Silence threatens women’s health

If Mary Brooks has her way, women will be free to discuss their bodily functions -though perhaps not around the dinner table. In Tinkle Power: A Woman’s Guide to Healing Cystitis and Incontinence, Brooks contends that Canadian women are experiencing a “silent epidemic” of urinary tract infections and incontinence. She blames our “Victorian attitudes towards bodily functions” — by not talking about it, we’re exacerbating the situation. Women, she contends, must openly speak about this previously-taboo subject — especially to their doctors.

Tinkle Power delves into the physical, mental and emotional aspects of the condition and advises women to recognize, prevent or treat infection. Brooks was inspired to write her book after receiving inadequate medical advice for her own condition. Rather than following her physician’s drastic solution (bladder removal) she researched the subject thoroughly and eventually overcame her chronic problems. Tinkle Power — the culmination of her exploration — is about “giving women a range of options in a clear, immediately-useful way” and to assist them in making “healthier decisions.”