The Pill Or The Patch? Are All Estrogens The Same?

Picture this scenario. You are 55 years old, three years into menopause, with hot flashes, mood swings, and vaginal dryness and pain on intercourse. Your care provider suggests hormone replacement therapy (HRT). However, he recalls that in 2002, the Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) reported that of 10,000 women‐years, HRT produced 18 more women with blood clots, eight more with stroke, and seven more with heart attacks than those not on hormones. You have a family history of blood clots. You hesitate; is this for you?