Millions of women enter menopause every year where they hang out for a few years until they reach postmenopause, a stage that can last for one-third of a woman’s life. The many unanswered questions, blurred research and perceived shame of menopause makes it seem like our nether regions shrivel up like a raisin. It’s these reasons it never crossed my mind I was headed for the post-period party. Finally landing the coveted spot of an appointment with a gynecologist, I described my symptoms, took labs and underwent a full physical only to learn the shocking news — I was finally early to something. Ever the overachiever, I hit my menopause milestone before most of my peers. My doctor suggested hormone therapy, or HT, as an avenue to treat my daily symptoms. Calling on past concerns, I immediately questioned the veracity of HT. I remembered warnings of breast cancer, uterine cancer and stroke tied to HT.

Hormone replacement has a controversial history starting back in the 1960s. The Women’s Health Initiative, or WHI, the largest women’s health study in U.S. history, spent the 90s researching health impacts of menopause through clinical trials. In 2002, researchers released their data on HT, a combination of estrogen and progestin, finding it increased the risk of breast cancer, heart attacks, strokes and blood clots. Results showed the risks far outweighed the benefits of HT. Doctors became hesitant to prescribe the once popular method of HT and patients were left to find other avenues of relief.

On a very surface level, this is what I knew of hormone therapy. I simply believed HT causes breast cancer, it’s bad and is not an option for me. My beliefs were based on bad marketing. As is the case with most research, it was reviewed, questioned and amended. In fact, after the initial WHI, the study continued year after year following another 93,000 women, adding more clinical trials and observational studies. This historic study is slated to end next year. According to the WHI website, more than 161,000 women enrolled in the 40 clinical trials that spanned decades of study. It’s this extensive span of time and research that eventually changed how doctors approach HT, informing my doctor on the benefits of prescribing the estrogen patch and progesterone pills for my menopausal symptoms. She believed this is what would work for me and I was onboard.

Key findings from further WHI studies found HT can have a better risk-benefit balance than previously seen when prescribed to younger women or those in early menopause. Benefits include reduced coronary disease and bone loss, defense against colorectal cancer while also cutting back on the hell that is hot flashes. Current data backs the benefits, but HT isn’t for all women. Its use should be researched and discussed in-depth between a woman and her doctor. HT is back on the menu to relieve discomfort, although public knowledge on this treatment remains stuck on what came out in 2002, causing more women to needlessly suffer through the symptoms of menopause. Those symptoms doubtlessly lessen our quality of life. Many general practice doctors are not trained nor informed on recent findings for treating menopause.

Discussions on research and symptoms around menopause are ongoing with a shifting landscape of information as studies progress. Social media became the breakout star for medical information on women’s health. In recent years, menopause influencers like Dr. Mary Clare Haver popped up on Instagram sharing the latest research on all things menopause. She unabashedly shares not only her personal experiences but what she’s learned as an expert. Dr. Haver is busting the stigma attached to the natural process of our bodies aging. It’s because of this stigma I see men clench at the topic or women gasp. Reactions like this inspire me to discuss menopause more so we can normalize this inevitable process. Menopause is now normal dinner conversation. Luckily, I have two sisters navigating the so-called change of life once viewed as the end of femininity. Women like us are starving for more information, more personal stories about menopause so we feel less alone.

It was through these discussions I connected with the Menopause Society, a nonprofit organization working to keep medical professionals up to date on recent research and information on menopause. This resource includes sections targeted for medical professionals but also has space for patients looking to understand what’s happening to their body. The Menopause Society offers MenoNotes, written by experts covering topics like bioidentical hormone therapy, vaginal dryness, menopause misinformation and menopausal rage. This is a trusted source often cited by doctors when informing their patients on this physical shift. For women wondering if HT is right for them, it’s a great place to start as they wait for months to get into a gynecologist.

March marks one year of HT for me. In this time, I haven’t had another night of waking up shivering, cold, yet sweaty, giving no excuse to buy new bedding. Hot flashes visit sporadically, my latest being in the grocery store checkout where I’m sure I looked suspicious. Sex is good, brain fog happens; the rage hits when I least expect, but my outlook is positive. I would say HT has been a success for me, thus far. I’ve put trust in my doctor, the research and my ability to monitor a body I’ve had for a lifetime. I’m not looking to survive menopause, I want to thrive.

Meg Sanders worked in broadcast journalism for over a decade but has since turned her life around to stay closer to home in Ogden. Her three children keep her indentured as a taxi driver, stylist and sanitation worker. In her free time, she likes to read, write, lift weights and go to concerts with her husband of 18 years.