Dr Lesley Ramage, a GP with a speciality in menopause, menopause after breast cancer and women's health, discusses the different types of hormone therapy available in Australia.

She focuses on oestrogen and progesterone, the two most commonly prescribed hormones. Ramage emphasises the importance of considering factors such as safety, effectiveness, availability, affordability and acceptability to the woman before prescribing hormone therapy. She explains that hormone therapy is used differently depending on whether a woman is peri or postmenopausal and whether she has had a hysterectomy.

Dr Ramage also mentions the various forms of hormone therapy available, including:

• Tablets

• Patches

• Gels

• A hormone-releasing intrauterine device

She provides recommendations for certain types of hormone therapy based on individual circumstances, such as avoiding oral oestrogen for women with migraines or blood clots.

Dr Ramage concludes by acknowledging that there is no perfect hormone therapy and that treatment should be individualised.