Sex Hormone Replacement Therapy addresses important issues in contemporary endocrinology. Its major emphasis is on the consequences of the menopause and on androgen deficiency in the absence of overt disease of the hypothalamus and/or pituitary in men. The use of hormone therapy for the primary prevention of cardiovascular disease in post-menopausal women has become an area of major debate, and the pros and cons are examined in detail. Secondary prevention also remains controversial and is addressed in this volume. An issue of particular concern is the treatment of estrogen deficiency symptoms in women with the diagnosis of breast cancer. Whether older men with some androgen deficiency symptoms and equivocally low plasma testosterone concentrations should be treated with androgens is also a matter of great debate, as is the efficacy and safety of plant estrogens in the treatment of menopause-related complaints. Sex Hormone Replacement Therapy will be of interest to students and non-specialists, as well as a wide range of medical practitioners including endocrinologists, gynecologists, rheumatologists and cardiologists.

This comprehensive reference and text synthesizes a vast body of clinically useful knowledge about women's mental health and health care. Coverage includes women's psychobiology across the life span--sex differences in neurobiology and psychopharmacology and psychiatric aspects of the reproductive cycle--as well as gender-related issues in assessment and treatment of frequently encountered psychiatric disorders. Current findings are presented on sex differences in epidemiology, risk factors, presenting symptoms, treatment options and outcomes, and more. Also addressed are mental health consultation to other medical specialties, developmental and sociocultural considerations in service delivery, and research methodology and health policy concerns.