Health Secretary Sajid Javid is under pressure to take action over a shortage of HRT that has left women struggling to find treatment for menopause symptoms.
The use of HRT has become increasingly common and many women have found it liberating – but shortages have meant that many common forms of HRT have been unavailable.
HRT and the chemicals it uses are also important for treating a number of other conditions.
With calls for a specific ‘HRT tsar’, experts criticising the government for underestimating demand for the treatment, and a possible solution being suggested by pharmacists, it’s vital to understand the importance of HRT.
What does HRT stand for?
HRT stands for Hormone Replacement Therapy and prescriptions for it are available on the NHS.
What is HRT and what are the benefits and side effects?
HRT raises the level of certain hormones in the human body – mainly oestrogen, but treatment often includes progestogen too.
There are different types of HRT, including tablets, skin patches, gels, creams and vaginal rings, according to the NHS.
The side effects can include breast tenderness, sickness, headaches, indigestion and vaginal bleeding.
And you may be ineligible for it if you have a history of breast cancer, ovarian cancer, womb cancer, blood clots or liver disease – or if you are pregnant.
What is perimenopause and how does HRT help it?
Perimenopause is the period of time just before the menopause begins, when oestrogen levels in the body start to fall.
Symptoms can include hot flushes and irregular periods, and HRT can be used to treat them by boosting levels of oestrogen.
Prescription of HRT has become more common as more women have been made aware of its benefits.
Dr Louise Newson, who has helped thousands of women by directing them towards HRT, said in January: “The menopause is such a significant health problem with many risks if it’s not addressed properly.
“After setting up my specialist clinic I was swamped by women who need help and are struggling.
“These women want to get their jobs back and their lives back, and they want to be fit and well - but this can’t happen without the right treatments.”
Why is there a shortage of HRT?
The Guardian reports that Oestrogel and FemSeven Sequi patches, two popular forms of HRT, are facing shortages – and that ministers have cited a shortage of ingredients as another factor.
HRT prescriptions have more than doubled in England in the past five years, so supply could just be falling behind demand.
But Labour MP Carolyn Harris, co-chair of the UK Menopause Taskforce, told the Today Programme that the government has failed to predict the increase in demand from women feeling “empowered” to ask doctors for HRT.
What will Sajid Javid do?
Health Secretary Sajid Javid has announced plans for a specific HRT tsar, and Professor Claire Anderson, president of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society, welcomed this move, saying: “Difficulties in accessing HRT unfairly impacts women, affects their mental health and worsens health inequalities.”
But she has also called on Javid to allow pharmacists to hand out substitute medicines for prescriptions that are facing shortages, which is currently not allowed, The Independent reports.
Colorectal cancer and transgender patients – what else can oestrogen be used for?
HRT has also been associated with a lower risk of colorectal cancer in women, a BMJ study has shown.
Oestrogen has also been used in the treatment of prostate cancer, and some transgender women who were documented as male at birth are given oestrogen after a gender dysphoria diagnosis.
But these are not the specific treatments currently facing a shortage.
