Female HRT Calculator — Estradiol, Progesterone & Testosterone Planner

Last updated: June 2026

About the Female HRT Planner

The Female HRT Planner is an educational planning aid that assembles what a typical female, menopause or transgender-MTF hormone regimen looks like. It is not a prescription and not medical advice. You pick a protocol, an estradiol route and dose, a progesterone option and an optional female-dose testosterone, and the planner outlines a suggested regimen with approximate serum-estradiol targets and a sensible application-site rotation — so you can understand the shape of a regimen before you talk to your clinician. Free, no login.

It is built for people who want to understand typical regimens before a clinical conversation: women considering or already on menopause HRT (perimenopause or postmenopause), women looking at female low-testosterone therapy, and transgender women (MTF) on feminising hormone therapy. The planner exists to make that conversation more informed — every regimen it shows must still be prescribed, dosed and monitored by a qualified clinician.

How to use it

Pick your protocol — perimenopause, postmenopause, female low-T, or transgender MTF. Each protocol frames the typical building blocks for that situation.

Choose an estradiol route — patch, gel, spray, oral or injection — and a dose. The planner maps the route and dose to an approximate serum-estradiol (E2) target and suggests where to apply or rotate sites.

Pick a progesterone option: cyclic micronised progesterone 200 mg on days 14–28, continuous 100 mg daily, none, or a levonorgestrel IUD. Then add an optional female-dose testosterone — roughly one tenth of a male dose, for example about 0.5 mg/day of cream or 5–10 mg/week by injection. The output is a suggested regimen to take to your prescriber, not an instruction to follow on your own.

Estradiol routes at a glance

Estradiol can be delivered several ways, and the route matters as much as the dose. The serum-E2 figures below are population averages with wide individual variation — your own levels depend on absorption, body composition, metabolism and the exact product.

Patch (transdermal): a twice-weekly or weekly adhesive patch, often dosed 25–100 mcg/day. Absorbed through the skin, so it bypasses first-pass liver metabolism and carries a lower clot (VTE) risk than oral.
Gel (transdermal): a daily metered gel rubbed into the skin. Same lower-clot-risk profile as the patch; serum E2 rises with dose but varies with application area and absorption.
Spray (transdermal): a daily metered topical spray, another transdermal option with the lower-VTE profile of skin-delivered estradiol.
Oral: a daily estradiol tablet. Convenient, but it passes through the liver first (first-pass metabolism), which raises clotting factors and is associated with a higher VTE and stroke risk than transdermal routes.
Injection: estradiol valerate or estradiol cypionate given intramuscularly or subcutaneously, typically every few days to weekly. Can produce higher peaks and wider swings between doses, so it needs careful monitoring with a prescriber.

Because of the clot-risk difference, menopause-society guidance generally favours transdermal estradiol over oral, particularly for anyone with cardiovascular, migraine or clotting risk factors. The serum-E2 target your prescriber aims for depends on your protocol and goals.

Progesterone: why and when

If a person has a uterus, taking estrogen alone stimulates the uterine lining and, over time, raises the risk of endometrial hyperplasia and cancer. A progestogen is added to protect that lining. People without a uterus generally do not need progesterone for lining protection — though it is sometimes discussed for other reasons, which is a conversation for a clinician.

Cyclic — 200 mg on days 14–28: micronised progesterone taken for the second half of the cycle. Often used in perimenopause to produce a predictable monthly bleed while protecting the lining.
Continuous — 100 mg daily: taken every day, common in postmenopause for a no-bleed (amenorrhoeic) regimen.
Levonorgestrel IUD: an intrauterine device that delivers a progestogen directly to the lining, providing endometrial protection without a daily oral dose.
None: typically only where there is no uterus, and always a decision made with a prescriber.

Testosterone for women

Testosterone is part of the normal female hormone profile, and some women use a low dose for symptoms such as low libido. Female dosing is roughly one tenth of a typical male dose, kept within the female physiological reference range — not pushed above it.

Cream: around 0.5 mg/day of a transdermal testosterone cream, applied to the skin.
Injection: around 5–10 mg/week, compared with the 100–200 mg/week often used for male TRT.

The aim is to restore levels to the upper part of the normal female range. Over-dosing causes androgenic side effects — acne, hair changes, voice deepening — so female testosterone must be individualised and monitored with bloodwork by a prescriber.

Frequently asked questions

Is this planner a substitute for a doctor?

No. The Female HRT Planner is an educational tool that lays out what a typical regimen looks like so you can have a more informed conversation with your clinician. It is not a prescription and not medical advice. Female and transgender hormone therapy must be prescribed, dosed and monitored by a qualified clinician using your symptoms, history and bloodwork. The figures shown are population averages with wide individual variation; your prescriber and your labs always supersede anything here.

Why is transdermal estradiol often preferred over oral?

Transdermal estradiol — patches, gels and sprays — is absorbed through the skin and does not pass through the liver first, so it does not raise clotting factors the way oral estradiol does. Menopause-society guidance (for example the North American Menopause Society 2022 position statement) notes that transdermal routes carry a lower venous thromboembolism (VTE) and stroke risk than oral estradiol, which is why they are often favoured, especially for people with clot, migraine or cardiovascular risk factors. Oral estradiol goes through first-pass liver metabolism and is associated with a higher VTE risk. The right route is an individual decision made with a prescriber.

Why is progesterone needed alongside estrogen?

If a person has a uterus, estrogen on its own stimulates the uterine lining (endometrium) and over time raises the risk of endometrial hyperplasia and cancer. A progestogen — most often micronised progesterone — is added to protect the lining. Common patterns are cyclic progesterone (for example 200 mg on days 14 to 28 of the cycle, often used in perimenopause to produce a predictable bleed) or continuous progesterone (for example 100 mg daily, common in postmenopause for a no-bleed regimen). A levonorgestrel intrauterine device is another way to deliver endometrial protection. People without a uterus generally do not need a progestogen for lining protection. This decision is made with a clinician.

How much testosterone do women use?

Female testosterone dosing is roughly one tenth of a typical male dose, kept within the female physiological reference range. In practice that is around 0.5 mg per day of a transdermal cream, or about 5 to 10 mg per week by injection, compared with the 100 to 200 mg per week often used for male TRT. The aim is to restore levels to the upper part of the normal female range, not to exceed it. Dosing must be individualised and monitored with bloodwork by a prescriber, because over-dosing causes androgenic side effects such as acne, hair changes and voice deepening.

Other calculators

TRT Dose Calculator Free Testosterone Index Calculator Reconstitution Calculator

Related guides

Important: read before you use this

This is an educational planning aid only — it is NOT medical advice and NOT a prescription. Female and transgender hormone therapy must be prescribed, dosed and monitored by a qualified clinician who knows your symptoms, history and bloodwork. The serum-estradiol figures shown are approximate population averages with wide individual variation, and the protocols, doses and schedules are illustrative typical patterns — not a recommendation for you specifically. Do not start, stop or change any hormone therapy based on this tool. Your bloodwork and your prescriber always supersede anything shown here. Hormone therapy carries real risks (including clotting, cardiovascular and cancer-related risks) that depend on your individual situation. This planner draws on menopause-society guidance such as the North American Menopause Society (NAMS) 2022 position statement, but it is a maths and education tool, not a clinical service. Always confirm any regimen with your prescriber.