Menopause Hormone Therapy (HRT) in Shreveport, LA

Bioidentical hormones in Shreveport: what it means

"Bioidentical" describes a hormone whose chemical structure matches one the body makes. Two hormones used in menopause care fit it exactly, estradiol and micronized progesterone. Both come in FDA-approved prescription forms, from estradiol pills, patches, gels and vaginal forms to progesterone capsules.

Many products sold as "bioidentical hormones" or "BHRT" are compounded instead: mixed by a pharmacy for one prescription, often as a custom cream or a pellet. None of these is FDA-approved, and the FDA has not reviewed them for safety, effectiveness or quality before sale. In the FDA's words, it has no evidence that compounded "bioidentical hormones" are safe and effective. When the National Academies reviewed them in 2020, the evidence was mostly low quality, such as anecdotes and patient reports.

For women in Shreveport, a physician licensed in Louisiana can prescribe estradiol (pill, patch, cream or vaginal) and progesterone when they fit your history. There are no pellets. Because the dispensing pharmacy also compounds, you can ask whether your estradiol or progesterone is an FDA-approved product. Two options are compounded for certain: testosterone cream for women and Bi-Est are not FDA-approved.

The NPI registry counts 93 OB-GYNs practicing in Shreveport, about 50.7 for every 100,000 residents against 17.8 nationally and above Louisiana's 17.5, a higher rate than 86% of the cities VevaMD covers. With about 22,855 women aged 45 to 64 living in Shreveport, that is about 250 for each OB-GYN in the city, before counting any younger patients.

Counting the area around it, 103 OB-GYNs practice in Shreveport or within 10 miles and 104 within 25 miles: 27.7 for every 100,000 of the 374,881 people who live within 25 miles, a dense supply. None of this replaces your own OB-GYN or a menopause doctor you trust; VevaMD adds an online route, with a physician licensed in Louisiana reviewing your answers from home in Shreveport.

A pellet clinic is a different model: it implants a hormone pellet under the skin during a visit, and compounded pellets are not FDA-approved. The Endocrine Society points to a study that found hormone levels well above the expected range in women using them. ACOG recommends FDA-approved menopause hormone therapy over compounded hormones.

Sources: FDA: Menopause · FDA: National Academies study of compounded bioidentical hormones (2020) · Endocrine Society position statement on compounded bioidentical hormones (2019) · ACOG Clinical Consensus No. 6, compounded bioidentical menopausal hormone therapy (2023) · CMS NPPES NPI full file, 2026-10-11