Long Term Use of Vaginal Estrogen is Safe
Vaginal estrogen alone can be used for the treatment of VVA or the menopausal syndrome of dryness, irritation, painful intercourse, and urinary symptoms.
Very little estrogen is absorbed with only vaginal estrogen use.
Virtually all women should be eligible for this therapy, but there is a small amount of estrogen that is absorbed in a woman’s system with only vaginal use.
Most women with systemic estrogen use may still have to use vaginal estrogen or consider other therapies.
The newest evidence comes from two studies reviewed in the journal Menopause…”Women’s Health Initiative—an Observational Study (based on 3,003 vaginal estrogen users aged 50-79 with an intact uterus followed during the years 1993-2005 with median duration of vaginal estrogen use of 2 y) and one from the large Nurses’ Health Study (nearly 900 postmenopausal vaginal estrogen users compared with approximately 53,000 nonusers between 1982 and 2012, based on 18 y of follow-up with mean duration of vaginal estrogen use of almost 3 y)”.
These studies looked at various risks from a number of women using various compounds over various amounts of time and found that these studies “provide reassurance that vaginal estrogen does not elevate risk of cardiovascular disease, breast cancer, endometrial cancer, or all-cause mortality.”
It’s important to see your personal gyno and have an evaluation yearly to understand what your symptoms are and what treatments and monitoring you need. That is the most important.
