Book excerpt: Women and Health is a comprehensive reference that addresses health issues affecting women of all ages — from adolescence through maturity. It goes far beyond other books on this topic, which concentrate only on reproductive health, and has a truly international perspective. It covers key issues ranging from osteoporosis to breast cancer and other cancers, domestic violence, sexually transmitted diseases, occupational hazards, eating disorders, heart disease and other chronic illnesses, substance abuse, and societal and behavioral influences on health. In this second edition of Women and Health, chapters thoughtfully explore the current state of women's health and health care, including the influences of sex and gender on the occurrence of a wide variety of diseases and conditions. All chapters have been extensively updated and emphasize the epidemiology of the condition — the etiology, occurrence, primary and secondary prevention (screening), risk factors, surveillance, changing trends over time, and critical analysis of the diagnostic and treatment options and controversies. Treatment sections in each chapter have been expanded to create a stronger dialogue between epidemiologists and women's health practitioners. - Saves researchers and clinicians time in quickly accessing the very latest details on a broad range of women's health issues, as opposed to searching through thousands of journal articles - Provides a common language for epidemiologists, public health practitioners, and women's health specialists to discuss the behavioral, cultural, and biological determinants of women's health - Researchers and medical specialists will learn how the gender-specific risks and features of one organ system's diseases affect the health of other organ systems - For example: Hormone replacement therapy used to treat imbalance within the endocrine system is also being used to prevent and treat cardiovascular disease; Drugs developed for type 2 diabetes are now being used in chemoprevention - Orients the non-gerontologist about the importance of considering the entire life cycle of women within research designs and treatment plans - Professors teaching courses in women's health will use slides and additional materials to structure lectures/courses; students will use slides as a unique resource to study for exams