Menopause treatment

Menopause is confirmed after a year without periods, and hormone therapy is the main medical treatment for hot flashes and night sweats.

What it is

the point at which periods stop for good, confirmed after 12 months without one; the average age in the US is 51³

Common symptoms

hot flashes, night sweats, sleep problems, vaginal dryness and pain with sex, more frequent urination³

Main treatment

estrogen, with a progestogen if you have a uterus^4,8

When to start

updated labels for systemic products ask providers to consider starting for moderate to severe hot flashes in women younger than 60 or within 10 years of menopause¹

Approved status

FDA-approved estrogen and progesterone products; your provider tells you which product and why

Main risks

endometrial cancer with estrogen alone in a woman with a uterus; small increased risks of stroke, blood clots, gallbladder disease and, with combined therapy, breast cancer and heart attack in older women^4,6

Office or video

at your local office or by secure video

The choice depends on which symptoms bother you most, whether you have a uterus, and your health history.

Your provider explains the medication and form they recommend and why.

Menopausal hormone therapy has risks that depend on your age, your health and when you start, and the label warnings changed in 2025 and 2026.

Estrogen is not used if you have unexplained vaginal bleeding, breast cancer or a history of it, an estrogen-dependent cancer, blood clots now or in the past, a stroke or heart attack now or in the past, liver disease, or an inherited clotting disorder.⁷

Read the Important Safety Information for hormone therapy

Care follows the same steps as every treatment: a coordinator call, labs if your provider needs them, then a visit, at your local office or by secure video.

A call with your coordinator

Your coordinator asks about your symptoms and goals, explains each step and its cost, and books what comes next. You get a direct line.

Labs if needed

Your provider decides which labs fit your symptoms and history. They are ordered for you at a lab near you. Lab testing

Your visit

Your provider goes through your symptoms, periods, history and family history, checks for reasons not to use estrogen, and explains the options and their risks.

If treatment fits

Your provider explains the plan. Your coordinator goes over the order and its cost before you pay, and each new supply needs your provider's prescription and your OK. If treatment doesn't fit, nothing is prescribed, and your provider explains what else to consider.

Follow-up

Your provider reviews how you're doing and whether to continue. The Menopause Society calls for periodic re-evaluation of benefits and risks, and ACOG advises discussing it every year.^2,4

You pay for each step as you reach it: any labs, a provider fee for a set period and, if your provider prescribes treatment, a medication supply paid in full up front for a set period. Costs are explained before you pay, and you get a receipt by email. No long-term contract, no membership and no automatic billing. How pricing works

Start at your local office or by secure video where your state allows. If your periods have not stopped yet, see perimenopause treatment.

Prescription treatment requires an evaluation by a licensed healthcare provider, who decides whether treatment is appropriate for you. Not everyone qualifies. Completing an assessment, booking a visit, or paying a fee does not guarantee a prescription.

1. FDA. FDA Requests Labeling Changes Related to Safety Information to Clarify the Benefit/Risk Considerations for Menopausal Hormone Therapies (November 10, 2025; content current as of 02/12/2026) www.fda.gov/drugs/drug-safety-and-availability/fda-requests-labeling-changes-related-safety-information-clarify-benefitrisk-considerations
2. The 2022 Hormone Therapy Position Statement of The North American Menopause Society. Menopause. 2022;29(7):767-794 (abstract) pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35797481/
3. ACOG. The Menopause Years (patient FAQ) www.acog.org/womens-health/faqs/the-menopause-years
4. ACOG. Hormone Therapy for Menopause (patient FAQ) www.acog.org/womens-health/faqs/hormone-therapy-for-menopause
5. ACOG. Perimenopausal Bleeding and Bleeding After Menopause (patient FAQ) www.acog.org/womens-health/faqs/perimenopausal-bleeding-and-bleeding-after-menopause
6. DailyMed. Estradiol (estrogen-alone), prescribing information: boxed warning, indications and limitations of use, contraindications (label effective 2026-03-26) dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/drugInfo.cfm?setid=1e9702c4-f2d7-4ea8-b6e8-7dca31671864
7. DailyMed. Estradiol and progesterone, prescribing information: updated label without a boxed warning; contraindications; timing of initiation (label effective 2026-09-29) dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/drugInfo.cfm?setid=59eadb88-c9f3-4871-b176-7ddd98faf9bc
8. DailyMed. Progesterone, prescribing information: indication with estrogen (label effective 2026-07-23) dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/drugInfo.cfm?setid=1cf237ff-c4f8-4faa-a7aa-77599c856889

Medical services are provided by independently licensed physicians, nurse practitioners and physician assistants of affiliated professional corporations and their affiliated professional entities. Vitality Testosterone Replacement Therapy provides administrative and technology support and does not practice medicine. All treatment decisions are made at the sole discretion of the treating provider. Medications are dispensed by licensed pharmacies. This website is an advertisement for medical services and is not medical advice. If you have a medical emergency, call 911.