Benefits of Hormone Therapy
In early May 2024, The Journal of American Medicine published a review of the study done in the 1990's. In essence, they are now telling us it's okay for our doctors to prescribe HRT (Hormone Replacement Therapy) if we are under 60 years of age. I've been taking HRT since 2019, at age 52.
Both Joi Women's Wellness and My Alloy offer HRT as a telehealth option. It can be done from the convenience of your home with products being shipped directly to you.
To Test or Not to Test?
There are two schools of thought on whether blood tests are needed for Hormone Replacement Therapy. Reasons include:
Cost of testing to consumer
Hormones fluctuate through the day and your cycle; a specific test only gives you data from that one moment in time
On-going testing allows HRT doc to tweak dosages if levels get too high or remain too low
No testing means that our doctors are allowing us an individual to gauge if the medications are working
No testing means that levels could still be lower than recommended or too high and we'd have no way to know that for certain
My Alloy is a company that doesn't require blood work to get started, thus saving you the cost of the test and time that it would take to visit the lab for the blood draw.
On the other side of the fence is Joi Women's Wellness. They require an initial blood test before you meet with certified health coach to discuss Hormone Therapy options. They offer three series of labs:
Complete Hormone Test - $149
Hormone + Metabolic + Thyroid - $399
Comprehensive Panel - $699
Upon payment and completion of the initial test, they will send you a link to schedule a 30-minute telemedicine visit and to discuss the results of your blood work and labs.
Does Alloy or Joi accept Insurance?
Alloy is very clear that they don't accept insurance, so you'll be paying out of pocket. You can use an HSA credit card.
Joi indicates that you may be able to use insurance on some products, but you need to reach out and confirm prior to your first visit.
Joi Women's Wellness and Testosterone
Typically, Estrogen and Progesterone are prescribed for Hormone Replacement Therapy. Some companies, sometimes also prescribe testosterone. In the years leading up to menopause, women actually have more testosterone than estrogen in our bodies.
My Alloy doesn't offer testosterone as part of their HRT therapy prescriptions.
Joi does offer testosterone, off-label for Women's HRT. Off-label is when a prescription is written and prescribed to be used in a way that's different than its normal use. It's very common in the US for testosterone to be prescribed, off-label as part of a more comprehensive HRT therapy for women.
Process to get Started
My Alloy will ask you to complete an in-take form that allows you to request certain formulations of a product. For example, I wanted to try Progesterone tablets in lieu of the cream I had been using from another HRT company. They will also ask for a $49 Start-up Fee and from there an HRT certified doctor will reach out with some recommendations. You won't be asked to do a one-on-one visit, but rather you will communicate via their patient dashboard. The dashboard can be used for on-going care and questions you may have.
Joi Women's Wellness is more of a white-glove treatment. When your blood work comes back, they'll send a link for you to schedule a 30-minute visit with a certified health coach. At that visit you'll learn the results of your blood work and discuss any health history that you may have. They'll make HRT recommendations and even give you time to bring up other wellness issues. For me, I wanted to discuss my weight gain during my menopause years. My health coach recommended I consider semaglutide to help me lose that last 12 pounds. At the end of my visit, they sent to me an invoice where I could pick and choose which products I wanted to purchase.
See coupon code below for 10% OFF 2/4/6 or 8-month Supply of Semaglutide.
Compounding Pharmacies for HRT Prescriptions
Both Joi and Alloy partner with compounding pharmacies for their medications. Upon receipt of payment your meds will be sent directly to your home. No fussing with traffic to get to your local pharmacy for your prescriptions.
Cost of Alloy VS. Joi
Alloy
Estradiol Pill - $ 119.97/3 Month Supply
Evamist $ 209.97/3 Month Supply
Estradiol Gel $ 209.97/3 Month Supply
Estradiol Patch $ 224.97/3 Month Supply
Low-Dose Birth Control Pill $119.97/3 Month Supply
Paroxetine $104.97/3 Month Supply
Progesterone $0 with Estradiol (3 Month Supply)
You'll likely need an estrogen/estradiol product and progesterone if you still have a uterus.
Joi Women's Wellness
Testosterone - $59-$69/Month
Estrogen $59-$69/Month
Vaginal Estrogen $ 49-$59/Month
Progesterone - $54-$69/Month
My Alloy and Joi Prescriptions
When I was on the Alloy program, I was using an estrogen patch and progesterone tablets. I also opted to purchase their M4 face cream and plan to write a review of that product once I've used it for a month or two.
When on the Joi Women's Wellness program, I was prescribed an estrogen patch, progesterone cream, vaginal cream and testosterone injections. I subscribed to their all-inclusive program which meant I had access to updated bloodwork and testing about every 90 days and that the cost was included in my subscription plan. At the end of my first 90 days, based on the follow up bloodwork, we tweaked my estrogen patch as my estrogen level was a bit higher than my Joi health coach liked to see. We would not have known this, had it not been for the follow up blood work.
Joi and Alloy, which is better?
I think the real question to ask is, "What do I want from a provider when it comes to my HRT journey?"
Do you want a one-on-one telehealth appointment where you can ask questions or is this not important to you?
Do you want to invest your time in testing? Is the follow-up blood work and data of interest to you?
Financially, how much are you willing to invest into your future health?
The more time and money you are willing to invest leads you to Joi Women's Health. If you are on a tight budget and don't have the time, then Alloy is likely a better fit for you.
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