after menopause or ovarian failure occurs. This is unfortunate, as not only the early symptoms but also the late problems of estrogen deficiency can be treated readily if hormonal replacement therapy (HRT) is begun early. HRT is particularly important when the production of estrogen stops prematurely (before the age of 40) because the long-term consequences (bone loss and cardiovascular problems) are often even more severe.
What Are Menopause and Premature Ovarian Failure? Menopause means that the periods ("menses") have stopped ("pause"). Menopause occurs naturally around age 50. However, radiation, chemotherapy or surgical removal of the ovaries before menopause all result in ovarian hormone deficiency even earlier. In some women who have experienced premature ovarian failure as a result of chemotherapy or radiation therapy , the ovaries may later begin to function again. Although we are unable to predict whether this will occur, factors that appear to play a role are age and type and amount of chemotherapy/radiation. Until ovarian function resumes, these women should be on hormonal replacement therapy.
Hormone therapy prescribed after menopause is often called estrogen replacement therapy (ERT) or hormonal replacement therapy (HRT), which usually means estrogen with progestin replacement therapy.
HRT Medications There are many possibilities for hormonal replacement therapy. Non-smoking women under 40 are often best placed on birth control pills (oral contraceptives), which contain adequate amounts of both estrogen and progestin. The advantage of this approach is that the higher dose of hormones in birth control
