Exploring Hormone Therapy: Key Insights for Women on World Menopause Day 2024

Ladies, it’s time to mark it in the calendar: World Menopause Day is set for the 18th of October. In fact, it’s a date we should all mark in our calendars (regardless of gender!), as this crucial day is an opportunity for each of us to learn more about menopause and its impact either on ourselves or on those we love. 

Held annually, the purpose of World Menopause Day is to raise awareness about menopause, as well as the support options that can help to make each woman’s menopause experience a better one. This is a great reason for us to talk about the crucial issues that surround menopause and contribute to greater education, paving the way for better health and wellbeing experiences throughout this inevitable life cycle.

In 2024, the theme for World Menopause Day is Menopause Hormone Therapy. Diving into the heart of the current controversies that surround the prescription of menopause hormone therapy (MHT), which is also commonly known as Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT), this World Menopause Day is an important and timely opportunity for us to talk about how this powerful form of therapy can be positive and transformative for many menopausal experiences. 

As a part of World Menopause Day, the International Menopause Society (IMS) has published a White Paper titled ‘Menopause and MHT in 2024: addressing the key controversies – an International Menopause Society White Paper’. We’re reviewing this resource (amongst others!) to give you all you need to prepare for World Menopause Day equipped for this crucial conversation.

A long overdue conversation

Have you experienced uncertainty about the best way to manage your menopause symptoms and the impact it has on your overall health and well-being?

If so, you’re not alone.

There’s a key quote in the introduction of the IMS white paper that speaks to just how important this conversation is: ‘after many years of neglect, we have finally seen overdue unprecedented attention given to menopause in the popular media, empowering women to seek care for menopause symptoms.’

While this is an exciting and urgently necessary move forward, the white paper goes on to detail that unfortunately, both general media and academic sources alike can often present mismatched and polarising views on how menopause is best managed. As a result, it’s easy for us to feel not only overwhelmed with information, but utterly and entirely confused about the best – and safest – treatment pathways.

One area of menopause treatment that has experienced a high degree of controversy is any form of hormone treatment. With opinions from casual observers mixing in with those of trusted researchers, scientists, and medical practitioners, this can create complications for women who are looking for straightforward and trustworthy advice when it comes to their menopause treatment options.

Now, in 2024, World Menopause Day and the associated research activity presents an opportunity for this conversation to happen with more clarity, certainty, and truth.

 

Looking for support to understand whether HRT may be suitable for you? Contact the expert team at the Australian Menopause Centre.

 

Our history with hormone replacement therapy

While this World Menopause Day may be an introduction to hormone replacement therapy for some, at the Australian Menopause Centre, our dedication to providing Australian women with the highest quality of menopausal healthcare and support means we’re intimately familiar with these treatment pathways.

Our doctors have supported the use of body-identical hormone treatments since our inception in 2003, delivering best practice menopause treatment that’s patient-centred and personalised to individual needs. This means we look closely at treatment options, various dosing levels and the lengths of treatments that are necessary based on a holistic assessment of individual symptoms, circumstances, and lifestyle requirements. 

Our team of doctors, naturopaths and nutritionists work in close collaboration to ensure hormone replacement therapy is a part of an integrated treatment pathway. Recognising the key role lifestyle choices play in our menopause experience, this empowers our patients with the highest quality of holistic healthcare advice that’s complementary to a hormone replacement therapy treatment program. 

For women who’ve been in the midst of menopausal experiences, there can be welcome relief in as little as 4 weeks. With a clinical team working side by side with our patients each step of the way, we continue to closely monitor symptom changes and health considerations as HRT is implemented. 

The 3 things you should know about hormone replacement therapy

While hormone replacement therapy can be transformative for many women, it’s important, as with every aspect of your health, to build your own key insights in this area. The three takeaways we’d love for every Australian women to know this World Menopause Day are:

1. This is not a one-size-fits-all treatment. Personalised healthcare is integral to a successful hormone therapy replacement treatment pathway.
2. Its benefits can extend beyond the relief of menopause symptoms. While these are key benefits for women in the midst of intense symptoms, HRT can also help to protect women from long-term health risks associated with menopausal health changes.
3. Much of the early research surrounding HRT is outdated. Research has continued to evolve, forming safe best practice treatment pathways. With today’s body-identical hormone treatments providing significant peace of mind alongside their powerful outcomes, this can be a powerful step forward for menopausal women when prescribed appropriately and monitored closely.

Conclusion

This World Menopause Day, we’re all invited to dispel myths and embrace evidence-based learnings about the benefits of hormone therapy for women in menopause. Education is key, and with so much knowledge at our fingertips, we’re each empowered to find the best treatment pathways for our own individual needs and unique menopause experiences. 

Whether you’ve never considered HRT or are in the midst of assessing how it can support your health needs, we’re here for you in every aspect of your menopause healthcare journey. Reach out to our expert team to learn more about HRT treatments and the possibilities available to you. This World Menopause Day, we invite you to begin these crucial conversations with your friends and family – you never know whose life your knowledge could change for the better!