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The best way to describe the philosophy of ALLWISE is to share a conversation I had with one woman; a woman who easily represents many women I have encountered over the past 25 years. In describing her experiences with the health care system, this woman tells her story:"I have been struggling with painful periods most of my life. I've always known there was something wrong but no one would listen to me. They told me my pelvic exams and pap smears were normal. I felt helpless but there was nothing I could do; they made me feel stupid and neurotic. When I couldn't get pregnant, well, then there was some objective evidence that something was wrong. They did a laparoscopy and told me that I had endometriosis with lots of scar tissue. Getting pregnant was going to be difficult. If only someone had listened to me years ago, maybe I would feel different, but now I'm angry because no one ever believed me." The philosophy behind ALLWISE is simple:Women have knowledge about their bodies and this knowledge should be respected and validated. This knowledge should also be shared and used to teach health professionals what they will never learn in textbooks or laboratories:the human experience of health, illness and healing.