HRT or MHT or HT: Does the Name Really Matter?

There’s no shortage of terminology when it comes to hormone therapy. Depending on where you live, read, or listen, you’ll see it referred to as Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT), Menopausal Hormone Therapy (MHT), or simply Hormone Therapy (HT).

Heather Hirsch brings this up in her book Unlock Your Menopause Type. Tamsen Fadal mentions it in How to Menopause. Mary Claire Haver, in The New Menopause, doesn’t waste much energy on the terminology — she just calls it MHT, says she prefers it to HT, and dismisses HRT as an “old” name. Well, not so in the UK! Louise Newson, in her Definitive Guide, doesn’t dance around it: she calls it HRT, full stop.

Which makes me wonder: with so much work still to do in actually helping women, why are we spending time debating what to call it?

The Technical Distinction

Some doctors argue that “replacement” isn’t technically accurate. Their reasoning: we’re not giving women back all of their hormones, so it shouldn’t be called “replacement.” Instead, they prefer “MHT,” which they say is more precise and specific to those who experience natural menopause at the average age.

But really, is this where the focus should be? With millions of women still struggling to get care, the terminology feels more like a distraction than a solution.

Why It Feels Condescending

I’ll be honest: I find this kind of nit-picking a little condescending. As if women can’t grasp that HRT doesn’t literally mean replacing every single hormone. We do understand. We know what we’re taking. We know it’s not all of our hormones — but it is some of them.

The Global Divide

MHT seems to be more commonly used in the United States, particularly in academic circles. The World Health Organization (WHO), for example, typically uses the more neutral “Hormone Therapy (HT)” in its global reports and guidelines.

In the UK, though, “HRT” remains the dominant term — and with leaders like Louise Newson sticking with it, I suspect it will stay that way. Personally, I’m with her.

What Really Matters

At the end of the day, I don’t think this debate deserves the airtime it gets. Yes, language matters in medicine — but what matters more is that women can access treatment, feel informed, and be supported in making choices about their health.

So should we call it HRT, MHT, or HT? Honestly, use whichever term you prefer.. What matters is that women have the knowledge and the care they deserve.

Because whether we say “replacement” or “menopausal,” the goal is the same: helping women feel like themselves again at a time when so much can feel like it’s slipping away.

Call it what you like — HRT, MHT, or HT. What matters is access, knowledge, and care.

Resources & Further Reading

📄 Websites & Guidelines

NICE Guidelines: Menopause Diagnosis and Management
The Menopause Society (formerly NAMS) — clinical guidance and resources
British Menopause Society — professional and patient information
World Health Organization – Hormone Therapy (general references in global women’s health)

📚 Books

Hirsch, H. (2023). Unlock Your Menopause Type.
Fadal, T. (2023). How to Menopause.
Haver, M. C. (2023). The New Menopause.
Newson, L. (2023). The Definitive Guide to the Perimenopause and Menopause.

OMG: The Women's Health Brief