Menopause Empowerment Guide | 8 Safety of Hormone Therapy The new findings on the safety and efficacy of hormone therapy were reported by NAMS and have been endorsed by hundreds of women’s health organizations. Experts say that for healthy women (without contraindications) who are younger than 60 and within 10 years of menopause onset, the benefits of hormone therapy outweigh the risks for treating menopause symptoms. What if My Healthcare Provider Won’t Discuss Hormone Therapy with Me? If your doctor isn’t willing to discuss options to consider with you, such as hormone therapy, the following tips may help. 1 Arm yourself with information and share it. Sharing information from credible sources will show your provider that you have done your due diligence and will help the two of you work together to determine the most appropriate course of treatment. 2 Print this article that highlights the updated position of The Menopause Society and bring it to your appointment. 3 Hormone therapy is not one size fits all, and there are many options available. This is a helpful summary of FDA Approved Guidelines Options. 4 Women who are treated with hormone therapy along with a comprehensive nutrition and lifestyle approach have fewer cardiovascular risks and negative disease outcomes. This statement by the American Heart Association published in Circulation magazine13 is also a great resource to give to your provider. You Should Not Accept Any of the Following From Your Provider.  Your healthcare provider should not tell you that this is just that time of your life and that this is your “new normal.” Yes, menopause is a natural stage, but please don’t feel that means you should have to put up with every symptom without help.  It is unacceptable for your healthcare provider to tell you that they don’t prescribe HT. It’s up to you and what you want to try and for them to say whether it could be right for you, depending on your medical history. If they continue to refuse, there is a Recommended Physicians Database on the The ‘Pause Life website, or you can reference the Menopause Society Certified Practitioners database to find a provider in your area.  Do not allow your provider to impose unnecessary time restrictions, e.g., they’ll only prescribe this once or for a year or two. This is an ongoing conversation; if your symptoms persist, you’ll still need help managing them.