MHT
The bathroom cabinet of 42-year-old Claire Sanderson has a constant rotation of lotions, serums and elixirs. But a couple of products remain a constant. The first is an oestrogen gel, a few pumps of which are applied to the outside of Claire’s upper arms each morning; the second – a lightweight white cream containing testosterone – gets rubbed along each bicep. They allow hormones to sink into her body through her skin. For those in the know, this regimen offers a solid clue that Claire – who is going through perimenopause – is ‘on MHT’. But while she views MHT as just another ingredient in her ever-evolving recipe for staying healthy and happy – alongside workouts, a plant-based diet and early nights – she’s in the minority.
Formerly known as HRT (hormone replacement therapy), MHT is, at present, the most effective way to improve the lives of women with perimenopausal and menopausal symptoms in the short term, enabling them to live healthier, more independent lives as they age – but it’s desperately unpopular. While there are almost 2.5 million women aged between 50 and 65 in Australia, a survey of perimenopausal and postmenopausal women here found that just 11 per cent use hormone therapy. Some for this piece dabbled with short courses; others refused to touch it – and this reticence is matched by doctors. A UK study by the independent Nuffield Health group found that, despite 47 per cent of women with menopausal symptoms feeling depressed and 10 per cent considering quitting their job, doctors aren’t readily offering the treatment to their patients. One-third of women who visited a GP were not made aware of MHT, and, of those who were, many were denied it due to existing or family history of health concerns. Comparable statistics aren’t readily available in Australia, but Dr Sonia Davison, president of the Australasian Menopause Society (AMS) and endocrinologist at the Jean Hailes Medical Centre, says there is a similar problem in this country. So why did taking the reins of your hormonal health become so problematic? And what does this mean for you?
