The Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence Prevention Program at
the Ohio Department of Health partners with Area Health
Education Centers (AHEC) and The Ohio State University
Multicultural Center to sponsor Women’s Health Month throughout
the state. The theme for this year’s Women’s Health Month is “Take
Care, Take Charge, Choose Health.”
Throughout Ohio,
there will be numerous women’s health programs covering a very
broad range of issues. The primary thrust of activities during
this month is to encourage women to network with each other and
to assume a definite and proactive role in promoting their
health.
This September marks two decades of observing Women’s Health
Month, a program unique to Ohio. Ohio’s program has been
publicized as a model by the
National Center for Education in Maternal and Child Health and
used as an example for community education on women’s health in
other states. Through grants from the Ohio Department of
Health that are awarded by AHEC, community organizations and
agencies throughout the state have received up to $1,500 each to
plan and conduct conferences, workshops and health fairs focused
on women’s health issues.
“Oftentimes
organizations match grant funds with money from their budgets,
but this is not a requirement,” says Kathy Trace, R.N.,
interim director of AHEC and director of Community Service
Programs.
“Women too often
put themselves last and the needs of their families first,” says
Trace. “This month is a way to celebrate women and provide them
the opportunity to learn more about their health-care needs and
improve their health and well-being. Women’s Health Month
encourages them to take time for
themselves.”
Priority issues for Women’s Health Month are
prevention/wellness; the impact of low income, poverty and
homelessness on women’s health; the impact of racism on health
and access to health care; violence against women; the health
effects of multiple roles; chronic diseases; the effects of
media messages and advertising images on women’s health;
occupational health issues; reproductive health; health issues
of women with disabilities; women and addiction; eating
disorders; health needs of women with alternative lifestyles;
the health issues of incarcerated and other institutionalized
women; parenting and caregiver health effects;
empowerment/self-esteem; the effects of sexism on health and
access to health care; women’s changing health needs over the
life span; professional ethics; and the effects of environmental
pollution on women’s health.
Several events
(listed at the end of this release) highlight Women’s Health
Month observances in Southeastern Ohio. The kickoff event for
Women’s Health Month, “Take Care, Take Charge, Choose Health —
20 Years of Women’s Health Month in Ohio,” will be held this
Friday, Sept. 9, in Columbus at The Richard M. Ross Heart
Hospital, The Ohio State University, from 8:30 a.m. to noon. For
more information on the kickoff, please call (800) 282-3040 or
(614) 728-4885.
CSP will hold the
following health-care programs during the month:
-
Health Fair and Senior
Expo, Scioto County Fairgrounds, Lucasville, Friday, Sept.
9, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
-
Breast and Cervical
Screening Clinic, Jackson Kroger Grocery Store, Jackson,
Tuesday, Sept. 13, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
-
Cholesterol, Blood Pressure
and Glucose Screening and Health Education Clinic, Perry
County Fairground, New Lexington, Wednesday, Sept. 14, 9 to
11 a.m.
-
Health Fair and
Cholesterol, Blood Pressure and Glucose Screening, Perry
County Hocking College, Thursday, Sept. 15, 4:30 to 8 p.m.
-
Cholesterol, Blood Pressure
and Glucose Screening and Health Education Clinic, Mills
Pride, Waverly, Tuesday, Sept. 20, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
-
Cholesterol, Blood Pressure
and Glucose Screening and Health Education Clinic,
Laurelville Senior Center, Laurelville, Wednesday, Sept. 21,
10 a.m. to noon.
-
Breast and Cervical
Screening Clinic, Parks Hall, Ohio University’s Athens
campus, Thursday, 8 a.m. to noon
-
Breast and Cervical
Screening Clinic, Perry County Senior Center, New Lexington,
Tuesday, Sept. 27, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
For more
information on CSP programs, please call (740) 593-2432.
Women’s
Health Month 2005
(Month-long)
Get Carded! (interpersonal violence, dating violence) —
Sponsored by My Sister’s Place at O’Bleness Memorial Hospital,
Athens, and Doctors Hospital, Nelsonville. For more info, call
(740) 593-7125.
(Month-long)
Get Carded! (interpersonal violence, dating violence) —
Sponsored by My Sister’s Place at Hocking Valley Community
Hospital, Logan. For more info, call (740) 593-7125.
Sept. 6 to 10
Sexual Assault Issues — Sponsored by the Morgan County
Health Department at the county fair. For more info, call (740)
962-4572.
Sept. 8, 15,
22,
29 Women’s Changing Health Need Series
(reproductive health, stress management, menopause) — Sponsored
by Marietta Memorial Hospital, Marietta. For more info, call
(740) 374-4913.
Sept.
15 Mother/Daughter Exposition 2005 (health
education, health and wellness fair) — Sponsored by the Perry
County Health Department and other organizations at Hocking
Hills College, Perry campus, New Lexington. For more info, call
(740) 342-5179.
Sept.
23 Women’s Health Conference (eating
disorders, domestic violence, family life, hormonal health) —
Sponsored by Ohio University’s School of Nursing and College of
Osteopathic Medicine’s Area Health Education Center at Ohio
University’s southern campus, Ironton. For more info, call (740)
593-2292.
Sept.
25 Navigating the Teenage Years (physical
activity, healthy eating, substance abuse) — Sponsored by Holzer
Medical Center, Gallipolis. For more info, call (740) 446-5679.
Sept.
30 The Many Hats of Women’s Health through the
Years (reproductive health, breast, cervical and uterine
cancer) — Sponsored by the Belmont County Interagency Council at
the Belmont Hills County Club, St. Clairsville. For more info,
call (740) 633-1120 or 695-0293.
All programs are supported by the Sexual Assault and Domestic
Violence Prevention Program, Ohio Department of Health; the
Bureau of Health Promotion and Risk Reduction, Division of
Prevention, Ohio Department of Health; and the Ohio Statewide
AHEC program.
- 30 -
News for
the week of Aug 29 –
Sept 3
