Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) is a form of medical treatment offered to women who are in their surgically menopausal, perimenopausal, and post-menopausal stage. The HRT works to prevent certain discomforts and ailments, such as hot flashes, redistribution of fat, and irregular menstrual periods experienced by menopausal women due to fluctuating or decreasing levels of estrogen and progesterone hormones in the body.

HRT is offered and administered in many forms such as patches, creams, tablets, IUDs, gels, troches, vaginal rings and sometimes through injections. It usually comes in a minimal dosage of one or several estrogen hormones, and includes either progesterone or a chemical equivalent called progestin. HRT dosage has two types: scHRT or “sequential combined HRT” involves taking estrogen daily and taking progesterone or progestin for a period of two weeks every month or every two months; and ccHRT or “continuous combined HRT” which is an alternative and latest method that involves taking both estrogen and progesterone on a daily basis.

HRT is generally used either to provide short-term alleviation(usually shorter than 5 years) of menopausal discomfort or as a long-term treatment to prevent osteopenia, a condition characterized by a decreased bone density and can later lead to osteoporosis. However, HRT is also known to heighten the risks of stroke, heart disease, and breast cancer, and some HRT types pose greater risks than others. The risks of HRT also vary for each woman, and are related to their lifestyle and medical history. As such, HRT is advised for short-term treatments only, and at the lowest dosage possible.