title: Hormone therapy, dilemmas, medical decisions.
abstract: The decision for women to go on hormone therapy (HT) remains controversial. An historical oscillation of beliefs exists related in part to expectations of the medicinal value of HT over longer-term use beyond the initial peri-menonpausal period. Studies thought to resolve issues surrounding the efficacy of HT were perhaps overstated as confusion still permeates the decision making with regard to HT. Overzealous advertising and exaggerated understanding of the results (negative or positive) undermine patient and physician decision making. There remains no magic bullet with regard to HT. What remains is still the possibility of HT longer-term efficacy on diverse end organ systems with pockets of clinical and scientific ambiguity while working to engender reasonable expectations.
authors.affiliation: American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, USA.
authors.forename: Jay
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Schulkin
mesh_terms: D003657:Decision Making / Q000941:ethics*; D015914:Estrogen Replacement Therapy / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000941:ethics; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D028701:Patient Rights; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations / Q000941:ethics; D016387:Women's Health