Human identical hormones: real people, real problems, real solutions

Area of Science:

• Women's Health
• Endocrinology
• Gynecology

Background:

• Growing demand for alternative treatments for menopause and hormone-related gynecologic issues.
• Standard hormone therapies present challenges including side effects, poor compliance, and patient dissatisfaction.
• Conventional treatments may also pose risks for other health conditions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose human identical hormones (natural hormone replacement therapy) as a holistic alternative to standard treatments.
• To provide guidelines for the prescription and monitoring of natural hormone replacement therapy.
• To inform nurse practitioners about alternative treatment options in women's healthcare.

Main Methods:

• Literature review and clinical practice guidelines.
• Proposal of natural hormone replacement therapy (NHRT) as a treatment modality.
• Development of prescribing and client monitoring protocols for NHRT.

Main Results:

• Human identical hormones offer a holistic alternative to standard hormone therapy.
• Established guidelines facilitate safe and effective NHRT implementation.
• NHRT addresses patient needs for alternatives with potentially fewer side effects.

Conclusions:

• Nurse practitioners must be aware of alternative therapies like NHRT.
• NHRT can meet patient requests for effective and holistic gynecologic disorder management.
• Adopting NHRT aligns with evolving patient-centered women's healthcare.