ABSTRACT
This chapter sets out the general trends in women's health over the course of the twentieth century, and it reviews the explanations which historians have presented for changes in women's health and reproduction. This overview is supplemented by two case studies which examine controversies over women's health. The first concerns the relationship between women's health, their paid work, and the economic and military strength of the country in the early years of the century; and the second discusses the relationship in the 1930s between health and poverty. The changing health care services, in particular those relating to women's reproductive roles, are also explored. Finally, differences between female and male standards of health, and between different groups of women are discussed.
