August 2008
From the Communications Director
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS),
Office on Women's Health (OWH)
"There is always time to make right what is wrong."
— Susan Griffan, author
Have you ever thought something was wrong but just didn't speak up about it? Whether a small injustice, like being cut in front of while in line, or something bigger, like the mistreatment of a friend, family member, or even ourselves—some of us find it hard to speak up and make things right.
As women we often hold back our opinions and ideas. Teachers see it in classrooms, bosses see it in meetings, and parents see it with their children. Sometimes it's because we think we'll be criticized or punished. Or perhaps we just don't think anyone is listening.
It is important to speak up, especially when it comes to your health. Saying what you're feeling or thinking could impact the care of someone you love—and more importantly, yourself. Don't be afraid to make your opinions known. You never know what good they might bring.
Take our girlshealth.gov Be Heard! Sounding Board Contest. We are giving girls the chance to make their opinions count. Girls from across the country will have the opportunity to be a part of our Sounding Board, a group of girls who share their thoughts about their health and wellness with the Office on Women's Health. They give us valuable insight on programs designed to educate them and their peers. Encourage girls you know to enter today!
Also, our Featured Health Article addresses how to communicate issues that arise during a hospital stay in order to help prevent further complications.
When you share your opinions, you could start a wave of change impacting the way things are done, policies are made, and rules are carried out. Every woman has a wide circle of influence, beginning at home and moving through the wider community. It is therefore vital that we all speak up and speak out!
Valerie Scardino, M.P.A.
Communications Director, Office on Women's Health, HHS
Featured Health Article for August
Dr. Julia Hallisy's daughter, Katherine Eileen, was diagnosed at five months of age with bilateral retinoblastoma. Dealing with her daughter's life-threatening diagnosis, the many recurrences of cancer, and the subsequent treatments for the malignant and aggressive tumors marked the beginning an almost 20-year involvement in our healthcare system. This passage from her book The Empowered Patient gives advice and recommendations for people facing the hospital system and how to be proactive about their care. Read Dr. Hallisy'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 who said that she saw our billboard "Babies were Born to be Breastfed." She got our web site address from that billboard and looked up information we had on breastfeeding.
We told her that the billboard was part of a media campaign launched in June of 2004. Although the media campaign is no longer active, the Office on Women's Health continues to provide up-to-date breastfeeding information and support through womenshealth.gov and the National Breastfeeding Helpline (1-800-994-9662).
The following publications are available on breastfeeding:
August's Featured Health Topic
A feature designed to help you find important health information on womenshealth.gov and girlshealth.gov
Immunizations
Immunizations prevent thousands of deaths each year. Diseases such as whooping cough, hepatitis, meningitis, rotavirus, shingles, and influenza are preventable through immunization, also called vaccination.
August is National Immunization Awareness Month. There are different recommended screenings for different age groups, sexes, and risk factors. Read more about the recommended immunizations and screenings with these resources:
August Recipes
 | Celery and fennel are the vegetables for the month of August. What is the difference between fennel and celery? Fennel is similar in appearance to celery, but its distinct licorice taste gives it away every time. Try this refreshing recipe from the CDC's fruitsandveggiesmatter.gov web site.
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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.
HHS Office on Women's Health & DisabilityInfo.gov
The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services is one of 22 federal agencies that have partnered to create DisabilityInfo.gov, an award winning federal government Web site designed to offer people with disabilities access to the information they need to fully participate in the workforce and in their communities. DisabilityInfo.gov offers a broad range of valuable information, not only for people with disabilities, but also for community and faith-based organizations, health care professionals and others working toward the independence, health and inclusion of people with disabilities.
DisabilityInfo.gov contains extensive, frequently updated information on a host of cross-cutting topics. Easy to navigate, the site is organized into subject areas, including benefits, civil rights, community life, education, employment, health, housing, technology and transportation. The Health section of the site includes a wide range of resources for women and girls with disabilities, as well as other visitors including students, older citizens and parents of children with disabilities. DisabilityInfo.gov also offers information on specific health conditions and disabilities and the help and support that is available in every state.
DisabilityInfo.gov also offers a free subscription service where you can sign up to receive Disability Connection, a quarterly newsletter, as well as other e-mail alerts covering information tailored to your individual interests.
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girlshealth.gov Corner
Be Heard! Sounding Board Contest
Do you know a girl who is outgoing, passionate, and active in school or her community? What about a girl who loves to talk to others and give her opinion? If so, encourage her to enter our Be Heard! Sounding Board Contest.
Girlshealth.gov is giving girls a chance to be a member of our Sounding Board—a group of girls who share their opinions about everything from what's going on in their lives to what's new on our web site. We're expanding our Sounding Board to 100 girls and are inviting girls from across the country to be a part of this exciting event.
Girls will be a part of girls-only blogs, chats, and e-mails where their opinions matter and their voices will be heard. Also, they will have the opportunity to earn prizes like backpacks, t-shirts, and baseball hats for participating in these activities!
Hurry and enter today! The contest ends September 1, 2008!
We Launched Our New Design!
It's finally here! You're going to be blown away by our new design and layout, which includes updated colors, navigation, and search capabilities. Be sure to show all the teens in your life the new girlshealth.gov!
Growing Great Girls
Have you signed up for Growing Great Girls, our newsletter for parents of girls? Go to our Parent's section on girlshealth.gov and click on the purple subscription box on the top right side to register today!
News from womenshealth.gov and the Office on Women's Health (OWH)
New Book - The Healthy Woman - Coming Soon!
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!
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
Organ and Tissue Donation
As of July 7, 2008 there are 99,198 patients on the waiting list to receive an organ. Approximately 50 percent of those people are minorities:
- African Americans - 23,824
- Hispanics/Latinos - 13,441
- Asians/Pacific Islanders - 5,446
- Other - 683
Each day, about 77 people receive organ transplants; however, 19 people die each day waiting for transplants that can't take place because of the shortage of donated organs.
But there is hope. According to the National Minority Organ Tissue Transplant Education Program, one organ donor can save the lives of seven people! Tissue donation can better the quality of life of 20 persons, such as giving sight to someone who is blind.
Find out what you can do to become an organ or tissue donor today. Get the facts!
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