[Women and medicine].

In the two preceding decades (1970-1990), many female authors and patients as well as some health care professionals and social scientists have asserted that male physicians have denied women their right to self-determination in their medical treatment. In particular, the writings described here raise ethical concerns about patient autonomy, informed consent for specific procedures, and medical paternalism. The works reviewed argue that physicians apparently have assumed that women share without question the values of male-dominated society in respect to medical treatment for women. Advances in medical technology have encouraged physicians to treat organs and diseases independently without regard for the whole person. This article reviews books that consider ethical questions in the areas of childbirth, contraception, and reproductive technologies.