There are a lot of myths and misconceptions floating around about menopause hormone therapy, also called hormone replacement therapy or HRT.

It’s easy to get scared away from this highly effective treatment option if you don’t know the real facts.

ThisIsMenopause sat down with OB-GYNs and certified menopause specialists Dr. Angela McCool-Pearson and Dr. Christy James Guepet. Together, they shed light on some important facts about menopause hormone therapy.

In July 2002, a landmark study called the Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) was published. The results led many doctors and women to stop hormonal treatments for menopause symptoms.

“When I started practice in 1999, 95 percent of my menopausal-age women were on hormones,” Dr. McCool-Pearson said. “We didn’t see any problem with that until WHI came out.”

The study raised concerns about hormone therapy as a possible risk factor for developing conditions such as cardiovascular disease, stroke, and breast cancer. But by 2025, additional studies had shown that the benefits of menopause hormone therapy outweigh the risks for many healthy women who are younger than 60 or within 10 years of menopause onset.

In fact, menopause hormone therapy can improve quality of life for many years and may help prevent bone loss.

“Suffering isn't a virtue,” Dr. Guepet said. “We can actually feel better than we ever have.”

Some research suggests that starting hormone therapy before age 60 may be associated with a lower risk of death and cardiovascular disease for some women.

“We have very good data that shows that women that have not been on HRT for the last 25 years — because of fear — have higher all-cause mortality,” Dr. McCool-Pearson said. “So they’re dying from other things, not from breast cancer, but from all other causes. We have data that keeps coming out to support that.”

One common myth among women in menopause or perimenopause is that if they can just get through the next year or so, they can avoid taking hormone therapy. But menopause’s effects on your body can continue for the rest of your life.

“I think women forget that,” Dr. McCool-Pearson said. “They keep thinking, ‘Well, this is how I feel right now, and I’m in such good shape.’”

She often tells people that their bodies will continue to age over the coming decades. Starting hormone therapy may help make menopause symptoms easier and support long-term bone health.

“Just like you don’t feel like you felt when you were 25, it’s going to get exponentially harder,” Dr. McCool-Pearson said. “And if you become menopausal at age 50, or 51, 52, and you live to be 82, then for 30 years, you have not given your body the best opportunity to live longer — and not just live longer, but live well.”

Hormone therapy can be highly effective for many women, but it’s not always right for everyone. Talk with your doctor about which treatments will be best for you.