Hormone replacement therapy (HRT), also known as menopausal hormone therapy (MHT), is for women with menopausal symptoms. It is based on the idea that the treatment may prevent discomfort caused by diminished circulating estrogen and progesterone hormones, or in the case of the surgically or prematurely menopausal, that it may prolong life and may reduce incidence of dementia.[1] It involves the use of one or more of a group of medications designed to artificially boost hormone levels. The main types of hormones involved are estrogen, progesterone, or progestins, and sometimes, testosterone. It is often referred to as "treatment" rather than therapy.
Androgen replacement therapy (ART) in males with low levels of testosterone due to disease or aging. It is a hormone treatment often prescribed to counter the effects of male hypogonadism[2] or for men who have lost their testicular function to disease, cancer, or other causes.[3] It is sometimes used for late-onset hypogonadism (so-called "andropause"), but the significance of a decrease in testosterone levels is debated and its treatment with replacement is controversial. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) stated in 2015 that neither the benefits nor the safety of testosterone have been established in older men with low testosterone levels.[4]
Gender-affirming hormone therapy for transgender people introduces sex steroids associated with the gender that the patient identifies with (notably testosterone for transgender men and estrogen for transgender women). Some intersex and non-binary people may also undergo hormone therapy. Cross-sex hormone treatment for transgender individuals is divided into two main types: feminizing and masculinizing.
Oral contraceptive pills for various purposes including birth control
Menstrual suppression
Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy is a bioidentical hormone replacement therapy uses hormones that are chemically identical to those the human body produces. One effective form of BHRT is hormone pellet therapy, which involves implanting tiny pellets under the skin that release hormones over time to balance hormonal levels, potentially alleviating symptoms such as chronic fatigue, irritability, and sexual dysfunction.[5][6]
↑Giwercman, A; Lundberg Giwercman, Y (2015). "Hypogonadism in young men treated for cancer.". Hormones14 (4): 590–7. doi:10.14310/horm.2002.1650. PMID26859600.