•
Hormone replacement therapy (HRT), also known as menopausal hormone therapy (MHT), is for women with
menopausal symptoms. It is based on the idea that the treatment may prevent discomfort caused by diminished circulating
estrogen and
progesterone hormones, or in the case of the surgically or prematurely menopausal, that it may prolong life and may reduce incidence of dementia. It involves the use of one or more of a group of medications designed to artificially boost hormone levels. The main types of hormones involved are
estrogen,
progesterone, or
progestins, and sometimes,
testosterone. It is often referred to as "treatment" rather than therapy. • Hormone replacement therapy for people with
hypogonadism and
intersex conditions (e.g.,
Klinefelter syndrome,
Turner syndrome) •
Androgen replacement therapy (ART) in males with low levels of testosterone due to disease or aging. It is a hormone treatment often prescribed to counter the effects of male hypogonadism or for men who have lost their testicular function to disease, cancer, or other causes. It is sometimes used for
late-onset hypogonadism (so-called "andropause"), but the significance of a decrease in testosterone levels is debated and its treatment with replacement is controversial. The
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) stated in 2015 that neither the benefits nor the safety of testosterone have been established in older men with low testosterone levels. •
Gender-affirming hormone therapy for
transgender people introduces
sex steroids associated with the gender that the patient
identifies with (notably testosterone for
transgender men and estrogen for
transgender women). Some
intersex and
non-binary people may also undergo hormone therapy. Cross-sex hormone treatment for transgender individuals is divided into two main types: feminizing and masculinizing. •
Feminizing hormone therapy for transgender women •
Masculinizing hormone therapy for transgender men •
Hormonal therapy for cancer •
Androgen deprivation therapy for men with
prostate cancer •
Estrogen deprivation therapy for women with
estrogen receptor-positive
breast cancer •
High-dose estrogen therapy for women with estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer •
Chemical castration of men or
sex offenders with
paraphilias or
hypersexuality •
Growth hormone therapy for
growth hormone deficiency •
Thyroid hormone replacement in
hypothyroidism •
Antithyroid therapy in
hyperthyroidism •
Glucocorticoid and/or
mineralocorticoid replacement in conditions such as
Addison's disease •
Antiglucocorticoid therapy in
Cushing's syndrome •
Insulin therapy in
type 1 diabetes •
Oral contraceptive pills for various purposes including birth control •
Menstrual suppression •
Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy is a bioidentical hormone replacement therapy uses hormones that are chemically identical to those the human body produces. One effective form of BHRT is hormone pellet therapy, which involves implanting tiny pellets under the skin that release hormones over time to balance hormonal levels, potentially alleviating symptoms such as chronic fatigue, irritability, and sexual dysfunction. ==See also==