A wide toolbox, and the time to choose what fits you.
Hormone therapy for women can replace estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, and DHEA, in many different forms. We explain each option, talk honestly about benefits and risks, and help you choose what makes sense for your body and your life.
Three questions make it simpler.
Hormone therapy can sound complicated. It gets clearer when you take it one choice at a time.
- Which hormones? Estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, and DHEA. Your plan may include one or several.
- Whole body or local? Systemic therapy treats the whole body. Local vaginal therapy treats the vaginal and urinary tissue.
- What form? Pills, injections, creams and gels, patches, vaginal rings, vaginal troches, pellets, and more.
Many forms, chosen with you.
Most of these hormones come in many of these forms, and your needs decide which one we choose.
Choosing a form is a real conversation. We weigh your symptoms, history, risks, and labs, and how you live: whether you'd rather apply something daily, take a pill, or come in every few months. No choice is permanent. If a form doesn't suit you, we change it, and we keep dialing in your plan over time.
We often prefer oral progesterone, because taken by mouth it can help with better sleep and a calmer mind. Your needs still decide the form. And because some vaginal forms deliver a systemic dose, we'll always tell you which kind you have.
Testosterone for women.
Women make testosterone too. Testosterone for women has been part of our practice for many years, and we use several forms, including injections. No testosterone product is FDA-approved for women in the United States, so it's prescribed off-label, a common and accepted practice in medicine.
In our clinical experience, women tell us time and time again what they notice: more desire and a better sexual experience, with more satisfaction and more frequent orgasms, plus more energy, better mood and motivation, more muscle, an easier time losing weight, and their zest for life back. Not all of these have been studied in women. They're what our patients tell us, and every woman responds differently.
Testosterone injections, for women too.
Injections have long been one of the most common ways men take testosterone. Many women don't know they're an option for them as well. Injections have been part of our care for women for many years, and they're one of the forms we know best.
Injections offer precise dosing in small steps, steady levels, and easy adjustment. Most are given once a week at home, and we teach you how. Some people inject more often, and if you'd rather come to the clinic for your injections, you can. Injections aren't right for everyone, and we'll help you decide whether they fit you.
Read our guide to HRT for womenLearn more about each one.
Low-dose estrogen, DHEA, and testosterone to treat the vaginal and urinary tissue.
Testosterone for men and women, including injections, which have been part of our care for women for many years.
One of several ways to deliver hormones, with steady levels for months at a time.
Understanding the transition, from the first shifts through the years after your last period.
Further reading on women's hormones.
Before you decide.
Is hormone therapy safe?
For many healthy women in midlife who have symptoms, the benefits may outweigh the risks. The risks are real but generally small, and they depend on the type, route, timing, and your history. It's a shared decision we make with you.
Do you use bioidentical hormones?
Yes. We prefer bioidentical hormones, which are molecularly identical to the hormones your body makes. They are available as FDA-approved products and from compounding pharmacies, and your provider will discuss which fits you best.
Can women take testosterone?
Yes. Women make testosterone too, and it plays a part in desire, energy, and how you feel. Testosterone for women has been part of our practice for many years, and we use several forms, including injections. No testosterone product is FDA-approved for women in the United States, so it's prescribed off-label, a common and accepted practice in medicine. We'll explain what that means, how we dose it, and how we monitor it.
What's the difference between vaginal and systemic hormones?
Systemic hormones reach the whole body and treat symptoms like hot flashes, sleep, and mood. Local vaginal hormones are a low dose aimed at the vaginal and urinary tissue. It can get confusing, because some vaginal forms, like certain rings, creams, and troches, deliver a systemic dose. We'll always tell you which kind you're using.
I'm already using hormones. Can I keep what I'm on?
Bring what you use to your first visit. We may keep it, adjust it, or talk through other options with you.
Is it too late if I’m years past menopause?
Not automatically. The “before 60 or within 10 years” guideline is a starting point for discussion, not a hard cutoff. We start women at various stages after menopause after a careful risk-benefit conversation.
Do you replace my primary care provider or gynecologist?
No. AgeWell specializes in the midlife transition and works alongside your primary care provider and other specialists. We are part of your healthcare team.