The Role of Progesterone in HRT
Progesterone plays a vital role in balancing estrogen levels and maintaining uterine health in menopause. For patients with a uterus, unopposed estrogen can cause the overgrowth of uterine cells, which can lead to cancer. Progesterone mitigates this risk by keeping that process in check.
When Estrogen Can Be Prescribed Without Progesterone
When patients have had their uterus surgically removed by hysterectomy, progesterone is not necessary. For those patients it’s generally considered safe to take estrogen without progesterone. The exception is patients without a uterus who have endometriosis. Even without a uterus, endometriosis implants can still proliferate throughout the pelvis or abdominal cavity. Taking estrogen alone can result in the growth of those implants, so progesterone is also prescribed to prevent that.
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