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Created: August 5, 2002
Latest Update: August 5, 2002
jeannecurran@habermas.org
takata@uwp.edu

The Other Hormone: Androgen

Teaching Essay Copyright: Jeanne Curran and Susan R. Takata and Individaul Authors, August 2002.
"Fair use" encouraged.

This teaching module is based on The Other Hormone by Shari Roan. Copyright L.A. Times. Click here for article licensing and reprint options

1. Preparatory readings for module.

   • The Other Hormone: Androgen
   • More on Estrogen Studies in 2002 Risks and Benefits of Estrogen Plus Progestin in Healthy Postmenopausal Women: Principal Results From the Women's Health Initiative Randomized Controlled Trial [Author Information] Writing Group for the Women's Health Initiative Investigators. Journal of the American Medical Association. June 10, 2002

2. Notes on and analysis of readings.

   • See preparatory readings.

3. Discussion questions.

   1. What are the primary concerns in the use of hormones to treat health problems related to menopause?

      Consider that many side effects may take many years to show up.

   2. What side effects have been recently reported in estrogen studies?

      Consider the effects on heart disease and on bone loss.

   3. Would Maria Pia Lara see our workshop on menopause as having the potential to transform normative expectations and the structural context? Explain.

      Consider the transformational possibilities of stories in the public sphere. Is our workshop in the public sphere?

   4. Prempro was a combination drug? What does that mean? And why does it matter?

      Consider the conditions under which the recently released research was conducted. What drugs were the subjects taking, and how does that relate to hormonal drugs in general. A methodological questiion that questions our ability to generalize our results.

4. Experiential activities related to module.

   1. Ask a number of women you know and who lead you to others they know (snowballing technique of sampling) the self-test questions on this module? How well do they do on those questions? What might be most effective in disseminating information on menopause? Ask the women you interview for their ideas, and ask if they would like to know more.

5. Self-test questions related to module.

   True or False? And explain briefly why it's true or false. (25 words or less)

   1. Androgen is the name of a whole group of male hormones, including testosterone.
   2. Women's bodies produce testosterone.
   3. Medical doctors are giving testosterone to women to prevent bone loss.
   4. The role and use of testosterone in women's bodies has been thoroughly researched.
   5. It is probably safer to take supplements than to take prescription drugs.
   6. Testosterone could be useful in fighting bone loss.
   7. Testosterone can also be useful in fighting sexual dysfunction in women.
   8. There are alternative ways to introduce the hormones into the system, like patches, that bypass the liver, and may be safer.
   9. Talking about menopause openly and publicly is an important factor in gaining power over women's needs in this area.
   10. Taking medicines in combination with one another is sometimes healthier than taking them alone.

6. Conceptual linking we had in mind as we prepared the module.

   • Dominant discourse and what people are saying about the drug companies.
   • Dominant discourse and what people are saying about hormones.
   • The effects of power, in this case profits, on medical research.
   • The effects of power on pure research.
   • The possibilities of transforming this structural context. Maria Pia Lara and bell hooks and Freire.

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