Hormone Therapy Options

“Hormone therapy is available as a daily pill,
but it also may be taken as a skin patch,
gel, cream, spray, or vaginal ring”.1

Umbrella

What may the Hormone Therapy Options Umbrella include?

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

  • HRT/HT/MHT Dose
  • Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) Forms/Medicines/Options/Preparations/Types/Ways To Take
  • Hormone Therapy (HT) Forms/Medicines/Options/Preparations/Types/Ways To Take
  • Menopausal Hormone Therapy (MHT) Forms/Medicines/Options/Preparations/Types/Ways To Take

Not One-Size-Fits-All

Are HT options one-size-fits-all?

No. In HRT: Types, Doses and Regimes the (British) Women’s Health Concern explain:

“Many types of HRT are available and there is not one type, dose or regimen which suits all women. It is important to understand which hormones are used, why and how so that for each woman who chooses to take HRT, the treatment is individualised to best suit her needs, taking into account types of symptoms, medical history, period pattern if present and current national recommendations and guidelines”.2

Options

What are some hormone therapy (HT) options?

On page two in Deciding About Hormone Therapy Use: Pill or Non-Pill the (United States) Menopause Society (now the North American Menopause include:

“Hormone therapy is available as a daily pill, but it also may be taken as a skin patch, gel, cream, spray, or vaginal ring. Non-pill forms may be more convenient. Hormone therapy pills need to be taken every day, but skin patches are changed only once or twice weekly, and the HT vaginal ring is changed only every 3 months. Hormone therapy taken in non-pill form enters your blood stream more directly, with less effect on the liver. Studies suggest that this may lower the risk of blood clots in the legs and lungs compared with HT taken as a pill”.3

In Treatments for Menopause: Menopausal Hormone Therapy (MHT) – How Do You Take MHT? the (Australian) Jean Hailes for Women’s Health explain:


“MHT can be prescribed in different dosages and methods, depending on your needs and responses. For example, you might be prescribed pills, patches, gel, vaginal creams or an intrauterine device (IUD).

You may need to try different dosages or methods to find what works best for you. Your doctor should help manage this process”.4

On page four of Menopause and Menopause Hormone Therapy: 2. What Is MHT? Types of MHT the International Menopause Society’s (IMS) Leaflet for Women for World Menopause Day 2024, the IMS elaborate on:

“MHT can be taken in different forms which include:

  • Tablets: Easy to take, but may have higher risks of blood clots
  • Patches, sprays, and gels: Absorbed through the skin and are often safer for women with certain risk factors
  • Vaginal creams, gels, tablets and rings: Often used for vaginal symptoms like dryness or discomfort during sex”.5

Dose

What is recommended about the dose of HT?

In Menopause: Hormone Therapy – What Is Hormone Therapy for Menopause? the (United States) Food and Drug Administration (FDA) note:

“If you decide to use hormone therapy, use it at the lowest dose that helps. Also use hormones for the shortest time that you need them”.6

In Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT): About Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) – After You Start Taking HRT the NHS also note:

“You’ll usually start with a low dose, which may be increased later. Your symptoms should improve after a few days or weeks.

A GP will usually recommend a review appointment 3 months after you start taking HRT, or if you change your type of HRT. This is to see how well it’s working. If everything is OK, you’ll usually have 1 review a year”.7

Who is a GP?

Dots and/or DotC (Depending on the Country) a GP may be a registered general practitioner, a medical practitioner, a medical doctor or a doctor.

Vaginal Oestrogen

When may vaginal oestrogen be used?

On page two 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:

  • “Low-dose and ultra-low dose vaginal oestrogen preparations can be taken by perimenopausal and menopausal women experiencing genitourinary symptoms and continued for as long as required. All vaginal oestrogen preparations have been shown to be effective in this context and there is no requirement to combine vaginal oestrogens with systemic progestogen treatment for endometrial protection, as low-dose and ultra-low dose vaginal oestrogen preparations do not result in significant systemic absorption or endometrial hyperplasia”.8

Health Care Provider

What if I would like help to choose what HT to use?

If you would like help to choose what HT to use, it may be in your best interest to choose to talk to your health care provider about this.

On page two in Deciding About Hormone Therapy Use: Hormone Therapy Options the Menopause Society explain:

“Each woman must make her own decision about HT with the help of a healthcare professional. If you decide to take HT, the next step is to choose between the many HT options available to find the best dose and route for you. With guidance from your healthcare professional, you can try different forms of HT until you find the type and dose that treats your symptoms with few adverse effects”.9

Health Topics A-Z

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

In Health Topics A-Z you may find:

Health Topics A-Z

Links

Where may I find Links related to Hormone Therapy Options?

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

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  13. Find A Menopause Practitioner [United States and Other]
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  27. Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT): Continuous Combined Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) Tablets, Capsules and Patches
  28. Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT): Oestrogen Tablets, Patches, Gel and Spray
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  34. Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT): Vaginal Oestrogen
  35. Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT): Vaginal Oestrogen – About Vaginal Oestrogen
  36. Hormone Replacement Therapy: Does It Cause Vaginal Bleeding?
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  38. Hormone Therapy: Four Things A Mayo Clinic Women’s Health Specialist Wants You To Know [+ Video Courtesy: Mayo Clinic News Network. Name Super/CG: Taryn Smith, M.D./Internal Medicine/Mayo Clinic]
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  43. How Vaginal Hormones Can Transform the Health of Women
  44. HRT: How To Find the Right Dose & Type | Dr Louise Newson
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  46. 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
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  56. Menopause Symptoms: Mayo Clinic Expert Outlines Hormone and Nonhormonal Therapies
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  58. Menopause and HRT: Fact and Fiction
  59. Menopause, Perimenopause, Hormone Therapy and Other Treatments With Madelyn Butler, MD [Podcast]
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  61. Menopause: Identification and Management NICE Guideline Published: 12 November 2015 Last Updated: 07 November 2024]
    Hormone Therapy Options
  62. Menopause: Identification and Management: NICE Guideline [NG23] [07 November 2024]
  63. Navigating Menopause Care Resource Guide
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  67. The 2023 Practitioner’s Toolkit for Managing Menopause
  68. The Menopause Society Statement on Misinformation Surrounding Hormone Therapy
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  69. The Role of Topical Vaginal Oestrogen
  70. The Women’s Health Initiative Randomized Trials and Clinical Practice
  71. The Women’s Health Initiative Trials: Clinical Messages
  72. Treatments for Menopause: Menopausal Hormone Therapy (MHT)
  73. Urogenital Problems
  74. Vaginal Dryness
  75. Video & Podcast Library: Videos – World Menopause Day 2024: Menopause and Hormone Therapy: Current Perspectives and Controversies
  76. Videos & Podcasts: Videos – Menopause and Hormone Therapy: Current Perspectives and Controversies
  77. Webinars: Symposia – What’s Hot? Options for Treatment of Hot Flushes 2025
  78. Webinars: The Burn, the Itch, the Pain, the Urge: GSM In Women
  79. What Are the Benefits and Risks of HRT?
  80. What Types of Vaginal Oestrogens Are There?
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  82. World Menopause Day 2024: Leaflet for Women [Multiply Languages]
  83. World Menopause Day 2024: Poster for Women

Sources

Where may I find the Sources quoted?

You may find the Sources quoted at:

Sources

  1. Deciding About Hormone Therapy Use: Pill or Non-Pill. 2025:2. Menopause Society https://menopause.org/wp-content/uploads/default-document-library/MenoNote-Deciding-About-HT-2025.pdf Accessed: 30 December 2025
  2. HRT: Types, Doses and Regimes. Published Date: September 2021. Review Date: September 2024. British Menopause Society https://www.womens-health-concern.org/help-and-advice/factsheets/hrt-types-doses-and-regimens/ Accessed: 30 December 2025
  3. Deciding About Hormone Therapy Use: Pill or Non-Pill. 2025:2. Menopause Society https://menopause.org/wp-content/uploads/default-document-library/MenoNote-Deciding-About-HT-2025.pdf Accessed: 30 December 2025
  4. Treatments for Menopause: Menopausal Hormone Therapy (MHT) – How Do You Take MHT? Last Updated: 13 May 2025 | Last Reviewed: 22 April 2025. Jean Hailes for Women’s Health https://www.jeanhailes.org.au/health-a-z/menopause/menopause-management#menopausal-hormone-therapy-mht Accessed: Accessed: 30 December 2025
  5. Menopause and Menopause Hormone Therapy: 2. What Is MHT? Types of MHT. 2024:4. International Menopause Society https://www.imsociety.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/2024-WMD-Leaflet_English.pdf Accessed: 30 December 2025
  6. Menopause: Hormone Therapy – What Is Hormone Therapy for Menopause? Content Current As of: 14 December 2023. Food and Drug Administration https://www.fda.gov/consumers/womens-health-topics/menopause#hormonetherapy Accessed: 30 December 2025
  7. Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT): About Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) – After You Start Taking HRT. Page Last Reviewed: 07 February 2023. NHS https://www.nhs.uk/medicines/hormone-replacement-therapy-hrt/about-hormone-replacement-therapy-hrt/ Accessed: 30 December 2025
  8. Hamoda, H., Mukherjee, A., Morris, E., Baldeweg, S. E., Jayesena, 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: 30 December 2025
  9. Deciding About Hormone Therapy Use: Hormone Therapy Options. 2025:2. Menopause Society https://menopause.org/wp-content/uploads/default-document-library/MenoNote-Deciding-About-HT-2025.pdf Accessed: 30 December 2025
Topic Last Updated: 30 December 2025 – Topic Last Reviewed: 30 December 2025

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