Healthy Women Today Newsletter

There is something about October that energizes me.  I think the crisper days remind me of growing up in the Northeast, where fall really starts even before Labor Day.  This month also makes me think a lot about my health.  There are literally dozens of National Health Observances in October – one for almost every day of the month!  October finds us raising awareness of breast cancer and celiac disease. It’s also Lupus Awareness Month and Stop America’s Violence Everywhere Today on October 10th.   It is a time to enjoy the changing seasons, as well as focus on improving our health.

This month’s Featured Health Topic is lupus in recognition of Lupus Awareness Month.  Normally, your immune system fights infections caused by germs. When you have lupus, instead of protecting your body, your immune system mistakenly attacks your body's healthy cells.  Read about the different types of lupus, the symptoms, and treatment options.

This month’s newsletter also covers a variety of other special issues. We highlight an e-mail from a woman who wanted to know if genetic testing for breast cancer was available in her area.  Find out about the resources we gave her and share them with others.  You can also learn about the importance of taking folic acid even before you get pregnant in our Featured Health Article by Alex Dixon.

While you’re watching the leaves turn beautiful shades of gold, orange, and brown, take some time to think about a healthy way to dive into the fall season.

Valerie Scardino, M.P.A.
Communications Director, Office on Women's Health, HHS

Featured Health Article for October

In the United States, there are 65 million women of childbearing age, and each one is potentially at risk of having a pregnancy affected by spina bifida.  Folic acid—a B vitamin known for its ability to help grow healthy cells—has been shown to reduce the risk of neural tube defects by up to 70 percent. Born with spina bifida, Alex Dixon expresses the importance of folic acid and encouraging independence in children with disabilities in her article, 400 Micrograms of Prevention: Folic Acid for All Women.

How Can We Help You?

We get hundreds of e-mails from you every month. From thank you letters to serious health questions, we strive to reply with the most accurate and up-to-date health information.

Request of the month:

We received an e-mail from a woman who wanted to know which hospitals in the Boston area provide BRCA Genetic testing and counseling. 

We first recommended she visit the National Society of Genetic Counselors’ web site.  They offer a search tool for finding a certified genetic counselor by location and specialty.

National Society of Genetic Counselors
401 N. Michigan Ave.
Chicago IL 60611
(312) 321-6834
http://www.nsgc.org

Additionally, we suggested she contact the Sister Study – a national study concerned with how environment and genes affect the chances of getting breast cancer.  We encouraged her to check out their web site to see if she qualified to participate.

Sister Study, NIEHS, NIH, HHS
1009 Slater Road Suite 120
Durham NC 27703
(877) 474-7837
http://www.sisterstudy.org

We suggested the following publication:

• Genetic Consultation
  http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/info=consultation/show/alltopics

We suggested she also contact the following organizations for more information:

• National Cancer Institute, NIH, HHS
  31 Center Drive, MSC 2580 Building 31, Room 10A31
  Bethesda MD 20892-2580
  (800) 422-6237
  http://www.nci.nih.gov

• National Human Genome Research Institute, NIH, HHS
  Building 31, Room 4B09, 31 Center Drive, MSC 2152, 9000 Rockville Pike
  Bethesda MD 20892-2152
  (301) 402-0911
  http://www.genome.gov

• Facing Our Risk of Cancer Empowerment
  16057 Tampa Palms Blvd. W PMB 373
  Tampa FL 33647
  (866) 824-RISK
  http://www.facingourrisk.org

October's Featured Health Topic

A feature designed to help you find important health information from womenshealth.gov

Lupus

Lupus is an autoimmune disease that can take a toll on your heart, kidneys, joints, skin, heart, blood vessels and brain. There are several different forms of lupus, including systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), discoid (diss-koid) lupus erythematosus (DLE), drug-induced lupus, and neonatal lupus.

October is Lupus Awareness Month. Womenshealth.gov wants to provide you with answers to your questions about this condition:

• Frequently Asked Questions About Lupus
  http://www.womenshealth.gov/faq/lupus.htm

• Illness and Disabilities: Lupus
  http://www.womenshealth.gov/wwd/conditions/lupus.cfm?style=large

October Recipes

Persimmons seem like a fruit of “fairy tales” from days long ago when people lived in castles.  If you have never tried this harvest fruit, this month is perfect!  Try this month’s persimmon and apple salad for lunch this week.  Give yourself an added anti-oxidant punch of vitamins A and C.

Learn About the CDC Fruit of the Month: http://www.fruitsandveggiesmatter.gov/month/persimmons.html

Let’s Talk!
Talking about relationships with your daughter might not be something you’re looking forward to.  During Let’s Talk Month, learn how to start the conversation using tools from our Parent’s section.  We have links to resources that can help you figure out the right words to say.

Growing Great Girls
Have you signed up for our Growing Great Girls newsletter for parents of “tween” and teenage girls?  Each month we pack it full of information that will help you teach the girls in your life the importance of a healthy, balanced lifestyle.

Go to our Parent’s section on girlshealth.gov and click on the yellow subscription box on the right side to register today!

News from womenshealth.gov and OWH

We still need your stories!
Have you had an experience with a health condition or issue that you would like to share with others? If so, let us know! Your story may be featured in a book about women's health. We are interested in learning about how women have dealt with a variety of issues.  We'd like to hear about difficult struggles as well as positive stories about how you have dealt with your diagnosis or situation.

The list of topics we’re still looking for is below. Share your story with us. If you don't have a story, but know someone who does, please pass this on to her.

• Type 2 diabetes
• Oral health
• Reproductive health, such as PCOS or fibroids
• Respiratory health, such as asthma
• Skin and hair health, such as alopecia (hair loss) or adult acne
• Pregnancy

Don’t Let Depression Go Too Far
National Depression Screening Day (NDSD) is presenting Stop a Suicide Today, an initiative that aims to empower members of the public to recognize and respond to the warning signs of suicide in a family member or a friend, and highlight the importance of identifying and treating depression and other mental illnesses before the situation becomes urgent.

Everyone is encouraged to register for this year’s event held nationwide on October 11.  You can sign up for a variety of program options including an in-person depression screening or an online screening.  The program offers materials designed for diverse audiences, including Spanish speakers and older adults.

To register, visit www.MentalHealthScreening.org or call (781) 239-0071. 

October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month
Is breast cancer caused by something women come in contact with at work, at home, in their communities, or in the personal products they use? This is the question the Sister Study is trying to answer.

The Sister Study needs 50,000 women whose sisters have had breast cancer to enroll now to help discover the environmental and genetic causes of breast cancer.

Conducted by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, the Sister Study is committed to enrolling a diverse population of women to ensure the results represent and benefit all women.

For more information, visit www.sisterstudy.org or www.estudiodehermanas.org. Call toll-free 1-877-4SISTER. Deaf/Hard of Hearing call 1-866-TTY-4SIS.

Daily Updates from womenshealth.gov
Want daily updates from womenshealth.gov?  Visit www.twitter.com/womenshealth to get daily women’s health news.  We send you daily messages about different things going on at womenshealth.gov as well as information on a wide variety of women’s health topics.  It’s a great way to stay plugged in!

FREE Women’s Health Calendar
The annual womenshealth.gov calendar is now available for order!  Call 1-800-994-9662 or TDD: 1-888-220-5446 to reserve yours!

NEW Teen Guide Available
Call us to reserve a copy of our new booklet, Health Tips for On-the-go Girls, to give to a special girl in your life!  These are also great for educators to provide to girls in the classroom.  Call us at 800-994-9662 or go online and download your copy on our FREE STUFF page.

Other News on Women's Health

Domestic Violence
Abuse can come in many forms: physical, mental, and emotional. Violence against women in any form is a crime, regardless of who the abuser is. Getting the help you need might seem hard.  Or, you might not know the right things to say to someone you think is a victim of abuse.  We are here to help.

In recognition of Stop America’s Violence Everywhere Today, visit womenshealth.gov's Violence Against Women section, which features information on hotlines, legislation, types of violence, and resources you can use to help yourself or those in need.