According to the National Library of Medicine (USA) the history of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) started in the 1960’s.  Usage increased with very high popularity by the 1990s. The first clinical trials on HRT and chronic postmenopausal conditions were started in the USA in the late 1990’s. After the announcement of the first results of the Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) in 2002, which showed that HRT had more detrimental than beneficial effects, HRT use dropped. The negative results of the study received wide publicity, creating panic among some users and new guidance for doctors on prescribing HRT. The clear message from the media was that HRT had more risks than benefits for all women. During the 2010’s, a reanalysis of the WHI trial was performed, and new studies showed that the use of HRT in younger women or in early postmenopausal women had a beneficial effect on the cardiovascular system, reducing coronary disease and all-cause mortality.  This led to a cautious reintroduction of HRT.    In the 2020’s UK initiatives, including the Women’s Health Strategy, aimed to improve HRT access, awareness, and workplace support for menopausal women.  Never the less, public opinion on HRT has been slow to change, resulting in negative consequences for women’s health and quality of life.

For further information, click here to see the Women's Health Concern Fact Sheet on a History of HRT, or click here to read the House of Common's Menopause and the workplace: Government Response to the Committee’s First Report of Session 2022–2023.

Us female humans are in great in great company.  Did you know that the only other animals to experience menopause are orcas, short finned pilot whales, narwahls and chimpanzees. ​​