Disempowering midlife women: The science and politics of hormone replacement therapy (HRT)

Abstract

Synopsis Mid-life women are increasingly pressured to use hormone replacement therapy (HRT) for the rest of their lives. Praised as the “cure-all” for anything from decreased (hetero) sexual interest and wrinkles to heart attacks and osteoporosis, the triumvirate of medical scientists, the drug industry, and the media has created a veritable Menopause Industry ( Coney, 1993 ), intending to turn the millions of women from the “baby boomer” generation who are now coming of age, into “patients” for life. In this article we challenge the notion that menopause is a disease. We discuss the claims made for HRT, including a brief historical overview, and juxtapose them with women's own experiences from our Australian study into the science and politics of HRT. In so doing, we expose the negative side of HRT use, ranging from heavy bleeding, irritability, and depression to weight gain, hypertension, and breast-related complications. We also expose the fallacies of claims made for the prevention of osteoporosis and cardiovascular disease and warn of the possibility that HRT has the potential to cause drug addiction. We end with a call to women internationally to resist yet another form of medicalisation that, due to its many medical and psychological hazards, has the potential to disempower midlife women. Last, we suggest that not drugs, but a positive attitude to old age is needed, so that women can age “gloriously” ( Scutt, 1993 ).