What is BHRT (bioidentical hormone optimization)?
BHRT is provider-reviewed hormone optimization using bioidentical estrogen, progesterone, and (where indicated) testosterone — molecules structurally identical to those the body produces. It is calibrated against a baseline biomarker panel and read in the context of cycle phase, perimenopause, or menopause.
Full answer
Bioidentical hormone optimization (BHRT) replaces or rebalances the hormones a woman's body produces — estradiol, progesterone, and in many cases testosterone — using molecules that are structurally identical to endogenous hormones. The clinical reasoning is not 'add hormones.' It is: read the patient's hormonal context (cycle phase, perimenopause, menopause, surgical menopause), confirm against the standardized biomarker panel (Hormones, Lipids, CBC, CMP), and calibrate dose and delivery modality to the trajectory the provider and patient are targeting. BHRT is appropriate for symptomatic perimenopause, menopause, surgical menopause, and select premenopausal hormonal imbalances. It is not a single product — delivery can be transdermal, oral, injectable, or topical, and the choice is provider-reviewed against the patient's biomarkers, symptoms, and continuity preferences. Like TRT, the safety profile is driven by candidacy, dosing, modality, and recalibration cadence — not by the molecule.
Educational. Not a substitute for individualized provider review.
- BHRT pathway — Primary source · oMeds
- Hormone balance (women's) — Reference · oMeds Learn
- Perimenopause & menopause — Reference · oMeds Learn
- Reviewed by Dr. Laura Purdy, MD, MBA · Clinical Director, oMeds · Last reviewed 2026-05-29