The Menopause Industry

by Sandra Coney

Healthy women in their 40s, 50s, and 60s have become a commodity to be exploited for commercial gain. They are being targeted by pharmaceutical companies, medical manufacturers, and doctors with products and services to sell. They are asked to mistrust their own bodies and to rely instead on medical procedures and drugs. Sadly, as menopause has grown into a money-making enterprise, the truth about what happens naturally during this time has been lost. Many women don't know who to believe or what to do. Should you have hormone replacement therapy? What are the side effects? What percentage of women actually develop osteoporosis or breast cancer? Do you really need cervical screening or a hysterectomy? Coney destroys the myth that menopause is a disease with inevitable symptoms like depression, osteoporosis, and low sex drive. She explains what is really known about midlife health, explores the effect of society's negative views of aging, and examines the benefits and risks of common med