The types of hormones depend upon your where you are in the menopause transition, your medical history, and treatment preferences.
If you are still having periods, even if they are sporadic or you have had a period within the last 12 months and are undergoing the menopause transition, hormonal contraceptives (birth control) may be more appropriate for you. The reason is that menopausal hormones do not suppress ovulation, potentially leading to an unplanned pregnancy or irregular periods.
Menopausal hormones (in the past called “hormone replacement therapy”) include:
- Combination estrogen/progestin tablets and patches
- Estrogen-only tablets, patches, gels, shots
- Progestin tablets
- bazedoxifene combined with conjugated estrogen (Duavee)