Hormones can be absorbed from a pill, through the skin via patches, and from vaginal creams, tablets, and rings (such as a slow-release hormone Estring) or a vaginal suppository.
Previously, vaginal estrogens were thought to exert only local effects. However, studies have shown that estrogen delivered vaginally as cream, tablet, ring, or insert is quickly absorbed into the bloodstream and exerts significant systemic effects. In some cases, the level of estrogen absorbed vaginally can be higher than that ingested orally, as it avoids the first-pass metabolism encountered with oral ingestion.
Therefore, both orally and vaginally delivered estrogens are not safe, especially when used at high doses for a long term. They both increase the risk of cancer and cardiovascular diseases.
The cost of estrogen replacement therapy is high. On average, it costs around $325 per month and can range between $100 and $550 per month, depending on the type and dose used.
Additionally, estrogen increases the risk of breast, ovarian, and uterine cancers, uterine fibroids, pulmonary embolism (a clotting disorder), stroke, and heart attack. Many women, especially breast cancer survivors, cannot use estrogen. Even topically applied estrogen cream may pose an increased cancer risk because it is absorbed so quickly by the body.
A recent study by scientists at Harvard Unversity provided new evidence indicating that estrogen not only promotes but also directly causes breast cancer. This new discovery further confirms the cancer risk associated with estrogen.
Once absorbed into the bloodstream, hormones circulate throughout the body. Tissues in the breast, ovaries, and uterus are rich in estrogen receptors. Increased hormone levels can lead to cancer in these tissues.
After menopause, a woman's reproductive activity ceases, leading to a natural and safe reduction in reproductive hormones. However, artificially boosting these hormones to their original levels when one is no longer reproductively active is unnatural and unsafe.
With increased hormone levels, the aged and previously dormant reproductive tissue cells in the breast, ovaries, and uterus become reactivated. These old cells divide to produce more cells. During this division, some of the aged cells may undergo errors, or mutations. These mutations can cause cells to become cancerous.
The fact that estrogen promotes cancer in old reproductive cells is well-established and documented in tens of thousands of scientific research articles. However, pharmaceutical companies may not emphasize this information, as it could impact the sale of their drugs.
If you are interested in learning more about the risk of estrogen in causing breast cancer, you can visit PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/
In the search bar, type 'estrogen cancer risk' and press the return key. You will find there are 22,398 related scientific papers, with 16,541 of these papers specifically addressing breast cancer as of today.
The number of scientific papers discussing estrogen's role in causing cancer is increasing daily. For a summary of all the newly published scientific evidence, you can read this blog article:
https://www.neueve.com/blog/is-there-new-evidence-linking-hrt-to-breast-cancer/
Additionally, it's important to note that some estrogen products are derived from horse urine and may be associated with animal cruelty concerns. Many animal lovers oppose the use of this type of estrogen.
Are bioidentical hormones safer?
Bioidentical hormones carry a high risk of cancer due to the elevated levels of hormones used. These levels are not 'average' for postmenopausal age but rather for younger, premenopausal women. Therefore, for women whose reproductive activity has ceased, this represents an excessively high 'average' of estrogen supplementation.
The term 'bioidentical' is misleading. The FDA has not approved this label, and such products are typically available through compounding pharmacies, which are not subject to FDA monitoring. For more information, please refer to this FDA document, with specific details on bioidentical hormones on the second page:
https://www.fda.gov/media/130242/download
Many of our customers previously used bioidentical hormones and subsequently developed breast cancer. After surviving breast cancer, they discovered NeuEve, which effectively and safely reversed their long-term vaginal atrophy and chronic UTIs without health risks. Had they found NeuEve earlier, they might have avoided the ordeal of breast cancer.
The key takeaway is that estrogen supplements, including bioidentical hormones and estrogen delivered topically as a vaginal cream, tablet, suppository, or ring, can increase the risk of breast, ovarian, and uterine cancers, and may involve animal cruelty. If you wish to avoid these risks and are concerned about animal welfare, seeking a safer, more effective, and more humane alternative is advisable.
Is there a safe and more effective alternative to estrogen? Yes, NeuEve is a safer and more effective option. To date, NeuEve has helped over 100,000 women find relief from severe vaginal dryness. Many of them had previously used estrogen but without success. For women with the most severe vaginal dryness caused by pelvic radiation, NeuEve is the only product that has provided relief.
https://www.neueve.com/blog/neueve-the-best-product-for-painful-sex-relief/
Do you seek safer products for relieving hot flashes and other menopausal symptoms without using hormones? NeuEve may have the solution: