Hormone therapy is used to treat symptoms of menopause in women. Hormone therapy may include forms of estrogen and progesterone, either of which is available in a standard or bioidentical form. The chemicals used in hormone therapy not only include some increased health risks for women, but they can also survive wastewater treatment and affect the health and reproduction of aquatic species. Because of the risk to themselves and to the environment, some women may choose to manage their menopausal symptoms without hormone therapy.

Menopause is the ceasing of fertility and the menstrual cycle within a woman. It occurs naturally for each woman somewhere in her mid-40s to mid-50s. Estrogen and progesterone are produced by the ovaries and regulate the menstrual cycle. During the years before ...