What is the purpose of combined hormone therapy in treating perimenopause symptoms?

Combined hormone therapy is aimed at managing unpleasant symptoms associated with perimenopause, such as hot flashes, mood swings, and vaginal dryness, while also addressing the low estrogen levels that occur during this transitional phase of a woman's life. Perimenopause is characterized by fluctuations in hormone levels, particularly estrogen and progesterone, leading to various discomforts. By providing a combination of estrogen and progesterone, this therapy helps to alleviate these symptoms and restore hormonal balance to an extent, improving the overall quality of life for women experiencing these changes.

The other options do not accurately reflect the purpose of combined hormone therapy. Eliminating all hormonal activity would not be beneficial during perimenopause since women still need certain hormone levels for overall health and well-being. Stimulating ovarian function is not the goal, as perimenopause represents a decline in ovarian function, and such stimulation may not effectively address the symptoms women are experiencing. Finally, the prevention of pregnancy is not the primary aim of combined hormone therapy in this context, since the focus is more on symptom relief and managing hormonal imbalances rather than contraception.