MQ6.ca)
  54. Webinars: Previous – Perimenopausal Contraception
  55. What Is the Difference Between Perimenopause, Menopause and Postmenopause?
  56. When Does Perimenopause Start and How Do You Define the Beginning
  57. Which Contraception Is Right for You? | Live with Dr Louise Newson
  58. World Menopause Day 2024: Leaflet for Women – Menopause and Menopause Hormone Therapy [Multiply Languages]
  59. World Menopause Day 2024: Poster for Women – The 5 Ws of Menopause Hormone Therapy (MHT)

Sources

Where may I find the Sources quoted?

You may find the Sources quoted at:

Sources

  1. Contraception for the Older Woman: Hormone Replacement Therapy. Updated: November 2022:4. British Women’s Health Concern https://www.womens-health-concern.org/help-and-advice/factsheets/contraception-older-woman/ Accessed: 20 July 2025
  2. Looking After Yourself Around the Time of Menopause: How Does Menopause Affect Fertility? When Is It Safe To Stop Contraception? Last Updated: 26 May 2024 | Last Reviewed: 19 March 2025. Jean Hailes for Women’s Health https://www.jeanhailes.org.au/health-a-z/menopause/looking-after-yourself#sex-and-relationships Accessed: 20 July 2025
  3. Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT): Sequential Combined Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) Tablets and Patches: Pregnancy, Breastfeeding and Fertility While Taking or Using Sequential Combined Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) – Sequential Combined HRT and Fertility. Page Last Reviewed: 18 January 2023. NHS https://www.nhs.uk/medicines/hormone-replacement-therapy-hrt/sequential-combined-hormone-replacement-therapy-hrt-tablets-and-patches/pregnancy-breastfeeding-and-fertility-while-taking-or-using-sequential-combined-hormone-replacement-therapy-hrt/ Accessed: 20 July 2025
  4. Contraception: Contraception and Menopause. Last Updated: 14 January 2025 | Last Reviewed: 12 December 2023. Jean Hailes for Women’s Health https://www.jeanhailes.org.au/health-a-z/sex-sexual-health/contraception#contraception-and-menopause Accessed: 20 July 2025
  5. Later Years (Around 50 Years and Over): Menopause and Post Menopause Health – Sexual Wellbeing, Intimacy and Menopause. Last Updated: 14 March 2023. NHS Inform https://www.nhsinform.scot/healthy-living/womens-health/later-years-around-50-years-and-over/menopause-and-post-menopause-health/sexual-wellbeing-intimacy-and-menopause Accessed: 20 July 2025
  6. Contraception for the Older Woman: Hormone Replacement Therapy. Updated: November 2022:4. British Women’s Health Concern https://www.womens-health-concern.org/help-and-advice/factsheets/contraception-older-woman/ Accessed: 20 July 2025
  7. Contraception for the Older Woman: Hormone Replacement Therapy. Updated: November 2022:4. British Women’s Health Concern https://www.womens-health-concern.org/help-and-advice/factsheets/contraception-older-woman/ Accessed: 20 July 2025
  8. Looking After Yourself Around the Time of Menopause: How Does Menopause Affect Fertility? When Is It Safe To Stop Contraception? Last Updated: 26 May 2025 | Last Reviewed: 19 March 2025. Jean Hailes for Women’s Health https://www.jeanhailes.org.au/health-a-z/menopause/looking-after-yourself#sex-and-relationships Accessed: 20 July 2025
Topic Last Updated: 20 July 2025 – Topic Last Reviewed: 20 July 2025

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