Women’s Issue 2003

Women’s bodies are complex. Whether confronted with the possibility of an abortion, ready to have a child and thinking about breastfeeding or facing menopause, this responsibility for making critical health choices is a thread that runs through every woman’s life.

In this, our eighth annual women’s issue, we take a look at three critical health issues that have been in the news as of late. In September, a young woman died after taking the abortion pill, RU-486, in a manner not recommended by experts. Also in September, a study found high levels of a toxic flame retardant in American women’s breast milk. Third, the very concept of prescribing hormones to alleviate the symptoms of menopause has been under fire as report following report has raised questions of safety. Women’s bodies are complex. Whether confronted with the possibility of an abortion, ready to have a child and thinking about breastfeeding or facing menopause, this responsibility for making critical health choices is a thread that runs through every woman’s life.

In this, our eighth annual women’s issue, we take a look at three critical health issues that have been in the news as of late. In September, a young woman died after taking the abortion pill, RU-486, in a manner not recommended by experts. Also in September, a study found high levels of a toxic flame retardant in American women’s breast milk. Third, the very concept of prescribing hormones to alleviate the symptoms of menopause has been under fire as report following report has raised questions of safety.

Abortion by pills
A Reno woman’s account of using FDA-approved drugs that induce abortion

Boob jobs
Breasts are more than a just tool of the trade for topless dancers

Hormone havoc
From cow ovaries to horse piss, hormone replacement therapy has run the gamut from primitive to crude