The Truth About Hormone Replacement Therapy: How to Break Free from the Medical Myths of Menopause
Well-known alternative-medicine practitioner and journalist Fugh-Berman leads the list of authors of this critique of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) provided by the National Women's Health Network. An updated version of the network's Taking Hormones and Women's Health: Choices, Risks and Benefits (1989), this book argues that the medical and pharmaceutical professions are responsible for the "medicalization" of menopause. The authors disagree with the widely promoted message that nearly all perimenopausal women should use HRT for cardiovascular and bone health or to modulate health problems associated with that stage of life; they argue that, except for a very small percentage of women, using alternative therapies is preferred. They also report on studies of HRT and provide a wealth of information. While their analytical and cautious approach is commendable, their words are often provocative e.g., they claim that the drug companies "play on women's fears," utilize "scare tactics," and "artfully persuade." Within the profusion of books on HRT on the market today, this one stands out not because of its advocacy of alternative treatments but because it is so vehement in its criticism of the medical and pharmaceutical establishments. Recommended for its practical suggestions and for encouraging evaluation of the issues. Linda M.G. Katz, MCP Hahnemann Univ. Lib., PhiladelphiaCopyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.