Today’s NYTimes carries a major feature Menopause, as Brought to You by the Drug Companies.

The title alone tells us that the article is hardly unbiased in its objective. Every woman — and her partner, husband, lover — owe it to their relationship/marriage to have a point of view on this topic.

In spite of the ‘tone’ of the NYTimes piece, the symptoms of menopause are hardly in a woman’s head. My only objective in this conversation is that women are accurately informed about the risks and rewards of taking hormones during and perhaps after menopause.

I personally would not take Prempro and similar ‘altered’ hormones, preferring the bioidentical route, which for me also includes testosterone.

This decision remains the best one that I could make for my overall health objectives. I continue to take hormones and based on current scientific research, have no intention of stopping. My female doctor agrees with this decision.

Being an avid reader of the literature about menopause and female sexuality in general, my own response to this article Menopause, as Brought to You by the Drug Companies includes these thoughts:

Hormone Replacement Therapy Is a Holistic Discussion

The study of whether or not to take HRT is an ongoing research process. Certain medical research headlines (or now legal settlements) capture the headlines, creating a false impression of the issues around HRT usage. By definition these oversimplistic headlines never tell the whole story.

We live in a bullet-point world in America, and this is how we want our news delivered. Black and white, bottom-line the topic: should I or should I not take hormone replacement therapy? Tell me, so I can get on with my life.

I read this week what’s an irresponsible report on hormones and breast cancer from a nationally-known author, who blames HRT on her own breast cancer. She cites the 7 percent national decline in breast cancer after many women abandoned HRT dearlier this decade, with the publication of The Women’s Health Initiative study.

Earlier this week, US News and World Report (and other medical media) published an analysis long-stated by some medical researchers, if not malpractice lawyers looking to make milliions from suffering women, that only 3 percent of the decline can be attributed to stopping HRT. Over half of the decline comes for other reasons. Yet this woman will influence large numbers of readers about HRT, as will today’s NYTimes feature.

There will never be a totally clean slate of health on HRT. The most recent survey of the science around HRT was published in late October 2009.