Women's Health Alert: What Most Doctors Won't Tell You about

In this well-researched report, Wolfe ( Worst Pills, Best Pills ) and Jones, a journalist specializing in medical topics, decry the commercialization of female health care and expose the dangers of surgical procedures, drugs and other products that are heavily promoted by pharmaceutical companies and recommended by physicians. The dangers of unnecessary hysterectomies, hormone therapy and breast implants are exemplified by the cases of women like Karen, whose implants resulted in debilitating chest pain and silicone poisoning. The facts and figures presented are shocking. For instance, ``one in three women in this country will lose their uteruses by the time they reach age 60.'' p. 46 This volume also supplies information about non-chemical treatments for ailments such as insomnia and anxiety, low-dose alternatives to standard birth control and other pills, and guidelines for when medical procedures such as hysterectomy are necessary. This book will help many women avoid physical pain and emotional distress by enabling them to make better-informed health-care decisions. (Feb.)