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HOW DO YOU know a woman of a certain age is on HRT? (Hormone Replacement Therapy)
Because she’ll tell you!
Sorry, not sorry, because I am that woman, and I will drop that little nugget of personal information into every discussion, whether it is relevant or not.
Again, sorry, not sorry. I am a huge advocate for this amazing inclusion in modern female healthcare. I am shouting it from the rooftops.
I am happy to disclose that my menopausal symptoms were not in any way life-altering or profoundly difficult, but rather more of the frustrating and annoying cohort.
A number of years ago, well before menopause or even perimenopause was a glint on my horizon, I liked to joke that our house was going to be great craic. With four males and one woman, all of us hurtling towards different transitions in our lives, namely puberty and menopause at approximately the same time, I was fond of talking about sourcing a Wine Truck, similar to those mobile coffee carts, to see me through.
Imagine my surprise when my alcohol intake became one of the first habits to change. I took sober curious to another level upon discovering the inconvenience of a two-day hangover, even after just a couple of drinks.
My “hangxiety” was also off the charts, and I disliked fuelling the aftermath with junk food, which, of course, only served to compound an already less-than-ideal situation.
A recognised fact of midlife is that alcohol hits differently; our tolerance for it takes a sudden drop during perimenopause and menopause.
It has been an eye-opening exercise to learn how wide and varied the “change of life” has manifested for me and my female companions.
During one such conference, I referenced my increasing brain fog but acknowledged it wasn’t hugely problematic. As long as I wrote everything into a notebook and kept it with me at all times. I also confessed to the odd bout of road rage and a propensity for choking up watching social media involving puppies and small children.
One person, however, confided in having found the entire peri debacle so distressing that she is still unable to talk about it without becoming upset and asked if she could be excused from the conversation. Another said starting HRT was life-changing for her, and she promptly encouraged me to make an appointment with my GP to discuss it.
On 1 June 2025, HRT became free for the women of Ireland, allowing us to access medication and products free of charge from pharmacies (providing you have a medical card or are registered with the Drug Payment Scheme).
This initiative marked a significant change in women’s health policy in Ireland. A moment in history that, unfortunately, arrived too late for our mothers and grandmothers, who had to navigate this inevitable physical transition with little or no medical reinforcements. Later on, the scaremongering narratives surrounded the early discovery of its easement.
Initially hailed as a groundbreaking innovation in the 60’s, the popularity of HRT grew in the 90’s. When a WHI (Women’s Health Initiative) study claimed it delivered more adverse than beneficial effects, it became shrouded in controversy.
Decades on, medical understanding and practices have thankfully enjoyed considerable advances, and today HRT is far more personalised and much safer than what was available to our foremothers.
Ireland’s daughters are today reaping the dual benefits of such improvements and progress: the availability of improved medication for our ongoing health and the funding to carry out research.
The most recent of which was released on 27th January. In the UK, an observational study involving 125,000 women showed how menopause is linked to changes in the brain similar to those seen in Alzheimer’s disease.
Consultant endocrinologist and HSE clinical lead for obesity, Prof Donal O’Shea is another advocate for HRT. Speaking on a parenting podcast last year, he too said he will be advising his daughters, when they come of age, to consider HRT.
I had already made up my mind to start HRT, regardless of the expert backing, but it’s always validating to have the extra reassurance. The extended health benefits appealed to me immensely; better bone health and the reduction of osteoporosis, minimising the possibility of heart disease and certain cancers, plus an overall quality of life improvement through the alleviation of menopause symptoms. I am now, with the continuing advice of my GP, a periodical subscriber to a regimen that supports my long term health.
So far, my experience has been more than satisfactory, as has that of my female counterparts. It seems to be the elixir that keeps on giving. I noticed a significant difference in my hair and nails since embarking on HRT and upon further investigation, I was pleased to learn both can be improved by addressing hormonal imbalances.
I hail from a clan blessed with “great heads of hair” and it looks like my hairdresser will be seeing a lot more of me in the future, thanks to more than I can handle hair growth!
However, I feel I must flag a subtle detail to the uninitiated; HRT does not improve temperaments to the extent that those taking it actually want to take on all of the household chores.
It also goes without saying that we will continue to push back when the situation calls for it. Nor has any kind of study been released into the mainstream, claiming HRT prevents a spot of road rage.
However, if you insist on parking in the yellow box, do not be surprised if a post-menopausal middle-aged woman taps smartly on your window and politely asks that you move.
Gwen Loughman is the gatekeeper of four boys, one husband and a watcher over two dogs.
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