Misinformed Consent: Women's Stories About Unnecessary Hysterectomy (Paperback)

~ Lise Cloutier-Steele (Author), Mary Anne Wyatt (Author), Stanley West MD (Foreword)

Editorial Reviews

Review

"The brave, beleagured women who tell their stories. . . provide us with vivid proof that most women and most physicians remain woefully ignorant about the alternatives to and the consequences of unnecessary hysterectomy. In order to ensure that we and our physicians become better informed, this poignant book begins with a strong demand for change and ends with a comprehensive list of resources that help women better protect themselves.

Product Description

The personal accounts in this collection were written by women who have undergone hysterectomies, and they offer a sobering perspective on the surgery. The potential risks and irreversible consequences of the surgery are presented to dispel popular beliefs that hysterectomies pose no medical or emotional risks. The stories and resources encourage individual women and the medical community at large to consider alternative and more effective treatment options.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: Next Decade, Inc.; Rev Sub edition (February 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0970090862
• ISBN-13: 978-0970090867
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (28 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #188,535 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Women Empowered by Knowledge, July 6, 2003

By	Lisa Ann Martinez (United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

The hope that change is possible not only motivates Lise Cloutier-Steele and the women telling their stories in Misinformed Consent, but also is illustrated by the example given by Stanley West, MD, in his introduction to this book. Talking about his observation of how the disfiguring radical mastectomy has been replaced by the lumpectomy as the "gold standard" in the medical field, Dr. West states that it was not medical professionals who instigated this change: "Rather women-empowered by knowledge-stated simply that they would no longer allow a disfiguring operation to be performed when they could undergo an equally successful surgery without the negative consequences."

While for so long a blanket of silence has covered the risks and consequences of hysterectomy, it is time for change. This is not light or entertaining reading, but a courageous sharing of private pain by women who want knowledge to effect change. Each and every woman, whether or not she is personally contemplating a hysterectomy or has already experienced one herself, would benefit from reading Misinformed Consent. -Bets Davis & Lisa Martinez for "The Women's Sexual Health Foundation...this book is listed as one of our recommended resources.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Homecoming, September 15, 2003

By	Anna Black (Regina, SK CANADA) - See all my reviews

I cried when I read Misinformed Consent because story after story validated my own experience with symptoms and doctors.
These courageous women discover it's not mental weakness they're suffering from, it's physical endocrine problems caused by uneccessary hysterectomies. Any woman considering a hysterectomy should read Misinformed Consent. Any woman who wishes to live instead of survive should read this book. Thank you Lise and friends, for Misinformed Consent. In it, I learned, for the first time, about saliva-testing for hormone levels, compounding pharmacists, and bio-identical products for hormone replacement therapy.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Give this a careful reading, April 11, 2003

By	Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

Now in a newly revised edition, Misinformed Consent: Women's Stories About Unnecessary Hysterectomy by Lise Cloutier-Steele is a powerful and articulately written presentation of the pitfalls, traumas, and harm that come to women from having their uterus surgically removed - a procedure that happens to approximately one-third of all North American women by the age of sixty. Sometimes hysterectomy may be necessary, but it is a drastic medical procedure that may result in physical, sexual, and psychological damage. Misinformed Consent informatively examines alternatives to the procedure, as well as offering the stories of women who underwent it in their own words. If you or a loved one are considering a hysterectomy, give a careful reading to Misinformed Consent.