Describes current evidence for treatments for menopausal symptoms, heart disease and osteoporosis since the Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) study.
Notes:
Includes bibliographical references and index. --- Review, June 2004: "It's time to dispense with the negativism. Almost every book or popular article on menopause has an undercurrent of pessimism and dread." Yes, it is high time. With all the dismal hype about menopause, women approaching mid-life can hardly help feeling dread. This book is a refreshing and engrossing read, a welcome gift for those of us who want to hear that menopause is the beginning, not the end, of the rest of our lives. Published in November 2003, The New Truth About Menopause is also timely, and that is no easy feat given that new research on menopause surfaces just about every week. The authors write from their experience as clinicians and educators who work with women in menopause. They first review the myths of menopause as portrayed through questionable science and the mass media over the past 50 years, and look at the rise of hormone therapy use, as well as the implication of pharmaceutical companies in promoting it. They note that drug companies backed the author of the highly influential book Feminine Forever (published in the '60's) who painted a devastating picture of menopause as a time of "withering reproductive organs", "ovarian failure", and "shrivelling breasts", a time when women become crazy and depressed and sexless. The solution to all this decay was, of course, hormone therapy. They describe current evidence for treatments for menopausal symptoms, heart disease and osteoporosis since the Women's Health Initiative study in June 2002 overturned prevailing wisdom on taking hormone therapy for menopause. They discuss the pros and cons of treatments and use case studies of several women to take us through their decision-making processes. The reader is left to make her own decision, armed with clearly-stated information and an extensive list of resources and organizations for reference.
