The most comprehensive text and reference available on women's health, this volume is an essential resource for all clinicians, regardless of specialty, who care for women from adolescence through old age. The book provides a thorough understanding of the gender differences that exist in every area of health care, including doctor-patient communication, health maintenance and disease prevention, risk factors, pharmacokinetics, and the manifestations, natural course, and treatment of diseases of every organ system.Coverage encompasses the full range of medical and psychosocial problems seen in female patients, as well as diagnostic and therapeutic procedures performed in women. The discussions of each organ system and health problem emphasize specific characteristics of each life phase -- adolescence, reproductive age, menopause, and the postmenopausal years. Full consideration is given to health issues unique to women of various racial/ethnic groups, as well as lesbians, homeless women, women with disabilities, and victims of violence and abuse.