The hysterical media coverage of the new government task force’s guidelines on routine mammograms is a great illustration of three of my pet convictions: corporate media are too often mouthpieces for big business; political correctness is a way of pressuring people not to think for themselves; when it comes to your own body, you have to do the research – that’s why God invented books and the Internet!

Virginia Hopkins has written an excellent article on the subject called. Mammogram Controversy – Follow the Money. I warmly recommend reading it, as it not only shows how the American Cancer Society backtracked on their earlier agreement with the task force’s conclusions, but also recommends a much more effective screening technique called Thermography. It is safe and inexpensive – a cynic might suggest that that’s why it is not widely used, though it’s been around for 30 years.

Hopkins knows whereof she speaks. Along with her late husband, Dr. John Lee, she co-authored a number of important books, including What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Menopause. The Breakthrough Book on Natural Progesterone, and What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Breast Cancer: How Hormone Balance Can Help Save Your Life.

My plea to my sisters is don’t buy into the fear, be discerning and inform yourself.