Types

• Hormone replacement therapy may contain estrogen only, which is most effective for women who have had a hysterectomy, or a combination of estrogen and progestin.
  
  

Delivery Methods

• Hormone replacement therapy can be delivered into the body through the skin such as a patch or topical cream, through the vagina or taken as a pill.
  
  

Physical Effects

• Hot flashes and night sweats that happen after a hysterectomy can be reduced or even prevented by hormone replacement therapy.
  
  

Sexual Effects

• According to the Mayo Clinic, hormone replacement therapy after a hysterectomy can reduce sexual side effects such as vaginal dryness and painful sexual intercourse.
  
  

Benefits

• Women who take hormone replacement therapy after a hysterectomy decrease their risk of developing cancer of the colon and osteoporosis, which causes bone fractures in postmenopausal women.
  
  

Risks

• The risks of using hormone replacement therapy include a higher chance of developing breast cancer, having a stroke, blood clots or heart attack.
  
  

Warning

• Women who have had breast cancer, stroke or a heart attack should not use hormone replacement therapy to treat the side effects of a hysterectomy.