CDC Approaches to Prevent Disease and Promote Health

CDC works with states, cities, communities, businesses, and others to accomplish its mission. Below are selected programs that highlight some of CDC’s approaches to prevent disease and promote health in women and girls.

Diethylstilbestrol (DES) Campaign
http://www.cdc.gov/des/
This campaign helps inform individuals about health problems associated with DES exposure in pregnant women between 1938 and 1971, how to learn more, and what can be done about it. In the United States, an estimated five to 10 million people were exposed to DES.

Infertility Prevention Program
http://www.cdc.gov/programs/infect09.pdf
CDC, in collaboration with the Office of Population Affairs, supports a national Infertility Prevention Program that funds chlamydia screening and treatment services for low income, sexually active women attending family planning, STD, and other women’s health care clinics. Routine screening of women can reduce chlamydia prevalence and pelvic inflammatory disease incidence in women. CDC is also conducting infertility prevention research that focuses on performance of diagnostic tests, factors associated with recurrent chlamydia infections, and effectiveness and feasibility of chlamydia screening in males to reduce infection in women.

National Bone Health Campaign
http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/bonehealth/
“Powerful Bones, Powerful Girls” is an on-going campaign to promote bone health in girls 9 to 12 years old so they can reduce their risk of osteoporosis by developing healthy habits now.

National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program
http://www.cdc.gov/cancer/nbccedp/
Established in 1991, the program is currently implemented in all 50 states, 4 U.S. territories, the District of Columbia, and 13 American Indian/Alaska Native organizations. To date, the program has screened 1.9 million women; provided over 4.6 million screening examinations; and diagnosed 17,009 breast cancers, 61,474 precancerous lesions, and 1,157 cervical cancers.

National Diabetes and Women’s Health Public Health Initiative
http://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/projects/women.htm
The plan calls for expanding community-based health education programs, promoting risk assessment, supporting quality care and self-management for diabetes and its complications, and encouraging research into the factors that influence diabetes and women’s health.

Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System
http://www.cdc.gov/reproductivehealth/srv_prams.htm
CDC funds the Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS) in 31 states and New York City. PRAMS enables states to identify and monitor maternal and infant health outcomes before, during, and after pregnancy not available from other sources. PRAMS now covers 62% of births in the United States.

VERB™ - National Campaign to Get Kids Physically Active
http://www.cdc.gov/media/pressrel/r040217.htm
Survey results indicate that physical activity among youth aged 9-13 is increasing as a result of VERB™, a multicultural media campaign. VERB™ had one of the largest effects, a 34 percent increase, in weekly free-time physical activity sessions among 8.6 million children ages 9-10 in the United States. The survey also showed that the VERB™ campaign was especially effective in shrinking the gap in physical activity levels between boys and girls. There was a 27 percent increase in free-time physical activity sessions among U.S. girls in the entire 9-13 age range.

WISEWOMAN
http://www.cdc.gov/wisewoman/about_us.htm
In 1993, Congress authorized CDC to establish the Well-Integrated Screening and Evaluation for Women Across the Nation (WISEWOMAN) program that helps women aged 40-64 years with little or no insurance coverage gain access to screening and lifestyle interventions that can reduce their risk for heart disease, hypertension, diabetes, and other chronic diseases. Currently, 14 WISEWOMAN projects across the nation are helping women become more physically active, eat healthier, avoid or quit smoking, and reduce their high blood pressure or high cholesterol. More than 15,000 women are participating in these projects.

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This page last reviewed March 24, 2005
URL: http://www.cdc.gov/women/owh/works/prevdis.htm

US Department of Health and Human Services
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Office of Women's Health