This question is best answered after talking with your doctor (general practitioner, internist, or gynecologist). He or she can tell you if you should consider HRT or ERT. You probably should not use these supplements if you have liver disease, high levels of triglycerides (a type of fat in the blood), or a history of blood clots in your veins. Women with a family history of breast cancer might also want to get the opinion of their cancer doctor.

The first step is to decide how much you are bothered by menopause symptoms such as hot flashes. You will also need to think about your medical history, your risk of heart disease, osteoporosis, and breast cancer, and your family history of these illnesses.

Any decision about HRT or ERT that you make now is not final. You can start or end the treatment anytime, but if you stop it, the protective effects of these therapies will stop as well. Your decision about hormone therapy should be reviewed each year with your doctor at your annual checkup. After menopause, it is important to continue yearly breast and vaginal exams, Pap tests, and mammograms, as well as a general physical exam.