The most commonly used product for ERT (estrogen replacement therapy) is Premarin. Premarin is derived from the urine of pregnant mares. (Yes, as in horses.) Introduced in 1942, before natural and synthetic alternatives were commonly available, it became the leading drug (and still is) for ERT.

Approximately nine million American women are still currently taking some form of Premarin and horses are still suffering the cruelty. It is the *only* human estrogen replacement drug that is derived from an animal.

Over 50,000 mares a year are impregnated and tied in small stalls with rubber sacks strapped on them, so that their urine can be collected to make Premarin. They are denied free access to water so that their urine will yield a more concentrated estrogen. Most of the older mares and the foals resulting from these pregnancies are shipped off to slaughter.

There are many effective estrogen-replacement drugs on the market which are derived from plant or synthetic estrogens. These drugs closely copy human estrogen without the added horse estrogens and impurities. Some of these drugs also have FDA approval for the prevention of osteoporosis and none of them cause this horrendous misery and slaughter of mares and foals.

Estrace is what I take, but many others are available. It is MUCH easier on my system than Premarin was, but I would NEVER have taken Premarin in the beginning if I'd known how it was produced!

Most of the natural perscription hormones are produced from either beets, yams, sweet potato, mexican yam, vegetable sources, soy, synthetic sources or combinations of those items. Recently Durmed received FDA approval for Cenestin a synthetic conjugated estrogen. Cenestin is made from soy beans and Mexican yams.No horses are confined to horrendous, unnatural lives and none give birth only to have their foals taken and butchered - and animals DO grieve losing their young!

Premarin is made up of over 50 estrogens, none of which are iso-molecular to Estriol, Estrone, or Estradiol. According to the Physicians Desk Reference (PDR) there are a few benefits to these pseudo-hormones, but also many side effects. On the other hand, there are many benefits to the natural iso-molecular hormones and few side effects.

If you are at that place in your life where you feel that hormone replacement is a consideration, talk to your health care provider about your feelings, and request a bone density test, as well as a test for your estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, dhea, and pregnenolone levels. Get as much information as you can before you decide what course of action to take. If natural hormone replacement therapy is not for you, you also have some other options including herbal and homeopathic remedies and, of course, diet and exercise.

As women, physicians, health care professionals, webweavers, etc., we can put a stop to this cruelty by informing the public and/or choosing other alternatives for ERT instead of Premarin.

I keep getting email from people asking what they can do to help... Inform others, Refuse to take Premarin, Speak out, Educate, Stand up for what you believe, Rock the boat, Talk to your doctor, Teach your children, Put something on your web pages. Do what feels right to you to do at your own level of consciousness. If Premarin has no market, they will stop making it. If women refuse to take it, there is no market.

I am also getting email from people asking questions that should be directed to their doctors.

I am not a doctor, please do not direct your questions about the effects of hormones on your body to me, ask YOUR OWN doctor, or find one that cares enough to discuss alternatives with you.. I am a person who cares about animals AND I choose to take hormones AND I choose what I put into my body. I don't trust doctors to make my choices for me. Many doctors are unaware of the circumstances under which these horses live and Premarin is derived, others simply don't care. It's up to you to make an informed choice, up to you to communicate with your doctor making your needs known, and up to you to tell your doctor if you want HRT therapy, AND up to you if that will be something other than Premarin. It's your body, your conscience, your choice.

If you are a doctor still recommending and prescribing Premarin to your patients, please study up on the alternatives. AT LEAST tell your patients how harvesting this drug is effecting horses - let your patient have an informed choice. I had one doctor tell me it's what he has always prescribed and that it has been used for years. I'm well aware that it was the first approved hormone. I don't see that as a valid reason to engage in cruelty to animals. I see that as sheer laziness and lack of concern for another species we share this earth with.

Death is inevitable, but there is no excuse for cruelty. There are alternatives.

Instead of Premarin - If you are a woman taking Premarin, or if you know of a woman taking Premarin, read this.
Premarin (PMU) Farms Controversy - So that all horses and ponies may lead a full and productive life, free from pain and abuse.
Women's Health America - We are America's first women's health specialty pharmacy offering individually compounded Natural Hormone Replacement prescriptions for women. Established in 1982, Madison Pharmacy Associates specializes in management, consultation and education of women about Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS) and Menopause. We are nationally recognized for our expertise in Natural Hormone Replacement Therapy.
International Academy of Compounding Pharmacists - A non-profit organization representing pharmacists who compound custom medications to meet unique patient needs. If you are a patient or physician looking for custom medications in your area, we can help.
RxList Generic Information - The Internet Drug Index
The Natural Hormone Alternative