July 2008
From the Communications Director
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS),
Office on Women's Health (OWH)
"To establish true self-esteem we must concentrate on our successes and forget about the failures and the negatives in our lives."
— Denis Waitley, motivational author and speaker
We've all had days when we get down on ourselves for something. Whether it's for letting a good friend down, skipping a workout, or not fitting into those "skinny jeans," we've all been there. When negative self-esteem gets the better of us, it's hard to be positive about anything else.
Our Request of the Month tells how one woman's dental health issues caused her shame and embarrassment. Our Featured Health Article talks about how, as women, we are often caught in a tangled web of emotional dependence, afraid to express who we really are. But in the end, knowing and accepting our true feelings helps us move beyond emotional dependence toward the ability to be ourselves.
On the days you're feeling down on yourself, it's good to have something on hand to help boost your self-esteem. Take out your calendar at the beginning of each week and add one thing that will lift your spirits to your daily schedule, such as "call my mom," "buy a new CD," "tell my son I love him," "bake brownies," "lie in the sun for 20 minutes," or "wear my favorite scent." Then commit to check the calendar every day and do whatever is scheduled!
Valerie Scardino, M.P.A.
Communications Director, Office on Women's Health, HHS
Featured Health Article for July
When a woman is emotionally strong, she is able to be gentle with herself and call upon her own inner core of strength as her main support even in the midst of chaos and failure. When we are emotionally dependent, we look to others for our happiness, our concept of “self,” and our emotional well-being. Read this excerpt from the book The Courage to Change by Sue Patton Thoele to learn some how to identify emotional dependence and improve your emotional strength and the courage to be yourself. Read Sue Patton Thoele's story.
Share this important article with
other women in your life!
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 whose sister had lost her adult teeth, and consequently, she was ashamed of how she looked. The sister was on a fixed income and did not have a dental health care plan. She also could not find a dentist offering free care or reduced fees for lower-income patients.
We told the woman that many dental school clinics offer free or reduced fees for dental care. In addition, we told her that some dental offices will consider her sister's situation and possibly allow her to pay for dental restoration services over a period of time. We instructed her to discuss this option with a few dental offices. We also suggested her sister contact her state's dental society, which also might offer resources or assistance.
The following publications are available on oral health and how to obtain dental care assistance:
The following organizations are available for further questions on dental care access and assistance:
July's Featured Health Topic
A feature designed to help you find important health information on womenshealth.gov and girlshealth.gov
Fibromyalgia
Fibromyalgia is a disorder characterized by widespread muscle pain, fatigue, and multiple tender points—places like the neck, shoulders, back, hips, and upper and lower extremities—where people feel pain in response to slight pressure.
In addition to pain and fatigue, people who have fibromyalgia may experience
- sleep disturbances
- morning stiffness
- headaches
- irritable bowel syndrome
- painful menstrual periods
- numbness or tingling of the extremities
- restless legs syndrome
- temperature sensitivity
- cognitive and memory problems (sometimes referred to as "fibro fog"), or
- a variety of other symptoms.
We encourage you to spend some time learning about fibromyalgia from these resources on womenshealth.gov:
July Recipes
 | As you celebrate Independence Day, try one of these tasty, presidential recipes and be the envy at neighborhood barbeques.
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Featured Organizations and Health Observances
These organizations can provide additional information on the topics featured in this month's newsletter.
To keep track of upcoming health observances, visit National Health Observances and click on the month you wish to view. |
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girlshealth.gov Corner
Healthy Relationships
Learning how to build healthy relationships is an important part of growing up. Read the information we have for parents on relationships to teach your daughter how to create healthy relationships and where to turn when she needs someone to talk to.
Check Out Our New Look!
Get ready to be blown away by our new design and layout, which includes updated colors, navigation, and search capabilities. Be sure to show all the tweens and teens in your life the new girlshealth.gov !
Growing Great Girls
Have you signed up for Growing Great Girls, our newsletter for parents of tween and teenage girls? 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 the Office on Women's Health (OWH)
New Book from the Office on Women’s Health
The Healthy Woman: A Complete Guide for All Ages will be available in bookstores nationwide and online in November 2008. From the Nation’s leaders in women’s health, the Guide covers a broad range of health topics affecting women of all ages.
Content includes:
- Recognizing signs of heart attack and stroke as well as understanding risk factors
- Preventing and managing type 2 diabetes
- Dealing with the diagnosis of an autoimmune disease
- Understanding the impact of chronic pain
- Learning how to care for your mental health
- Preparing your body for pregnancy and delivery
- ...and much more
The Healthy Woman empowers women to take charge of their health by providing easy-to-read explanations, practical tips, charts showing show which tests are needed and when, and resources for more information. In each chapter readers also will find personal health stories from women all across the country. The book also features a resources section, as well as a glossary of terms and an index for easy reference.
In addition to consumers, The Healthy Woman will be an invaluable resource for health care professionals and public health officials who provide or recommend health resource materials to women and those who care about them.
Pre-order your copy today!
The WOMAN Activity Tracker
We've listened to your feedback, and this year we are proud to announce a brand new program to help you stay active all year long: The WOMAN Activity Tracker! The WOMAN Activity Tracker will begin on July 6, 2008 (the day after the WOMAN Challenge ends). The program encourages women and girls to walk 10,000 steps or get 30 minutes of moderate physical activity every day over a 44-week period. Using the WOMAN Activity Tracker web site, you can set personal goals and log your daily activity as you move along one of six virtual routes across the United States. You can take part in the program both as an individual and as part of a team.
And the best part? 2008 WOMAN Challenge participants do not need to re-register for the WOMAN Activity Tracker! You will be able to use your same log-in information for the new program.
Register or sign into the WOMAN Activity Tracker today!
Daily Updates from womenshealth.gov
Want daily updates from womenshealth.gov? Visit womenshealth.gov's Twitter site to get daily women's health news. We send you daily messages about happenings 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!
Other News on Women's Health
Iron Overload
Hemochromatosis (HEE-moh-kroh-muh-TOH-suhss) happens when too much iron builds up in the body over time. The extra iron can damage the organs, mainly the liver, heart, and pancreas. Many problems can cause iron overload. Most people with hemochromatosis inherit it from their parents. It is one of the most common genetic (runs in families) diseases in the United States. Some other diseases also can lead to iron overload. It also can happen from years of taking too much iron or from repeated blood transfusions or dialysis for kidney disease. Iron overload also can happen in patients with some types of anemia. Learn more in Frequently Asked Questions: Anemia.
FDA Newsletter
Check out the FDA's Maturity Health Matters newsletter. The current issue includes the following:
- Healthy Weight—What It Means to You
- Monovision LASIK
- Important Reminder for Users of Blood Glucose Meters
- Buying Risky and Costly Drugs Online
- Improving the Availability of Generic Drugs
- Advice for Patients - Denture Cleansers
- X-Ray Savvy
- Food Safety Efforts
- Recent News from the FDA
- FDA's New Home Page
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