The most obvious example of how politics intertwines with women's health is on the reproductive health front, she said. It's not just a question of choice about whether you can have an abortion and have access to an abortion, it's also a question of whether a doctor can give you reproductive health advice. It's a question of whether your insurance will cover reproductive health services. For decades, physicians have prescribed short-term hormone replacement therapy to women transitioning through menopause to alleviate bothersome and sometimes disabling symptoms, such as hot flashes and insomnia. Physicians also advised their patients to use long term hormone therapy for prevention of osteoporosis.
Long term is more than five years.
But recently, there has been mounting concern about the risk of developing breast cancer associated with long term estrogen use. In addition, there has been conflicting evidence about the benefits of long term hormone replacement therapy in preventing heart disease and dementia. Deborah Grady, MD, professor in the UCSF departments of medicine and epidemiology, will outline the risks and benefits of hormone replacement use at the conference. Grady has devoted 15 years of research on women's health, postmenopausal hormone therapy and healthy aging. Acupuncture and Herbs for Women More women are turning to the ancient techniques of Traditional Chinese Medicine for treatment of a variety of ailments and to maintain health and vigor.