What is the difference between ERT and HRT?
ERT refers to estrogen replacement therapy , estrogen taken without a progestin, and is usually given only to women who have had a hysterectomy, in which their uterus was surgically removed. Doctors call the combination of estrogen and progestin hormone replacement therapy (HRT). Progestin is added to estrogen for women with a uterus, because if estrogen is given alone, it can sometimes cause excessive growth of the lining of the uterus. The risk of overgrowth is greatly decreased by adding progestin. Keep in mind, before menopause, progesterone was the hormone your body produced that was responsible for the monthly shedding of the uterine lining, which you experienced as your period. Taken with estrogen after menopause, progestin provides a similar benefit.
