BHRT is a Movement – It’s Not Going Away

The popularity of BHRT (bioidentical hormone replacement therapy) is leading to a higher demand for services.

Health care practitioners should proactively take steps to learn how to prescribe BHRT for hormone-related disorders to address this demand and offer optimal patient care.

What the Research Says

As the global demand for bioidentical hormones continues to soar, we’re starting to see a trend: this is a movement driven by women, and supported by practitioners, pharmacists, and some medical associations.

But what does the research say? Studies report that:

• Bioidentical hormones affect patients in a different way than non-bioidentical hormones
• Patients report greater satisfaction with BHRT treatments which use progesterone rather than synthetic progestin
• Progestins are thought to increase the risk for breast cancer, but progesterone may decrease the risk
• Estradiol can possibly be used for a long period of time without adverse effects

Read more about the research here.

Is BHRT Safer than HRT?

The controversy behind HRT is based on the Women’s Health Initiative study, which contributed to the popular opinion that HRT is generally harmful and can increase the risk of breast cancer, cardiovascular disease, and other health problems.

This caused many people to fear any form of HRT, and some to pursue options that they assumed were safer, leading to a surge in the popularity of BHRT.

Today in the US, FDA-approved and non-FDA-approved HRT are available, with compounded options available at compounding pharmacies.

Customized preparations may be favorable to patients because they will be tailored to a specific set of health indications, needs, and preferences.

Whether a given BHRT treatment is in compounded form or is a standardized FDA-approved version, the overall safety and effectiveness will depend on:

• When treatment is started in a person’s life
• What type of hormone or combination of hormones is prescribed
• How it is delivered (eg: patch, cream, pill, or suppository)

Learn more about the safety of BHRT here.

BHRT as a Movement

As the popularity of BHRT continues to grow, we can think of it really as a patient-driven movement, rather than just a treatment

There’s no doubt that women want this kind of treatment, or at least that health providers should be able to offer it as an option for those suffering from hormone-related symptoms.

Reasons behind the popularity of BHRT and subsequent demand include:

• A belief that it is safer than standard HRT
• A lack of results with natural alternatives (eg: soy)
• A general distrust of conventional HRT
• The frustration that their specific wellness concerns aren’t heard
• Individualized treatment requires more in-depth conversations
• A desire for anti-aging treatments

Women today are savvy and the availability of information on the internet makes for more educated patients than ever before. They are driving demand for BHRT and no doubt this trend will continue.

But providers won’t be visited by pharmaceutical reps or get paid to go to conferences; instead, they must be proactive, learning about how to administer BHRT on their own.

Prescribe BHRT Safely and Effectively

To understand the popularity of BHRT and meet demands, health providers need to do their own learning and research to properly address each patients:

• Individual needs
• Individual risk profile
• Health goals
• History

Providers will find that is actually a wide body of research to support the use of bioidentical hormones and be bold enough to explore if they want to meet this demand and offer a higher level of care to menopausal patients.

Providers who learn how to do this will expect to be sought out by people — mostly women — who are desperate to find relief from symptoms like night sweats, insomnia, mood swings, and age-related changes.

They should also learn how BHRT can help patients with other types of hormone-related symptoms and disorders.

Start Learning Today

I’ve been doing this for years, and I’ve never met a BHRT provider who regrets taking the extra time needed to understand how to administer BHRT.

It offers an opportunity to dive a little deeper during consultations, get to know a patient’s individual health goals, and come up with solutions that are unique to their lives and needs.

As you learn to help patients in a more holistic way, you’ll also see that demand equals revenue, so much so that you may even be able to open a specialized BHRT treatment clinic.

Here are three simple steps to get started:

1. Download our “Quick Start Guide to BHRT for Medical Providers”

2. Experience the process yourself – test your own hormones.

3. Download the most Reputable Hormone Testing Labs resource pdf. It includes some of my recommendations for webinars on their websites that I consider a must-watch.

I’d be happy to help you move forward on this fascinating journey — just drop me a line anytime!

Enjoyed this article? Here are three more to help you:

5 Reasons You Should Learn to Prescribe Bioidentical Hormones
Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy: Frequently Asked Questions
Pros and Cons of Different Dosing Forms of Bioidentical Hormones

This article was originally published in 2019, but has been updated in 2020 just for you!