Menopause & Hormones

Common Questions

What is menopause?

Menopause is a normal, natural change in a woman’s 

life when her period stops. That’s why some people 

call menopause “the change of life” or “the change.” 

During menopause a woman’s body slowly produces 

less of the hormones estrogen and progesterone. This 

often happens between ages 45 and 55. A woman has 

reached menopause when she has not had a period for 

12 months in a row.

What are the symptoms of menopause?

Every woman’s period will stop at menopause. Some 

women may not have any other symptoms at all. As 

you near menopause, you may have:

• Changes in your period—time between periods or 

flow may be different.

• Hot flashes (“hot flushes”)—getting warm in the 

face, neck, or chest, with and without sweating.

• Night sweats that may lead to problems sleeping 

and feeling tired, stressed, or tense.

• Vaginal changes—the vagina may become dry and 

thin, and sex may be painful.

• Thinning of your bones, which may lead to loss of 

height and bone breaks (osteoporosis).

Who needs treatment for symptoms of 

menopause?

• For some women, many of these changes will go

away over time without treatment.

• Some women will choose treatment for their 

symptoms and to prevent bone loss. If you choose 

hormone treatment, estrogen alone or estrogen 

with progestin (for a woman who still has her uterus 

or womb) can be used.

What is hormone therapy for menopause?

Lower hormone levels in menopause may lead to hot 

flashes, vaginal dryness, and thin bones. To help with 

these problems, women may be prescribed estrogen 

or estrogen with progestin (another hormone). Like 

all medicines, hormone therapy has benefits and 

risks. Talk to your doctor, nurse, or pharmacist about 

hormone therapy. 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.

Who should not take hormone therapy for 

menopause?

Women who:

• Think they are pregnant.

• Have problems with vaginal bleeding.

• Have had certain kinds of cancers.

• Have had a stroke or heart attack.

• Have had blood clots.

• Have liver disease.

What are the benefits of using hormone 

therapy for menopause?

• Hormone therapy may help relieve hot flashes, 

night sweats, vaginal dryness, or dyspareunia (pain 

with sexual activity).

• Hormones may reduce your chances of getting 

thin, weak bones (osteoporosis), which break easily.

What are the risks of using hormone 

therapy?

For some women, hormone therapy may increase their 

chances of getting blood clots, heart attacks, strokes, 

breast cancer, and gall bladder disease. For a woman 

with a uterus, estrogen increases the chance of getting 

endometrial cancer (cancer of the uterine lining). 

Adding progestin lowers this risk.

Who should not take hormone therapy 

for menopause?

Women who:

• Think they are pregnant.

• Have problems with vaginal bleeding. 

• Have certain kinds of cancers. 

• Have had a stroke or heart attack. 

• Have had blood clots. 

• Have liver disease.
For more information: FDA Office of Women’s Health

www.fda.gov/menopause

2019

How long should I use hormone therapy for 

menopause symptoms?

• You should talk to your doctor, nurse, or pharmacist.

• Treatment of menopausal symptoms should be 

decided with your healthcare provider, as there 

are many different FDA-approved hormones for 

treatment of the symptoms of menopause.

Does it make a difference what form of 

hormones I use for menopause?

Yes. FDA recommends that women use hormone 

therapies that are FDA-approved. FDA-approved 

hormone therapies are evaluated for safety and 

effectiveness.

Are compounded “bioidentical hormones” 

safer or more effective than FDA-approved 

hormone therapy for menopause?

Many marketed products that are called “bioidentical 

hormones” are compounded drugs, which are not 

FDA-approved. FDA does not have evidence that 

compounded “bioidentical hormones” are safe and 

effective, or safer or more effective than FDA-approved 

hormone therapy. 

FDA has approved drugs containing hormones that are 

identical to the hormones made naturally by women in 

their reproductive years. 

Is the hormone estriol a “safer form of 

estrogen”?

FDA does not have evidence that drugs containing 

estriol are safe and effective, or are “safer forms 

of estrogen.” There are no FDA-approved drugs 

containing estriol. Marketed drugs that contain estriol 

are compounded drugs, which are not FDA-approved. 

Has FDA approved other treatments for 

menopause?

Yes. In 2013, FDA approved:

• A non-hormonal treatment for moderate to severe 

hot flashes associated with menopause.

• A medicine to treat moderate to severe dyspareunia 

(pain with sexual activity) due to vaginal changes 

that occur with menopause.

Are herbs and other “natural” products 

useful in treating symptoms of menopause?

At this time, FDA does not know if herbs or other 

“natural” products are helpful or safe.

Menopause & Hormones

Should I use estrogen just to prevent thin bones?

You can, but there are also other medicines and 

things you can do to help your bones. Speak to your 

healthcare provider.

Should I use hormone therapy to protect the 

heart or prevent strokes?

No, do not use hormone therapy to prevent heart 

attacks or strokes.

Should I use hormone therapy to prevent 

memory loss or Alzheimer’s disease?

No, do not use hormone therapy to prevent memory 

loss or Alzheimer’s disease.

Do hormones protect against aging and wrinkles 

or increase my sex drive?

Studies have not shown that hormone therapy 

prevents aging and wrinkles or increases sex drive.