Soy is no safer, and probably much riskier, than bioidentical hormones. Other plant hormones aren't any safer either. In fact, they're all made from essentially the same plants (soy or wild yam).

The problem with herbal supplements is that the FDA has essentially no regulatory power over them. This means you have no idea what you're getting, how strong it might be, and how contaminated it is by heavy metals, etc. Most herbal supplements are now made in China, in factories with zero regulation, grown in very contaminated soils. (Today's New York Times has a brief article on heavy metal contamination in herbal supplements: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/26/he.../26herbal.html )

Bioidentical hormones, on the other hand, ARE regulated. They are made from plants, but modified to be exactly the same as our body's own hormones. They don't contain heavy metal contamination. Plus, you can get them in a transdermal (ie, patch) form, which is much easier on your body. You can take far lower doses in a transdermal form, because it's not being broken down in your stomach.

I completely respect each individual woman's decision not to take supplemental hormones. But if you ARE going to take supplemental hormones, I think it's a lot safer to get a regulated product that doesn't contain heavy metals, and does contain what the package says it contains.

Vivelle dot and climara are both bioidentical estradiol, made from yams, available in a wide range of dosages, and much safer than soy or whatever stuff is on the counter at the health food store. (And they can do wonders for night sweats and hot flashes, even at extremely low doses). (Full disclosure: I'm a professor who researchs estrogen and endocrine disruption, and last month, I went on an extremely low dose of transdermal estradiol, because menopausal sleeplessness was driving me nuts.)