Dr Harrison-Woolrych, an honorary research associate professor in the dean's department of the Dunedin School of Medicine, sought articles from experts around world for the book entitled Medicines For Women.
Aimed mostly at GPs, the book had an international perspective, rather than focusing on issues in any one country, something Dr Harrison-Woolrych said she repeatedly emphasised to authors.
A chapter on chronic pelvic pain was written by Dunedin researchers Wayne Gillett and David Jones. An issue dealt with in the book is the problem of pregnant women potentially becoming ''therapeutic orphans'' because of the fear of over prescribing in pregnancy.
It also contained evidence dispelling the common ''urban myth'' the contraceptive pill caused weight gain, Dr Harrison-Woolrych said. She believed in the ''value of a book''. Its contents had been peer reviewed and the chapters were cross referenced.
It was difficult for non experts, and even those with some expertise, to find reliable information on the Internet. It tended to be promotional material from pharmaceutical companies, or information based on emotion rather than evidence.
One chapter details the success of the HPV vaccine, ''one of the major achievements in women's health'', which would prevent cervical cancer in the next generation.
The plight of women who are ''undervalued'' in some parts of the world, where their rights to make choices for themselves are not recognised, forms another chapter.
The former obstetrician gynaecologist has called Dunedin home for 13 years, after relocating from the United Kingdom. Published by Springer, the book took about 18 months to produce.
