What are the hormonal treatment options for vaginal atrophy (GSM)?

Hormonal choices for vaginal atrophy, side by side

Building your list of hormonal options

Get the full list of hormonal options your clinician would consider, then check it against the treatment section of the vaginal atrophy overview and the medical society's sexual health page below. Where the sources and your clinician differ, ask why.

What to look at

The Cleveland Clinic vaginal atrophy page covers causes, symptoms, diagnosis and treatment. The Menopause Society's sexual health page adds a professional society's angle on these symptoms. For wider context, the MedlinePlus menopause overview places these symptoms among the others that can come with menopause.

A skeptic's question: when two sources both mention hormonal options, do they describe the same forms and the same reasons to use or avoid them? Check the specifics before you compare.

Questions that narrow the hormonal options

• Write down your symptoms and your health history, including past treatments.
• Ask your clinician which hormonal options exist, who they suit and who should avoid them.
• Ask how a hormonal option compares with options that do not use hormones.

A note on expertise

Reading sources side by side is a second-opinion aid, and only a clinician who has examined you can say which hormonal option fits.