The risks are clearly stated on the leaflet in the packet!! So are the possible side effects. I have noticed that as soon as i started taking Vagifem none of my rings fit and all my bras were far too tight. i have had headaches and am now experiencing strange leg pains which may not be related. i am super sensitive to chemical hormones as i said before. Vagifem leads to thickening in the womb lining and an increased risk of womb cancer . However, like so many others on this forum I can't find an alternative without the risks. My point is, no one KNOWS what the long term use of hormone replacement are, it hasn't been used for long enough. If Vagifem does not leach into the bloodstream, why are any side effects experienced at all? This is my question. For side effects to be apparent, it must be leaching into the bloodstream. My other concern is that Vagifem is oestrogen only. Some people have been advised that their partners may become feminised because the oestrogen is absorbed by the penis during intercourse. This in itself is worrying. it is easy to just swallow what the medical profession tell us (i.e. take this drug and all will be well, there are no KNOWN side effects, or they are just temporary), but i am wary of the pharmaceutical industry generally and question what i am being told, especially when different GPs say different things and generally have a poor understanding anyway of what goes on in menopause or the effects of hormones on functioning. Quite apart from the environmentally unfriendly packaging !! I am just asking these questions, not attacking or demonising.