Use of Hormone Replacement Therapy in Special Circumstances

The use of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) was quite liberal in the 19th century. The controversial reports given by the World Health Initiative and million women study restricted its use in certain medical conditions. This article has been written to revisit the use of HRT in certain medical conditions where it was earlier contraindicated. In the era of modern medicine, benefits and risks of HRT should be carefully thought of and a holistic treatment approach should be used to provide women the best quality of life she can have in her circumstance. Contraindications to HRT should be reconsidered as the estrogen deficient state might itself give the woman symptoms that could make her overall health even worse. HRT can be safely given in minimum doses, for a restricted period of time in conditions such as breast cancer, genital malignancy, cardiovascular disorders, Alzheimer's disease and thromboembolism and many more medical conditions. Another breakthrough in the past has been the use of HRT in hormone deficient states such as Turner syndrome (TS) and primary ovarian insufficiency (POI). HRT when timely given with growth hormone can prove to be beneficial in cases of both TS and POI.