Hormone Therapy Learning Center

Hormone Therapy: What the Research Actually Says

Clear answers to the questions women ask every day — based on current medical research, not social media opinions.

  • Evidence-based
  • Written by a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP, FNP-C)
  • Reviewed using current clinical guidelines
  • Updated regularly as new research becomes available

Hormone therapy isn't right for everyone, but many women have heard outdated or incomplete information. This page explains what current research shows in simple language so you can have a more informed conversation with your healthcare provider.

18 min readReviewed by Mabel Beard Olaya, DNP, APRN, FNP-CLast updated July 1, 2026

Individualized care matters. Hormone therapy decisions are individualized. The safest option depends on your age, menopause stage, uterus status, health history, symptoms, and personal risk factors.

Evidence Key

Strong evidenceModerate evidenceExpert guideline

This information is for education only and should not replace personalized medical advice.

When to talk to your clinician

  • You're within 10 years of menopause and symptoms are affecting your sleep, work, mood, or relationships.
  • You're experiencing vaginal dryness, painful sex, urinary urgency, or recurrent UTIs.
  • You have a personal or family history of breast cancer, blood clots, stroke, or heart disease and want an individualized risk conversation.
  • You've been told 'you're too old' or 'you just have to live with it' without a personalized discussion.
  • You're considering compounded hormones and want to compare with FDA-approved options.

Still have questions?

Everyone's menopause journey is different. Use our free assessment to better understand your symptoms or ask our AI menopause education assistant.

Take the Free Assessment

Medical References & Guidelines

Peer-reviewed sources supporting the answers above.

North American Menopause Society (NAMS)

  1. [1]The 2022 Hormone Therapy Position Statement of The North American Menopause Society. Menopause. 2022;29(7):767-794. View source
  2. [2]The 2023 Nonhormone Therapy Position Statement of The North American Menopause Society. Menopause. 2023;30(6):573-590. View source
  3. [3]The 2020 Genitourinary Syndrome of Menopause Position Statement of The North American Menopause Society. Menopause. 2020;27(9):976-992. View source

Women's Health Initiative (WHI)

  1. [4]Manson JE, et al. Menopausal hormone therapy and long-term all-cause and cause-specific mortality: WHI randomized trials. JAMA. 2017;318(10):927-938. View source
  2. [5]Chlebowski RT, et al. Association of menopausal hormone therapy with breast cancer incidence and mortality during long-term follow-up of the WHI randomized clinical trials. JAMA. 2020;324(4):369-380. View source
  3. [6]Rossouw JE, et al. Postmenopausal hormone therapy and risk of cardiovascular disease by age and years since menopause. JAMA. 2007;297(13):1465-1477. View source
  4. [11]Crandall CJ, et al. Breast cancer, endometrial cancer, and cardiovascular events in participants who used vaginal estrogen in the WHI Observational Study. Menopause. 2018;25(1):11-20. View source

ACOG

  1. [7]ACOG Clinical Consensus No. 6: Compounded Bioidentical Menopausal Hormone Therapy. Obstet Gynecol. 2023;142(5):1266-1273. View source

Endocrine Society / ISSWSH

  1. [8]Davis SR, et al. Global Consensus Position Statement on the Use of Testosterone Therapy for Women. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2019;104(10):4660-4666. View source
  2. [16]Stuenkel CA, et al. Treatment of Symptoms of the Menopause: An Endocrine Society Clinical Practice Guideline. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2015;100(11):3975-4011. View source

New England Journal of Medicine

  1. [9]Hodis HN, et al. Vascular effects of early versus late postmenopausal treatment with estradiol (ELITE Trial). N Engl J Med. 2016;374(13):1221-1231. View source
  2. [12]Raz R, Stamm WE. A controlled trial of intravaginal estriol in postmenopausal women with recurrent urinary tract infections. N Engl J Med. 1993;329(11):753-756. View source
  3. [18]Henderson VW, et al. Cognitive effects of estradiol after menopause: A randomized trial of the timing hypothesis (ELITE-Cog). Neurology. 2016;87(7):699-708. View source

JAMA

  1. [10]Miller VM, et al. The Kronos Early Estrogen Prevention Study (KEEPS): what have we learned? Menopause. 2019;26(9):1071-1084. View source
  2. [15]Canonico M, et al. Hormone therapy and venous thromboembolism among postmenopausal women. Circulation. 2007;115(7):840-845. View source
  3. [17]Shumaker SA, et al. Estrogen plus progestin and the incidence of dementia and mild cognitive impairment in postmenopausal women: Women's Health Initiative Memory Study (WHIMS). JAMA. 2003;289(20):2651-2662. View source

American Heart Association

  1. [13]Mehta LS, et al. Cardiovascular Considerations in Caring for Pregnant Patients and Menopausal Women: AHA Scientific Statement. Circulation. 2020;141(23):e884-e903. View source

Cochrane Reviews

  1. [14]Marjoribanks J, et al. Long-term hormone therapy for perimenopausal and postmenopausal women. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2017;(1):CD004143. View source

Coming soon

Future educational guides

  • Her Hormone Map Research Library
  • Brain Health & Menopause Guide
  • Alzheimer's & Hormone Therapy Guide
  • Heart Health Guide
  • Healthy Aging Guide

Next step

Take the free assessment

Personalized report with topics to discuss and questions to ask your clinician.

Start Free Assessment

Recommended next

Hormone Testing: When It Helps — and When It Doesn't

Understand when hormone labs change management and when they don't.

Read the guide

Related guides

Educational content only — not a substitute for personalized medical care. Contact us · Take the Free Assessment