Each year, the Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence Prevention
Program at the Ohio Department of Health partners with Area
Health Education Centers (AHEC) to sponsor Women’s Health Month.
Throughout
Ohio, there will be numerous women’s health programs covering a
wide 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 year’s kickoff event, “Take Care ● Take Charge ● Choose
Health — Diabetes and the Appalachian Woman,” takes place Friday,
Sept. 8, at the Ross County Service Center in Chillicothe. Mary
De Groot, Ph.D., Ohio University assistant professor of
psychology, will be the keynote speaker.
OU-COM’s Community Health Programs (CHP), formerly Community
Service Programs, takes an active role in Women’s Health Month
through its administration of the college’s AHEC program and by
holding clinics and educational events through the month.
“Women’s Health Month is
important because it gives women a chance to focus on their
health. Women spend so much time taking care of others, they
often neglect themselves,” said Janice Smith, CHP
certified medical assistant. “This month-long program affords
women of all ages many opportunities to become better informed
about their health-care needs, physical and psychological.”
This September marks 21 years 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.
“In Perry County, the
Mother/Daughter Exposition brings mothers, daughters, sisters,
grandmothers and aunts together for the sake of their individual
and collective health needs. Last year was the first time
Community Health Programs attended the expo. It was very well
attended and was an event at which women had an opportunity to
be catered to, which I’m sure they appreciated,” said Smith.
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. For more information
about the kickoff and Women’s Health Month, please call (800)
282-3040 or (614) 466-2144.
OU-COM’s CHP
is sponsoring or co-sponsoring the following health-care programs in association with
Women’s Health Month:
-
Healthy Adult Project
(cholesterol, blood pressure and glucose screening, women’s
health education) at Health Fair for Ohio University
International Students — Yamada House, Friday, Sept. 1, noon
to 5 p.m.
-
Senior Expo (breast
and cervical cancer education,
cholesterol, blood pressure and glucose screening) — Scioto
County Fairground in Lucasville, Friday, Sept. 8, 9 a.m. to
2 p.m.
-
Breast and Cervical Cancer
Screening Clinic — Sciotoville Nazarene Church, Tuesday,
Sept. 19, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
-
Breast and Cervical Cancer
Screening Clinic — Ross County Health Department in
Chillicothe, Wednesday, Sept. 20, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
-
Healthy Adult Project
(cholesterol, blood pressure and glucose screening, breast
and cervical cancer education) at Mother/Daughter Exposition
2006 (see below) — Building Blocks Learning Center in New
Lexington, Thursday, Sept. 21, 4 to 8 p.m.
-
Diabetes and Women’s Health
(diabetes education presentation and diabetes and blood
pressure screening) at “A Woman’s Role — Taking Care of
Everyone” (see below) — Collins Room, Ohio University
Ironton Campus, Sept. 27, 4:30 to 6:30 p.m.
For more
information on CHP programs, please call (740) 593-9127.
Women’s Health Month 2006
(Month-long)
My Sister’s Place presents interpersonal violence
screening programs for medical personnel at O’Bleness Memorial
Hospital, Athens, and Doctors Hospital, Nelsonville. For more
info, call (740) 593-7125.
(Month-long)
My Sister’s Place presents interpersonal violence
screening programs for medical personnel at Hocking Valley
Community Hospital, Logan. For more info, call (740) 593-7125.
Sept. 8 Take
Care ● Take Charge ● Choose Health — Diabetes and the
Appalachian Woman
— Women’s Health Month Kickoff Event at the Ross County
Service Center in Chillicothe. Sponsored by the Ohio Department
of Health Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence Prevention
Program, Ohio Department of Health Diabetes Prevention and
Control Program and Ohio University AHEC. For more information,
call (800) 282-3040 or (614)466-2144.
Sept.
21 Mother/Daughter Exposition 2006 (health
education, health and wellness fair) — Building Blocks Learning
Center in New Lexington. Sponsored by the Perry County Health
Department and Building Blocks Learning Center. For more info,
call (740) 342-5179.
Sept.
22 Healthy Bones-Strong Women — Belmont
Technical College, Horizon Hall in St. Clairsville. Sponsored by
Belmont County Interagency Council. For more info, call (740)
695-0295 or (740) 633-1120.
Sept.
23 Journey to Health and Healing (cancer
prevention, stress management, sexual assault prevention) —
Washington State Community College in Marietta. Sponsored by EVE
Inc. For more info, call (740) 374-5820.
Sept.
27 A Woman’s Role — Taking Care of Everyone
(improving the health of working women and caregivers) — Collins
Room, Ohio University Ironton Campus, Sept. 27. Sponsored by
Area Agency on Aging, District 7 Inc. For more information, call
(800) 582-7277.
Sept.
29 Body Mind Spirit: Finding Serenity for Life
(stress management) — The Colonial in Jackson. Sponsored by the
Jackson County Health Department, Holzer Clinic and Holzer
Medical Center. For more info, call (740) 286-5094.
Women’s Health Month is sponsored 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 weeks of
Aug 14 – August 26
