A Woman's Guide to Menopause and Hormone Replacement Therapy

Every woman, as she gets older, must face the onset of menopause-either naturally occurring or brought on surgically. As we learn more about menopause and the effects of hormone replacement therapy (HRT), a number of questions arise. The most hotly debated of them all: should women receive HRT?

This book grew out of the need for a balanced examination of all the relevant issues-not for medical practitioners but for women of all ages-and is written in the context of how women experience the transition of menopause. Drawing on a number of population studies and their own research, contributors from different fields take on subjects ranging from HRT as a social issue and the psychosocial aspects of menopause to the role of diet and exercise in midlife health and what natural therapies may have to offer women. Other chapters thoroughly discuss the pros and cons of HRT and explain what hormones are and what they do. Readers will find the latest facts and medical opinions on how HRT can affect the likelihood of developing osteoporosis and bone fractures, breast and gynecological cancers, cardiovascular diseases, and menopausal symptoms such as hot flashes, night sweats, urinary problems, and vaginal thinning.

For the millions of women who fall somewhere in the middle of the spectrum of menopausal symptoms-and those at either end of the continuum-this easy-to-understand guide blends thought-provoking opinion with facts into one clear, concise source.

Lorraine Dennerstein is Director of the Office for Gender and Health, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia.

Julia Shelley is affiliated with the Centre for the Study of Mothers' and Children's Health, LaTrobe University, Melbourne, Australia.