Ardeith writes:
Many of us accept that the medical profession is full of
ignorance conderning our dietary needs.....and I would
add that doctors are equally full of ignorance concerning
our hormonal needs........

On Fri, 23 Mar 2001 12:29:43 -0600 Oliva <[log in to unmask]> writes:

> The use of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) by women during and
> following menopause has recently been found to be linked with an
elevated
> risk of breast and endometrial cancer, as well as failing to protect
> against cardiovascular disease. A large study published in the March 21

> 2001 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association shows
that
> hormone replacement appears to increase the risk of ovarian cancer as
> well. Ovarian cancer is usually detected in its late stages making it
> difficult to treat.

Ardeith writes:
Breast cancer, endometrial cancer, and ovarian cancer.....three good
reasons NOT to let a doctor talk you into HRT.    The drug companies
are also advertising that HRT "may" prevent bone loss and heart
disease.....there are no studies to support this "may".............

Justin sent:
It seems obvious to me that, in general, 99% of postmenopausal women will
benefit from an effective HRT program.  I learned long ago that most
people
are still against HRT - they view it as artificial, unnecessary, and
counterproductive.

Ardeith writes:
Yes, it is artificial, unnecessary and only profits the drug companies.
Menopause is not a disease!!!   It is a naturally occurring drop in
hormone production.  This might be considered "un-natural" if it
only occurred for a scattered few women....but it happens for
all healthy women.   I find it hard to believe that something that
happens to all the healthy female members of a species should
be considered a disease to be treated.

Should we start regarding the onset of menses a disease?
This happens to all healthy women.  Shall we consider the
state of pregnancy a disease?  This can happen to all healthy
women who choose to bear a child.

Perhaps there is a biological reason for menopause, and for
the lessening of sexual impulse in the males of our species
as they age.  The drug companies push the idea that these
events in our lives are diseases or un-natural conditions.....
I wonder how long they would continue to do so if it
could be proven that Viagra causes testes to shrivel
and fall off????    That's about the equal of HRT causing
ovarian cancer....right?

Justin sent:
I find your comment about die-hard HRT pushing practitioners to be
misleading.  Most of the docs prescribing hormones aren't "pushing" these
hormones on anyone.

Ardeith writes:
My experience supports the belief that doctors do in fact "push"
HRT on otherwise healthy women.....and then require those
same women to undergo mammograms so that the breast cancer
associated with HRT can be found and treated in its early
stages.

Justin sent:
 To use this type of language is to imply that patients somehow
don't have a choice to use HRT.

Ardeith writes:
Oh, the patient can say "No".....but many doctors use "scare
tactics" to convince them to change their minds......and we
are so indoctrinated to believe the doctors know best that
many women fall for it..........

Justin sent:
Eventually, all of our bodies reach a point where our
hormone production is no longer optimum.

Ardeith writes:
As far as biology goes....you need the "optimum" hormone
production to guarantee future generations......once you
have passed on your genetic "message".....you don't
truly need any more than "maintenance" levels.....and as
far as I know, no one has done any studies to find out
what those "maintenance" levels are.

Justin sent:
Many accept this as normal aging;

Ardeith writes:
And what is wrong with "normal aging"???
The eggs a woman is born with gradually deteriorate....by the time
she is 30-35 or so, her chances of producing a defective
baby are much higher than they were when she was 20.
Which "may" explain why many Down's Syndrome babies
are born to older women.   A study I read somewhere
said that older men have greater numbers of defective
sperm than younger men....increasing the risk of
defective babies.......maybe we - as a species - are
not "supposed" to be making babies past a certain
age......but we want to pretend that we are young,
healthy, and sexually interesting long past the age
when our biology says it's time to slow down.....

Justin sent:
others desire a higher quality of life and pursue some form of HRT.

Ardeith writes:
I guess it all depends on what you consider a "higher quality of
life"......living with the fear of breast, endometrial or ovarian
cancer does not fit that "quality" for me.    Neither does
trying to pretend I'm still 20, or 30 years old.....or even 40.

[log in to unmask]
Walk The Path With Practical Feet!

________________________________________________________________
GET INTERNET ACCESS FROM JUNO!
Juno offers FREE or PREMIUM Internet access for less!
Join Juno today!  For your FREE software, visit:
http://dl.www.juno.com/get/tagj.