The Christian Woman’s Complete Guide to Health
By Scott Farhart, MD & Elizabeth King, MD Reviewed By Tessa Hall
(Siloam — A Strang Company — ISBN: 978–1599792071)
Dr. Scott Farhart is an obstetrician/gynecologist withmore than 20 years experience in his field, treatingwomen and advising them to make healthy lifestyle choicesfrom a Christian perspective. Co–author, Dr. Elizabeth Kingpractices obstetrics and gynecology at the same San Antoniopractice as Dr. Farhart. In their book, The Christian Woman’sComplete Guide to Health, they cover the unique aspects ofwomen’s health with expertise, thoroughness, and a nonjudgmentalperspective. You don’t have tobe a practicing Christian to benefit from thisbook, even though the book uses the Bibleas a guide to health.
Christian women are faced with challengeswhen it comes to their general health andmore specifically, their sexuality. Shelves inbookstores are filled with books on sexualityand health, but come from a secular orworldly viewpoint. This book sets out tocandidly, and biblically answer those nigglingquestions a woman might not want toask her pastor or spiritual counselor, for fearof being judged. This is not a dry tome thatlays out the dos and don’ts, but instead anin–depth look at issues that face the modernChristian woman. It is written with sensitivityand contains just the right amountof humor to bring a smile, or a chuckle to areader’s face.
Questions such as, ‘Is God interested in my sex life?’, andwhat the Bible says about sex are frankly discussed in detail.Is a Christian woman even meant to enjoy sex, or does the oldVictorian rule of ‘grin and bear it’ still hold true today? Theanswers might surprise some women who have been raisedto believe that sex is the ‘forbidden fruit’. Some might find thisbook to be a liberating read.
This up–to–date book tackles medical myths and looks atmodern medicines, giving a balanced perspective on HormoneReplacement Therapy, birth control methods and theeffectiveness of each, diseases that affect women, sexuallytransmitted diseases — how they are transmitted and howto protect against them, and vaccines, among other topics.Sexual abuse is touched upon, as are eating disorders, butthese subjects are used more as a reference to their impact ona woman’s sexual and overall health, rather than as topics intheir own right.
Interspersed throughout the book are scriptural references,but the authors are never heavy–handed or ‘preachy’. They alsogive practical tips on how to handle various health issues, andprovide website addresses to learn more about specific topics.These external resources are beneficial, asreading the book may trigger questionsthat are not the book’s main focus.
The authors have taken a chronologicalapproach, addressing women’s healthfrom the onset of puberty to concerns facinggeriatric women. Each section dealswith women at different stages in theirlives and covers topics like ‘Sex and theSingle Woman’; ‘The Married Woman’,‘Pregnancy’ (ably written by Dr. King, whorecently gave birth to her son), infertilitycauses and some treatments and midlifehealth concerns.
Medical technology is beyond whatmany women foresaw even two decadesago. Today, a woman age 40 or older canexpect to live another 40 or more years,and if she looks after herself properly, cananticipate good health for the majority of her latter years. Drs.Farhart and King examine the best way to age well, and whatmedical interventions, if any, should be considered.
Best of all, this comprehensive, well–written book is morethan a compilation of knowledge from two professionals. Thepassion they have for women and their overall health pervadesthe pages. If you want frank, honest answers to your healthand sex questions, this is the book to buy. The Christian Woman’sComplete Guide to Health provides an excellent Christianperspective, practical advice and up to date medical recommendations,which will be invaluable. I recommend you buy acopy for yourself, and then for any girl or woman in your life – we can all benefit from its wisdom.
