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like mimics. They are everywhere: in the air, water, soil, and swings, depressions, hot flushes, vaginal dryness, loss of sex-drive overabundantly in our bodies. Called xeno-oestrogens, these are _ and accelerating osteoporosis. substances which have a powerful oestrogenic effect on the body, But is there really such a thing as oestrogen deficiency? While are fat-soluble and non-biodegradable. They are also dangerously _ it is true that menopause is associated with decreasing oestrogen toxic. levels, it is not known whether these decreased levels of oestrogen We presently live in a world awash with petrochemicals. do in fact cause all the symptoms of menopause. Petrochemicals are everywhere. Our machines run on petrochemi- Dr Carolyn DeMarco, author of Take Charge of Your Body and cals, and millions of products including plastics, microchips, med- _ a physician specialising in women's health issues, says there is no icines, clothing, foods, soaps, pesticides and even perfumes are direct proof that ocstrogen-lack causes heart disease or other ail- either made from petrochemicals or contain them. The popular ments associated with the menopause. slogan in the early 1950s, "Better Living Through Chemistry", is Germaine Greer, well-known feminist and author of The returning to haunt us. Change, writes that "the proponents of HRT have never proved The legacy of this pollution has resulted in an epidemic of that there is an oestrogen deficiency, nor have they explained the reproductive abnormalities, including the steadily increasing num- mechanism by which the therapy of choice effected its miracles. ber of cancers of the reproductive tract, infertility, low sperm- They have taken the improper course of defining a disease from its counts, poor sperm-quality and the feminisation of males. The therapy." potential consequences of this overexposure are staggering, espe- Dr Jerilyn Prior, researcher and Professor of Endocrinology at cially considering that one of the conse- the University of British Columbia in quences is the passing on of reproductive Vancouver, BC, Canada, points out that no abnormalities to offspring.” . *: study proving the relationship between Just how serious is this problem? In a May There is.a very delicate oestrogen deficiency and menopausal symp- 1993 article in the British medical journal, balance between the toms and related diseases has yet been done. The Lancet, researchers in Scotland and |, = : "Instead," says Dr Prior, "a notion has been Denmark hypothesised that xeno-oestrogens | Inter play of oestrogen and put forward that since oestrogen levels go are responsible for a steadily declining 4 : down, this is the most important change and sperm-count in men. According to Neils progesterone. explains all the things that may or may not Skakkebeak of the University of Copenhagen, . be related to menopause. So oestrogen sperm counts have dropped by more than 50 if that balance 8 treatment at this stage of our understanding per cent since 1940. Meanwhile, the rate of interfered with, is premature. This is a kind of backwards testicular and prostate cancer in the United eS ; science. It leads to ridiculous ideas—like States and Europe has tripled in the past devastating effects occur. calling a headache an aspirin-deficien- 50 years. Reproductive abnormalities cy disease." such as undescended testicles have Considering that Western women Unfortunately, introduced — increasingly rage ; 4 synthetic hormones as tend to have a alg apr coe eno-oestrogens are also implicate: : eee en] prior to menopause when they are in impaired brain development in chil- well as environmental oestrogen-dominant and suffering re 5 oo directly implicated pollutants are presently = a Pei in the ° per cent increase in : ‘ 1. wel why are their doctors prescribing them breast, ovarian and uterine cancers in wreaking havoc with our still more oestrogen? women over the past 50 years.’ hormones. Dr Prior has shown that, during In some rural communities in a menopause, progesterone decreases to Australia, where heavy pesticide use has 1/120th of baseline levels, whereas left residuals in drinking water, there oestrogen decreases to one-half to one- have been reports of boys with abnor- third of pre-menopausal baseline lev- mally small penises, along with reports els. Would it not be wiser to consider of the feminisation of males and the masculinisation of females. the progesterone-loss effect when evaluating post-menopausal It is time for us to wake up and pay heed to these wamings for symptoms and such related conditions as osteoporosis, heart dis- the sake of future gencrations. You can play your part in protect- ease, depression and loss of sex-drive? ing your grandchildren and great-grandchildren in the same ways In most menopausal women, oestrogen levels are below those you can protect yourself: by refusing to use pesticides, minimis- necessary for pregnancy but sufficient for other normal body func- ing your use of plastics, purchasing hormone-free meat and organ- _ tions. The oestrogen "deficiency" hypothesis as an explanation of ic produce, using 'green' products for detergents and household most menopausal symptoms or health problems is thus not sup- cleaners, and, in general, using ‘natural’ products in favour of ported by the facts of oestrogen blood levels, by worldwide eco- petrochemical products. logical studies or by endocrinology experts. . Dr Lee believes that "Menopause per se should be regarded as a The Myth of Oestrogen Deficiency normal adjustment reflecting a benign change in a woman's bio- The trend these days is to push hormone replacement therapy _ logical life away from child-bearing and onward to a period of (HRT), featuring synthetic oestrogens and progestins, onto all new personal power and fulfilment. The Western perception of menopausal women. Unfortunately, however, this enthusiasm for | menopause as a threshold of undesirable symptoms and regressive drugs is not backed up by the facts. Oestrogen deficiency is loud- _illness due to oestrogen deficiency is an error not supported by ly proclaimed by medical practitioners, pharmaceutical advertising fact. More accurately, we should view our menopause problem as and many lay publications as the primary cause of all the symp- an abnormality brought about by industrialised cultures’ deviation toms attributed to menopause and post-menopause, such as mood __ from a healthy lifestyle." The Myth of Oestrogen Deficiency The trend these days is to push hormone replacement therapy (HRT), featuring synthetic oestrogens and progestins, onto all menopausal women. Unfortunately, however, this enthusiasm for drugs is not backed up by the facts. Oestrogen deficiency is loud- ly proclaimed by medical practitioners, pharmaceutical advertising and many lay publications as the primary cause of all the symp- toms attributed to menopause and post-menopause, such as mood NEXUS ¢ 23 AUGUST-SEPTEMBER 1996