Whether hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is right for you is a personal decision that depends on your symptoms, your medical history, and your preferences. The best appointments are the ones where you and your clinician weigh that together — and good questions make that possible. Below is a practical list to take with you. You can also build a personalised, printable version with our appointment summary builder.

Before deciding whether to start

  • Given my symptoms and medical history, is HRT a reasonable option for me?
  • What are the benefits I might realistically expect, and how soon?
  • Are there reasons HRT might not be suitable for me specifically?
  • What are the alternatives if I'd rather not use hormones, or can't?

It helps to read up first so the conversation is a two-way one — our guides to HRT and non-hormonal options cover the landscape, and common HRT myths untangles the fears that often come up.

About the type and route

  • Which type and route would you suggest for me — a pill, a patch, or a gel or spray — and why?
  • Do I need a progestogen as well as estrogen? (This depends on whether you still have a uterus.)
  • If I have risk factors, would a skin route (patch or gel) be preferable?

Our comparisons of pills vs. patches vs. gels and estrogen-only vs. combined HRT explain the trade-offs behind these questions.

About benefits and risks

  • What are the risks of HRT for someone with my particular history, and how do they compare with the benefits?
  • Does my age or time since menopause change that balance?
  • How does HRT affect my longer-term bone and heart health?

About starting, monitoring, and review

  • How will we know if it's working, and how long should I give it?
  • When will we review the treatment, and what might we change if it isn't right?
  • Are there any side effects that are expected at first versus ones I should report?
  • What symptoms or changes should prompt me to come back sooner — for example, unexpected bleeding?
  • Is there a plan for how long I might stay on it, and how we'd revisit that?

Make the most of a short appointment

Appointments are brief, so it helps to arrive organised: note your main symptoms and how much they affect you, when your periods changed, your personal and family medical history, and the questions that matter most to you. Our appointment summary builder turns all of that into a single printable sheet. And remember these are prompts for a conversation — your clinician will personalise the answers to you.

This article is educational and is not a substitute for personal medical advice. Discuss any treatment decision with a qualified clinician.