HRT Myths Busted

4 minute read

Hormone Replacement Therapy has sometimes been thought of as controversial, but since Davina McCall’s Channel 4 documentary, Sex, Myths and the Menopause, aired last year, and a lot of campaigners from both Ireland and the UK have taken on the cause of correcting communication around it, the debate around HRT has been reopened and informed by new science, fresh studies and much less scaremongering. Many HRT myths continue to pervade the narrative, though, so we’re debunking five of the most common here.

Menopause doesn’t have to be an emotional and physical rollercoaster for women. Equipped with the correct information, the right healthcare professional and the confidence to seek out the quality of care you deserve and are entitled to, menopause can be an empowering and liberating time of life. So here goes… the most common myths around HRT include:

It gives you breast cancer…

We all know the background to this most damaging of HRT myths. A now-infamous study carried out in 2002, which reported that cancer rates rose in HRT users, has been completely discredited 20 years later. It turns out that most of the 16,000 women involved in the study were postmenopausal, overweight and smokers, all of which are key factors in increasing the risk of breast cancer. The study also involved a much older synthetic HRT pill, not the type prescribed in recent years. According to Menopausehub.ie – Ireland’s first dedicated menopause clinic and Ireland’s only multidisciplinary menopause clinic – women between the ages of 50 and 59 are far more likely to develop breast cancer from being obese or from drinking two units of alcohol (or more) every day.

It causes middle-age spread…

Weight gain can, and often does, happen in menopause because of hormonal changes – muscle mass typically diminishes with age, which slows down metabolism (your body’s ability to burn calories). Lower exercise levels are also a factor, as well as poor sleep (a scourge for many midlifers), as it can fuel snacking and poor food choices the following day. Typically, any weight gain in menopause will occur around the abdomen rather than the hips and thighs, and as we know belly fat leads to a greater risk of illnesses such as heart disease, diabetes and stroke. But there is no link between HRT and weight gain, according to the HSE. In fact, according to The Mayo Clinic, an American not-for-profit academic medical centre, hormone therapy does not cause any changes in weight by itself, but it can result in the favourable distribution of body fat, ie “redistribution of the central fat to the peripheral sites”.

It causes dementia…

Last year, the largest study of its kind was carried out and the results, which found no link between HRT and an increased risk of dementia, were published in the BMJ (formerly British Medical Journal). The study involved more than 600,000 women monitored over three decades.

It’s for women not strong enough to power on through…

This is one of the most harmful myths surrounding HRT. Seeking help is not a weakness! Menopause is a life-changing transition, and women are most likely to live between 33% and 50% of their lives post-menopausal, so we need the best possible care to manage the changeover successfully. Filmmaker Kate Muir, who produced the Davina McCall documentary, told The Guardian in October last year that many women, herself included, “helped maintain a silence around their experiences of the menopause. This was partly due to a fear of ageism, of losing our jobs and status if we admitted to the brain fog and flushes we experienced.” This kind of secrecy, which we’ve all been guilty of, has prevented women from knowing where and how to find help. It’s prevented an open conversation around HRT and an understanding of how transformative it can be when prescribed correctly.

It’s only for women in the thick of menopause…

No, you don’t have to reach the peak of your coping skills before asking and receiving some relief. Nor do you have to wait until your periods stop before approaching a healthcare professional. According to the HSE, most women can have HRT if they are experiencing symptoms relating to menopause. So if you’re enduring any, or all, of the following: night sweats, hot flushes, vaginal dryness, mood swings, reduced libido, you don’t have to suffer in silence until you reach breaking point. Menopausal symptoms – whatever age you experience them – shouldn’t stop you from living and working confidently and comfortably. Begin the conversation about HRT and other possible treatments with a healthcare professional at the early stages of perimenopause so that you don’t feel you’re entering a dark tunnel without a torch. The earlier you empower yourself with the correct information and treatment, the better.