Record 2.6million women in England have taken HRT in the last year - a staggering rise of 12 per cent from 2022 By Shaun Wooller Published: 18:14 EDT, 17 October 2024 | Updated: 18:17 EDT, 17 October 2024 e-mail View comments A record 2.6 million women in England took HRT last year as celebrities raised awareness of drugs to alleviate menopause symptoms.
The figure was up 12 per cent from 2.3 million in 2022/23 and double the 1.3 million in 2018/19, according to new NHS data.
The number of prescriptions for hormone replacement therapy has also risen to a record high, with 13 million items prescribed in 2023/24. This is up a fifth on the previous year. HRT replaces the hormones oestrogen, progestogen, or both, in women going through the perimenopause or menopause.
It can relieve symptoms such as anxiety, insomnia and hot flushes, and is often administered as gels, creams, tablets and patches. The Mail has campaigned to improve access to HRT and several high-profile celebrities, including Penny Lancaster and Davina McCall , have spoken about how the menopause has affected them. The NHS Hormone Replacement Therapy Prescription Prepayment Certificate has also been credited with increasing treatment uptake.
High-profile celebrities, including Penny Lancaster and Davina McCall (pictured), have spoken about how the menopause has affected them The figure was up 12 per cent from 2.3 million in 2022/23 and double the 1.3 million in 2018/19, according to new NHS data (stock photo) Yeste.