HRT Resources

A personal, evolving list of hormone therapy resources I share with friends and family, grounded in lived experience, current evidence, and a strong distinction between clinical guidance and social media.

Intro

I’ve had a lot of friends and family ask what I’ve been reading and how I think about hormone therapy, so I put my current resource list in one place.

I’m not a clinician, and this is not medical advice. This is simply the material I’ve found most useful after decades of following this topic closely and navigating early-onset menopause myself. Some of my care happened outside the US, where I had access to more progressive menopause care than I was seeing here.

I treat this as a starting point for informed conversations with a qualified doctor, not a substitute for individualized care.

For me, this conversation is no longer mainly about menopause symptoms. Those ended a long time ago. What continues to matter is the broader question of long-term health, function, and overall healthy aging.

Dr. Louise Newson was my care provider in the UK, so I also have first-hand knowledge of her research-based care practices.

One important note: early menopause or primary ovarian insufficiency is not the same thing as average-age natural menopause. That distinction matters clinically.

Start Here

These are the resources I would start with if you want the clearest evidence-based overview.

Especially Important for Early Menopause or Premature Ovarian Insufficiency

If menopause happens unusually early, the conversation changes. This is one of the most important distinctions I wish more people understood.

Organizations and Ongoing Education

Testosterone

This is an area where nuance matters. There is real interest here, but the evidence base is narrower than social media often suggests. My own experience (originally prescribed in the UK) differs from current US doses, which appear to be much higher. Ask me if you want more information.

Vaginal Estrogen / Local Hormones

This is often under-discussed even though it can make a major difference for dryness, irritation, urinary symptoms, recurrent UTIs, and bladder health as women age.

Bioidentical vs Compounded

This topic gets simplified constantly online. I would be cautious with marketing language and distinguish between regulated products and compounded products. The other issue is oral vs. transdermal application (for estrogen), the latter being generally safer, but read up on this and ask your doctor.

Recent US Labeling Shift

This is one reason the conversation in the US has started to change again.

Helpful Reading and Media

Social Posts I’ve Saved

I keep social posts in a separate bucket because they can be excellent for framing or myth-busting, but I do not treat them as equivalent to clinical guidance.

If Your Situation Is More Complex

My experience is not a direct guide for every clinical situation. I would be especially cautious about applying it to people with a history of breast cancer, active cancer treatment, prior blood clots, significant cardiovascular disease, liver disease, or other higher-risk medical histories.

I also do not want to leave people hanging, so these are the starter resources I would point to first for a more individualized, evidence-based conversation:

In Closing…

If someone asks me for the short version, this is usually what I say:

Hormone therapy is not one-size-fits-all, but a lot of people are still making decisions based on outdated fear rather than current evidence. What interests me now is not just symptom relief, but the broader question of how hormone therapy fits into long-term health, function, and healthy aging. The strongest sources I have found suggest that people deserve a much more informed conversation than they are often getting in standard US care, especially in cases of early or premature menopause.

I usually suggest starting with guideline-style resources first, then using books, podcasts, and clinician explainers to deepen context.

:::

Last updated: April 15, 2026

Created as a personal resource list for sharing, not as medical advice.