As early as the 1930s, scientists were busy experimenting with different types of drugs for hormone replacement therapy. One of the first drugs produced was diethylstilbestrol, otherwise known as DES. This drug was a synthetic version of estrogen, a hormone naturally produced in women’s bodies that helps to regulate the menstrual cycle. When levels of estrogen and its counterpart, progesterone, begin to become unsteady in the years before menopause, women begin to experience the unpleasant symptoms commonly associated with the natural process. DES and its successors were designed to treat these symptoms and to alleviate them for women who chose hormone replacement therapy, or HRT.

The Food and Drug Administration even approved DES to be administered to pregnant women in 1947 in order to prevent miscarriages. But because the drug had not been tested, many women who received the drug suffered the consequences, as did their children. These consequences included breast cancer in the mothers and a higher rate of cancers and birth defects in their children. However, this drug was not removed from the market until 1971. Since then, there have been many improvements made in the field, and the latest drugs hold many benefits. There are risks associated with any medication, but patients must decide whether the benefits of HRT will outweigh them.

HRT has been shown to promote many positive effects. The therapy, for example, may reduce bad cholesterol in the body while increasing the good cholesterol. The therapy may also reduce the levels of fibrinogen in the body. High levels of fibrinogen may allow blood clots to form more easily, thus leading to an increased risk of heart attack or stroke. Some negative side effects such as overgrowth of the uterine lining have been reported with estrogen therapy alone, so today many doctors are recommending a dual treatment of estrogen and progesterone to their patients. The added progesterone also may help to protect against uterine cancer. In recent years there have been several studies conducted to determine the benefits and effects of each type of therapy. Women can consult with their doctors to discuss the meaning of these studies and determine which type of therapy is right for them.