You are fortunate in that you can seek information early! I received no guidance from any doctors on it. Thank goodness I did my own research.

I was fortunate, in that I never had any menopause symptoms. No hot flashes, no mood swings, no problems. Even afterwards, so far I haven’t had any bladder problems, no painful sex, no issues, but what I didn’t realize is that lack of estrogen has a negative impact on the urinary system and rest of the body. It can be very serious.

I found you tube videos by leading female urologists helpful. They discuss hormone treatments and explain why it’s vital. There are different types of treatment. You can explore what seems right for you. Some people do nothing.

So far, I am on Estradiol twice a week taken vaginally. I immediately saw a difference, even though I thought I was fine without it. I am now exploring Hormone Replacement Therapy that involves more hormones.

My mom did not continue with HRT or local Estradiol and she has suffered greatly with poor bladder health. She’s also had surgery for prolapse. I sure hope I can avoid that.

Experts can explain the reasons hormones help with bladder health, as well as bone health. It can help in avoiding vaginal atrophy.

There are several threads around here about hormone replacement. It is still controversial. Many doctors don’t seem to be informed or even aware.

I will also add that I would try to avoid getting intimidated about negative comments about menopause and sex. I was terrified after reading so many horror stories. Turns out, it was fine and my boyfriend says I’m just the same as before. I still have a healthy libido and no UTIs in years. Not everyone has a lot of problems. Everyone is different.