Vaginal bleeding patterns in women receiving hormone replacement therapy. Impact of various progestogen regimens.

Postmenopausal bleeding is more prevalent than was previously thought, occurring in women regardless of whether or not they are on hormone replacement therapy. While estrogen-only regimens have been used for several beneficial effects, bleeding patterns associated with these regimens can be irregular and unpredictable, causing discomfort to the patient as well as increasing the risk of both endometrial hyperplasia and carcinoma. Studies in recent years have examined the effects of estrogen-only regimens as compared to different estrogen-plus-progestogen combination therapies to help regulate and minimize postmenopausal bleeding while providing endometrial protection.