The Christian Woman's Complete Guide to Health: Everything You Need to Know About You! Adolescence to Menopause and Everything in Between

by Scott Farhart, Elizabeth King

When it comes to caring for their bodies, women want to know that the advice they get is medically sound AND in line with their values and their faith. This groundbreaking new reference offers guidance readers can trust as two Christian obstetrician/gynecologists explore the medical, psychological, emotional, and spiritual aspects of women's health. Writing the essential reference guide for Christian women of every age, Farhart and King make use of the most current research to explain everything women need to know about their bodies from puberty to menopause and beyond, including alternative therapies, diagnostic suggestions, and the latest recommendations for physical exams. Unlike some medical reference books, the tone here is reassuring, not scary, and targets the underserved Christian segment of the female population.

320 pages, Paperback

First published September 10, 2008

Reviews

[Christine]

Reading this book is so triggering for me. It boasts that it is comprehensive health information told in a reassuring tone, but I didn't feel reassured or find the information comprehensive enough to meet my needs as a cisgender Christian female. The book went into great detail about certain areas and barely touched on others. For example, there was a whole chapter on m/f wedding night sex and two paragraphs which undermine the existence of sexual minorities. I have copied the offending paragraphs below.

It is not uncommon for teens and college students to have periods of confusion regarding feelings of sexual attraction toward the same sex ... Acknowledging these feelings and realizing their temporary nature can diffuse the fears some teens have that they are homosexual. Once the root of these urges is known [i.e., hormonal surges hitting the brain], most young people will find they are replaced with appropriate sexual attraction to the opposite sex.

There are some young people who find sexual attractions to the same sex only intensifying with time. These are often those who have been sexually abused when they were young and have experienced sexual trauma that causes sexual confusion. The earlier these feelings are dealt with, the more likely that a person can recover from their trauma and move to heterosexual sexual expression.

As a librarian, I would have liked to see a larger bibliography section for the book. The chapter on STDs had 40 sources cited, while the chapter on puberty only had three notes in the bibliography. In the chapter on puberty, the authors claimed that blind girls experience delayed puberty because "visual exposure to sunlight is necessary for sexual development". Upon researching this statement, I found mixed information, but more commonly found that blind girls typically got their periods before sighted girls. I am not disputing that the authors found that blind girls experience delayed puberty, but I would like to see where they got their information so I can conduct my own research.

[Women In · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very guiding reference, for me as woman, mother and friend of other women. Quite helpful!