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April Featured Health Article: Are
Women More Vulnerable to Alcohol's Effects? Hot Topics of the Month: The "Date Rape"
Spanish Guest Editor Feature For April 2004: This article discusses the life of Carolina Hinestrosa and her struggle
with Breast Cancer. She is the executive vice president of the National
Breast Cancer Coalition (NBCC). This story gives examples how breast cancer
affects women and their families and the importance of early detection.
Article may also be viewed online Health Professionals Page Guest Editor Feature for April 2004 Titled: “Substance Abuse & Women” Read the Article here email:
| From the NWHIC Project Director U.S. Department of Health
and Human Services Springtime is in full bloom, and I’ll be keeping my fingers crossed to see more May flowers than April showers. Even though we will all be “springing forward” and losing an hour in our day on April 4th, I plan on getting some additional use out of the brighter day by gardening, taking walks with my family after dinner, and enjoying the sites and sounds of the season. As things begin to bloom and new life literally springs from the ground, you may want to take a moment to think about how important a single life really is and consider becoming an organ donor. April is National Donate Life Month, sponsored by the Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Transplantation. There is always a critical need for organ, tissue, and blood donors in our country, and you may want to take some time to discuss your options with your family and loved ones. With longer evenings this month, it’s time to get your children, nephews, nieces, or young neighbors together for a game of softball, kickball or tag in honor of National Youth Sports Safety Month and YMCA Healthy Kids Day on April 3. Show them the importance of adding sports to their lives while teaching them how to participate safely and responsibly. You can also teach your kids about the dangers of drinking. This month we recognize National Alcohol Awareness Month. This year’s theme is Save a Life: End Underage Drinking. This campaign promotes Alcohol-Free Weekend the first weekend of April to encourage Americans to find alternatives to alcohol. I challenge you to put down your wine glass and be a role model for young adults and teens who are often tempted to emulate adults when it comes to drinking wine, beer, and liquor. As you prepare for Easter by hiding eggs around the yard or celebrate Passover with a lavish family meal, be open to ways you can improve your health and your family’s health this month. Valerie Scardino, M.P.A. Check Out our NEW Mental Health Section! Please visit our new page at www.4woman.gov/mh/ NATIONAL WOMEN'S HEALTH WEEK 2004! Let us know how you will be participating in National Women’s Health Week this year! Your comments may be printed in next month’s newsletter in celebration of National Women’s Health Week! Send your comments through this page: http://www.4woman.gov/search/contact.cfm or email us at: 4.woman@psgs.com Click here for more information about National Women’s Health Week: http://www.4woman.gov/whw/2004/. Updated FAQs on Anemia, Date Rape Drugs and Anorexia Nervosa
Get a FREE Adolescent Planner at 4GIRLS.GOV ! BREASTFEEDING HELPLINE! NWHIC CAN ANSWER YOUR BASIC BREASTFEEDING
QUESTIONS FREE BREASTFEEDING INFORMATION PACKETS NOW AVAILABLE IN ENGLISH,
SPANISH, AND CHINESE! This information is also available through
our toll-free call center at 800-994-9662 and on our web site. They
may also be reproduced as needed. Please share these links with your
friends and family members who are breastfeeding or who would like to
learn more about breastfeeding.
2004 MINORITY WOMEN'S HEALTH SUMMIT –SAVE THE DATE! Please visit www.4woman.gov/mwhs for more information & to learn more about the CALL FOR ABSTRACTS. The deadline for abstract submission is APRIL 16, 2004 by 5:00 p.m. EST The following will be available soon: Objectives for the 2004 Minority Women's Health Summit This conference will build on the outcomes of the 1997 National Conference "Bridging the Gap: Enhancing Partnerships to Improve Minority Women's Health." Key areas in women's health including cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes and HIV/AIDS will be highlighted. The goals of the conference include:
For more information please contact: Elizabeth David
at (202) 205-0571, Adrienne Smith at (202) 690-5884, or Frances Ashe-Goins
at (202) 690-6373. HHS Launches New Web Site in Effort to Fight Overweight Epidemic As part of the Healthy Lifestyles & Disease Prevention initiative, HHS Secretary Tommy G. Thompson unveiled a new interactive Web site -- www.smallstep.gov, which encourages Americans to make small activity and dietary changes, such as using stairs instead of an elevator, or taking a walk instead of watching television. This public awareness and education campaign encourages American families to take small, manageable steps within their current lifestyle -- versus drastic changes -- to ensure effective, long-term weight control. With poor diet and physical inactivity poised to become the leading preventable cause of death in America, Secretary Tommy Thompson renewed efforts against obesity, announcing a new national education campaign and research strategy at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). For more information, please visit the Department of Health and Human Services News Page: http://www.hhs.gov/news/press/2004pres/20040309.html 
We will be in Baltimore, MD this April. If you’re in town, please drop by our booth to ask us questions about NWHIC and OWH or just stop in and say hi.
You are invited to attend the 2nd national Steps to a HealthierUS summit, which will advance Secretary of Health and Human Services Tommy G. Thompson’s Steps to a HealthierUS initiative launched in 2003. This April national summit will focus on chronic disease prevention and health promotion and will feature presentations on asthma, obesity, diabetes, heart disease and stroke, and cancer, as well as lifestyle choices, including nutrition, physical activity, and tobacco use. The Steps initiative is committed to bringing policymakers, health professionals, business communities, and the public together to establish model programs and policies that foster healthy behavior changes, encourage healthier lifestyle choices, and reduce disparities in health care. This summit is focused on building a healthier nation with goals to:
For more information please click here:
Visit the 5-A-day Campaign to find out other ways to incorporated
fruits and vegetables into your diet. FOR DINNER: VEGETARIAN: FOR DESSERT:
National Observances
MONTH LONG OBSERVANCES: WEEK LONG OBSERVANCES: DAY LONG OBSERVANCES: Federal health observances list
Featured Organizations
Division of Transplantation, OSP, HRSA National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, Inc. National Youth Sports Safety Foundation YMCA of the USA 
Who is Using NWHIC's Services?
Maryland & Georgia brought in the most calls this month. Our most frequent health topic requests for March were for information on these topics: pregnancy, breast cancer, HPV, menstruation, and disability. 
User Support
LEAVING THE LIST: JOINING THE LIST: |
This month's special publications for your health: NEW Chinese Prevention Guide now available! Order online or Call 1-800-994-9662 and request your copy An Introduction to Sexually Transmitted Diseases Frequently Asked Questions About Organ and Tissue Transplantation After the Shots: What to do after your child has discomfort Breast Cancer Resource Guide for Minority Women Community Service: A Family’s Guide to Getting Involved Guest editor feature for April 2004: “This Doctor Can Help You Live Longer” -Janis Graham, a freelance journalist and author who has written for Good Housekeeping and Redbook magazine. As a woman's health writer, I've always walked the talk: I don't smoke, I eat a healthy diet, I keep slim and I run marathons. So, when interviewing top cardiologist Lori Mosca, M.D. about women and heart disease for Good Housekeeping Magazine, I didn't really expect to hear much advice that I, personally, would need to "take to heart." Still, Dr. Mosca repeatedly stressed the need for every woman to know her cholesterol counts. So I decided to find out what mine were, fully expecting that my numbers would give me bragging rights. But you guessed it: Not only was my total cholesterol high, my "bad" LDL was elevated, too. Which goes to show how each and every one of us probably has something to learn when it comes to taking better care of our hearts. I, for one, discovered that I could no longer ignore the fact that I have a family history of heart disease (my dad recently had a quadruple by-pass). Here, then, is the Good Housekeeping interview I conducted with Dr. Mosca. I urge you to take "to heart" whatever advice applies to you--it really could help you live longer! Read the rest of this month's article, "This Doctor Can Help You Live Longer."
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