Hormone replacement therapy can have life-changing effects for women. A new bill could help thousands access it
HRT used to be a dirty word. Now it’s a battle cry. Women will be gathering in Parliament Square in London later this month to support the menopause bill to demand free prescriptions for hormone replacement therapy in England. The bill could help thousands more women to access this life-changing treatment and will put the menopause under the microscope.
For years, a combination of medical sexism, hysterical reporting and outdated science has held women back from asking for the health care they need. HRT replenishes the oestrogen, progesterone (and sometimes testosterone) that women lose when having the menopause. As a result of previous misleading reports linking the treatment to a risk of breast cancer and dementia, HRT has long been considered controversial.
Kate Muir is a writer and film-maker. Her new book Everything You Need to Know About the Menopause (but were too afraid to ask) is out in January
