Hormone-replacement therapy has risks, benefits

DEAR DR. GOTT: Please give some advice on hormone-replacement therapy. I am 52 and have been married to my second husband for nearly 10 years. We have enjoyed a wonderful intimate relationship, but now, as I approach menopause, I feel that I am losing interest, and I don’t want that to happen.

I have friends who rave about what hormone-replacement therapy has done for them. I’m interested but not comfortable discussing the topic with my male doctor.

DEAR READER: As a woman enters menopause, the ovaries decrease production of both estrogen and progesterone. This reduction causes menstruation and fertility to ultimately cease. Common side effects of menopause include hot flashes, vaginal dryness, mood swings and more.
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