Healthy Women Today Newsletter

Do you remember when you were a teenager and it seemed as if you could just stay asleep until noon no matter when you went to bed? Today, it's a wonder that I get six hours straight, let alone the recommended seven to eight hours each night! I often wonder what price I'm paying for burning the midnight oil so often.

Well, there is a big price. Lack of sleep can contribute to difficulty thinking clearly, problems staying focused, or feelings of depression or irritability. Plus, it's just not really fun being tired all day! Even though many of us inflict this tiredness on ourselves, sometimes there are other culprits behind feeling tired.

Fatigue is a common symptom of hypothyroidism (also called underactive thyroid) while insomnia is common in people suffering from hyperthyroidism (also called overactive thyroid). In recognition of Thyroid Awareness Month, we want to raise awareness of different types of thyroid conditions and the symptoms and treatments that go along with them. Read about these issues in our Featured Health Topic dedicated to thyroid health.

This month we also talk about another important women's health topic, cervical health. Our Featured Health Article and our Request of the Month both focus on this important subject. We hope these pieces will inspire you to be proactive in your health.

Welcome to 2008!! We hope you all ring in the New Year by setting health goals for yourself and your family and by getting some good sleep!

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

Featured Health Article for January

Cervical cancer affects more than 11,000 women each year in the United States. The good news is that a combination of a new vaccine and regular Pap tests and HPV tests when recommended make cervical cancer one of the most preventable types of cancer. This article from the Gynecologic Cancer Foundation explains three ways you can take action to make sure you’re protecting your cervical health.

Share this important article with other women in your life, too!

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 if there was another way to check her cervix for cancer without having to do the traditional Pap test. She found Pap tests very painful and wanted to know if there were other alternatives.

We first encouraged her to discuss her health concerns with her doctor. He or she can recommend other methods for monitoring your cervical health. We then listed several on-line resources which offer information on Pap tests and HPV testing:

• Human Papillomavirus Infection – American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) Publication #AP073 (Copyright © ACOG)
• Get The Facts: Pap Tests
• Pap Tests and Cervical Health: A Healthy Habit for You
• FDA Approves Expanded Use of HPV Test

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

• Cancer Information Service, NCI, NIH, HHS
  P.O. Box 24128
  Baltimore, MD 21227
  (800) 332-8615 TTY
  (800) 44U-QUIT Smoking Quitline
  (800) 422-6237 4CANCER
  (301) 330-7968 Fax
• American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) Resource Center
  409 12th St., S.W., PO Box 96920
  Washington, DC 20090-6920
  (202) 638-5577
  (202) 863-2518 Resource Center
  (800) 762-2264 Bulk Orders
  (202) 484-1595 Fax
• National Cervical Cancer Coalition (NCCC)
  7247 Hayvenhurst Ave. Suite A-7
  Van Nuys, CA 91406
  (800) 685-5531 Toll Free for Patients
  (818) 909-3849
  (818) 780-8199 Fax

January's Featured Health Topic

A feature designed to help you find important health information on womenshealth.gov and girlshealth.gov

Thyroid Disease

Thyroid Awareness Month is recognized throughout January. The thyroid is a small gland in the neck that makes and stores hormones that help regulate heart rate, blood pressure, body temperature, and the rate at which food is converted into energy. Making sure your thyroid gland is healthy and functioning properly is extremely important to your overall well-being.

Here are a few resources to help you learn more about conditions of the thyroid and how they can affect your overall health:

• Thyroid Disease
• Graves Disease
• Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis

January Recipes

Potatoes are a very versatile vegetable. They can be served in soup, as a side dish, or as a main dish. They can be baked, steamed, sautéed, broiled, mashed, and more. Today the potato is one of the most important foods of western civilization. We are still the largest consumers of potatoes, eating approximately 260 pounds per person per year.

Try these healthy recipes from the National Potato Council and add a healthy spin to your wintery dishes this month!

New! Relationships Section Updated

No matter how old your girls are, they are bound to have several different types of relationships with siblings, boyfriends, teachers, and with you. It is important to help them see what makes a relationship healthy. Our recently updated Relationships page addresses different kinds of relationships and how girls can learn to create healthy connections. Learn more on www.girlshealth.gov/relationships

Growing Great Girls
Introducing Growing Great Girls, a newsletter for parents of "tween" and teenage girls! Each month we will pack it full of information that will help you teach the girls in your life the importance of a healthy, balanced lifestyle. Register today!

News from womenshealth.gov and OWH

We need your lung disease or oral health story!
Do you suffer from asthma or emphysema? Do you have an inspiring story about your experience with gum disease? If so, let us know! Your story may be featured in a book about women's health. We'd like to hear about difficult struggles as well as positive stories about how you have dealt with your diagnosis or situation. Share your story with us.

Daily Updates from Womenshealth.gov
Want daily updates from womenshealth.gov? Visit www.twitter.com/womenshealth to get daily women's health news. We give 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!

Spanish-language Materials Available in Bulk
Promote healthy living to the Hispanic population in your area by providing them with our Spanish-language materials. We have magnets and posters that promote our toll-free information and referral service and our web information. We also have slide rulers that list all of the important screenings women should have as they get older. Order today by calling us at 800-994-9662

Other News on Women's Health

Link Between Non-Injection Drugs and HIV
The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), marks World AIDS Day on December 1st with the launch of its new, national public service campaign to educate Hispanic teens on the link between non-injection drug use and HIV transmission. The campaign features an innovative television spot blending English and Spanish; a Webisode series that will launch soon on www.hiv.drugabuse.gov; outdoor, transit, and print placements; and community events and partnerships.

The new Hispanic spots, "After the Party," build on an earlier English series, but continue the storyline from the point of view of a teen who used drugs and alcohol, engaged in risky behavior, and now has HIV.

"Drug use and alcohol consumption disrupt the parts of the brain that people use to weigh risks and benefits before making decisions," said NIDA Director Dr. Nora Volkow. "Research has shown that substance use increases the chances of engaging in risky sexual behavior—such as unprotected sex—that can lead to HIV. This campaign urges teens to learn more about the risks of risky behavior and drives them to our web site."

Hispanic youth are potentially at risk for contracting HIV/AIDS. They currently represent 16 percent of the United States teenage population, but over the next decade this diverse and multicultural group is expected to grow by 25 percent. According to 2005 CDC data, Hispanics/Latinos accounted for 18 percent of the 37,367 new HIV/AIDS diagnoses in the 33 states with long-term, confidential name-based HIV reporting.

Materials for NIDA's Hispanic campaign include bilingual and Spanish television public service ads (PSAs) in 15-, 30- and 60-seconds; web pages in Spanish on the www.hiv.drugabuse.gov site; English and Spanish print PSAs, promotional cards, posters, and web banners. This holiday season, the PSA is running on the CBS Super Screen in New York City's Times Square and inside New York City buses that travel through areas with large Hispanic populations.