By Grace Bender. Everyone needs to be their own healthcare advocate.  I realized this when I noticed my mother struggling to manage the numerous medications she was taking. With so many prescriptions and over-the counter medications to keep track of, I was concerned about her taking the correct dosages at the correct times and following all the various instructions.

So I decided to create a medication chart that allowed her to track her medications more easily and ensure she was taking them correctly. We then showed the chart to each of her physicians and pharmacist.  The result was a dramatic change in my mother’s medication regimen.  The chart enabled her physicians to view what they and all her other doctors were prescribing. They soon realized just how many medications she was on and that some medications were actually counteracting others.  Many prescriptions were changed or stopped and over time she went from taking 16 medications to nine.

Adverse events related to medications are the fourth leading cause of death in U.S. for patients over the age of 65.  This startling statistic led me into the patient-advocate role.  Since that time my own experiences have continued to reinforce my belief that individuals need to take control of their health and work to make sure all their healthcare providers, caregivers, and/or family members are working together as a team.

After being faced with several health scares in 2008, I decided to have an MRI breast scan for peace of mind.  I had learned that the scan was the best diagnostic and screening tool for women with large, dense breasts and a family history of breast cancer.  Since I had a mammogram six months earlier, which was normal, my physician did not think the MRI was necessary.  However, I decided to have one to be certain I was breast-cancer free.  To everyone’s surprise, the scan revealed three spots that biopsies confirmed to be multifocal breast cancer.  Since I knew my own body and had educated myself about available screenings, I may have saved my life because I was told a mammogram might have taken years to pick up the spots. This may not be the right course for every woman, but everyone should know that this tool exists. (more…)

By Michelle King Robson. When I started EmpowHER, I had one mission – to advocate and improve the health and wellness of women. I didn’t care if I had to do it one woman at a time, day by day or even hour-by-hour. I was determined that every woman, young and old, would have access to the information and answers needed to advocate for their own health and well-being.

Now, just over a year later, I am humbled by the stories I hear from thousands of women who visit EmpowHER.com every day. Women are advocating for themselves, for loved ones and teaching other women how to do the same.

For example, one member of EmpowHER was suffering from irregular periods, heavy bleeding and severe depression. She had several procedures to remove polyps, but her depression remained and the bleeding came back. She had no idea what was wrong with her and doctors just recommended more procedures and anti-depressants. In her own words, she was on the brink of taking her own life. For her it was that bad. This woman discovered EmpowHER and, after watching the video where I tell my story, realized there was hope. Within 24 hours of sharing her story with the EmpowHER community, and us helping advocate for her; she was on a brighter path. Now she has a new doctor who has helped her manage her way to improved health. Her life is changed. Forever!

Then, there are times I see others who find advocacy in the most surprising ways, as in this abdominal case. An EmpowHER reader’s partner of 18 years had been having odd symptoms, but neither of them thought much of it. Then one day, after reading an article on EmpowHER about the symptoms of an aortic aneurysm, she realized that he was having the same exact symptoms described in the article. She talked to him about this and advocated that they needed to take action. He saw his doctor that same day and was rushed in an ambulance from that appointment to the hospital for immediate surgery. His doctor told him he had an aortic aneurysm and that he didn’t have time to waste. His doctor told him that his situation was dire, the aneurysm could have burst, and he would have died. The woman came back to EmpowHER and shared their story and credits EmpowHER for saving her partner’s life.

These are just a couple of the stories I hear about every day that reinforce our mission – to improve health and change lives. There are now countless simple and free ways you can get involved to do just that – improve your health and change your life, or that of your loved ones. Here are some ways you can start your own health advocacy journey today:

• Ask your own health question, and receive a guaranteed response within 24 hours
• Share your health story
• Join a group and find women like you

By Phyllis Greenberger. The non-profit advocacy organization, the Society for Women’s Health Research (SWHR), based in Washington DC is widely recognized as the thought leader in research on sex differences, and is dedicated to improving women’s health through advocacy, education, and research.  Because of SWHR’s efforts, women are included in medical research, and scientists are looking at the different ways health and disease affect men and women and the reasons why. SWHR attributes its advocacy and communications successes to using evidence-based policy in multi-pronged education efforts, as well as to its involvement of a mix of healthcare providers and policy makers dedicated to improving women’s health. SWHR’s advocacy and communications efforts extend beyond lobbying legislators and regulators; it includes education of federal legislators and their staff; scientists who are employed by the federal government, academia, industry, as well as the public.

Advocacy and Communication with the Public

In addition to providing the latest research on conditions that affect women differently from men, SWHR’s education and communications efforts also emphasize that women need to become advocates for themselves and their families. SWHR is founded on the belief that health can be improved through research efforts and this new knowledge must be communicated and translated into individual care, which requires an up-to-date, current exchange of information between health care providers and their patients. 

SWHR’s first major public educational effort was the “Woman Can Do” campaign, to educate and recruit more women about becoming involved in medical research. After the regulatory changes mandating women’s participation in research, SWHR was made aware of the facts that researchers had difficulty finding women to participate in research studies. In 2003 nearly 90 other organizations joined SWHR’s Alliance for Women in Clinical Research to educate women about medical research and ways they can participate. The campaign continues today and additional information can be found on the Women Can Do website .

To further help promote the importance of providing the public with valuable and accurate health research information. SWHR annually presents the “Excellence in Women’s Health Research Journalism Awards” to honor journalists who excel in this arena.

SWHR works to provide women, who make about three-fourths of the health care decisions in the United States, with advice that communication with healthcare providers is a two-way street and with the information that allows them to participate in decisions impacting themselves and their family members.  SWHR’s educational programs and written materials, as well as our web site, also serve as resources for practitioners involved in women’s health issues.

SWHR is committed to ensuring that women’s health remains a high priority on the national agenda, that sex differences become more widely recognized as vital to healthcare treatment options and to advocating for  increased funding for related research.  SWHR will continue to partner with the widest possible range of healthcare providers and policy makers to gather evidence-based knowledge and then communicate it to Congress, the scientific research community, as well as to healthcare providers and the public.

No matter who you are, the Affordable Care Act will help make your health care better. The reforms in the law will help bring costs down and will improve the quality of care for all Americans.

But we know that women in particular suffered under the old health care system and will especially benefit from the important changes in the new law. This was confirmed last week, with the release of a new report from the Commonwealth Fund highlighting how important the new law is for women across the country. The report notes:

Up to 15 million women who now are uninsured could gain subsidized coverage under the law. In addition, 14.5 million insured women will benefit from provisions that improve coverage or reduce premiums. Women who have coverage through the individual insurance market and are charged higher premiums than men, who have been unable to secure cover-age for the cost of pregnancy, or who have a preexisting health condition excluded from their benefits will ultimately find themselves on a level playing field with men, enjoying a full range of comprehensive benefits.

Under the old health care system, a healthy 22-year-old woman could be charged premiums 150 percent higher than a 22-year-old man and many insurance companies treated simply being a woman as a “pre-existing condition.” Many individual market health insurance policies didn’t include maternity care and some states even made it legal for insurers to reject applicants who are survivors of domestic violence.

The new law makes important changes that will help ensure all women get the care they need and deserve. The Affordable Care Act prohibits insurance companies from denying any woman coverage because of a pre-existing condition, excluding coverage of that condition, or charging more because of health status or gender. Being a woman will no longer be a pre-existing condition.

The law will also help ensure women have access to a host of preventive benefits including mammograms and pap smears. If you purchase a new insurance policy after September 23, insurance companies will be prohibited from charging you a deductible, co-payment or co-insurance for these and other preventive services. You can learn more about these new preventive services, and get information about your health care choices at HealthCare.gov.

And beginning in 2014, Americans will have access to a new competitive insurance marketplace. The new marketplace will include health insurance exchanges where millions of Americans and small businesses will be able to purchase affordable coverage, and have the same choices of insurance that Members of Congress will have.

To learn more, read about the benefits of the new law for women.

Orignally posted on http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2010/08/02/ensuring-women-get-care-they-need-and-deserve on August 2nd by Tina Tchen who is Director of the White House Office of Public Engagement and Executive Director of the Council on Women and Girls.

By Archelle Georgiou. “Dr G. Any ideas on the best way to lose weight?” “What do you think about (name the supplement) for losing weight?”

Diet and nutrition questions are some of the most common that I get on Fox. My response always begins with the calorie speech—”In order to lose weight, calories consumed must be less than calories expended.” I consistently take a hard stance on the physics of weight loss which makes some people bristle, especially those who believe that their weight issues are hormonal, genetic, or “their metabolism.” I emphasized this very black and white perspective in my February blog, Weight Loss 101: Count Your Calories, where I explained, mathematically, how my own 2-1/2 pound weight loss was fully explained by the energy expenditure of some increased physical activity.

After 7 months, I’ve lost a total of 7 pounds and the thermogenic reality is a 24,500 calorie deficit. The bigger achievement, however, is the insight into my personal relationship with food.

Hunger does not necessarily mean that my body needs to eat. Emotional-eating has been a way of life for me. I just accepted this behavior as one of my (many) flaws until I learned about the physiologic effects of two hormones that have a powerful influence on the urge to eat—or not. Ghrelin is produced mainly by the stomach and pancreas. Levels are normally high before meals and make us feel hungry. Leptin, its counterpart, is produced by fat cells and causes feelings of satiety and reduces sugar cravings. When leptin levels increase after meals, the brain signals us to stop eating. Here’s the problem: These appetite-controlling hormones are not simply regulated by the body’s nutritional status. Ghrelin (or should I say, gremlin!) levels increase with sleep deprivation. (Maybe this is why I was at my heaviest during my residency?) And, leptin levels, or the body’s sensitivity to it, may diminish in the presence of emotional stress. Just educating myself was enough to give me the willpower to—PAUSE–before reaching for an extra helping or sneaking a second dessert. If I can objectively convince myself that I am calorie-deficient…fine. Open mouth, insert food. However, if I am tired, frustrated, angry or brewing with Greek emotional drama, then instead of using food as a Band-Aid, I try to address the root cause by sleeping, meditating, taking a walk, ….whatever it takes. (more…)

By Michelle King Robson. People, especially women, always ask me how they can make a difference. How can one person make a difference in the lives of many? How can we advocate for the health and wellness of all women?

When I started EmpowHER, I had a mission – to improve women’s health, and change their lives…one woman at a time.  Now, I am asking YOU to do the same. You alone can help thousands even hundreds of thousands of women just by telling your story, sharing the stories of others, and telling other women about what is sure to be one of the most powerful movements in women’s health and wellness this decade. 

I want to tell all of you about EmpowHER’s 1,000 Women campaign: www.1000women.com.

Through our 1000Women campaign, EmpowHER is recruiting 1,000 women who will then each tell 1,000 women about this campaign. Our goal is to  create the biggest movement for women’s health and wellness in recent history!!!!

So how can you help?

• Advocate for your own health and wellness by sharing your personal health story on 1000Women.com
• Advocate for the health and wellness of others by voting on inspiring stories on 1000Women.com
• Spread the word by simply entering your email address for campaign updates, and sharing this campaign with every woman you know!

When we have reached our goal of reaching 1,000,000 women, EmpowHER will donate $50,000 towards women’s health research, and YOU will have had everything to do with that! See, just a few seconds of your time, your email address and 1,000,000 women’s health can be improved and lives changed – just like that.

Every woman who recruits 1,000 women or more to vote on their story will receive a special presence on 1000Women.com. They will also be featured in major local and national PR efforts, which will help spread the word on health advocacy for you, and each other.

This is your chance to share your story with the world. This is your chance to change the lives of the women you love. This is your chance to enable friends, family and strangers to advocate for their health and well being. I am calling on you to get involved. We NEED your help!

By Phyllis Greenberger. I just love this—it happens every time. Leave it to the news media to decide whether something is a real health issue or not. That they know little or nothing about the medical condition doesn’t stop them. The latest example is Hypoactive sexual desire disorder (HSDD), a condition that affects as many as 20% of women. It is a loss of desire or libido without any other concurrent medical condition. But, if these journalists (and I use that term loosely) haven’t heard of a condition, especially this one because it has to do with female sexual dysfunction, they are sure a drug company made it up.

I heard this with PMDD, fibromyalgia, restless leg syndrome, chronic fatigue syndrome. The media and a few doctors said there was no such thing in each of these situations, until time and research proved them wrong. For example, in 2004 when a possible treatment for PMDD was seeking FDA approval, an article in the Washington Post severely criticized Eli Lilly for developing a medication for a made-up condition. Yet, on Tuesday June 22, 2010 the same Washington Post published a lengthy article with personal stories of several women suffering with PMDD and quoted physicians and sited research on PMDD, seemingly now an accepted health condition. By the way, Lilly’s therapy is successfully being used in Europe.

HSDD — Is this a made-up illness? The fact is that years of research and many doctors have treated women who complain about lack of desire– even when young, healthy, and happily married. The research about women’s sexual dysfunction is not new; lack of sexual desire, lack of ability to be aroused, painful sex, and failure to orgasm are all considered sexual dysfunction. Female sexual dysfunction has been listed in Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders for more than 20 years. In the late 1970’s Helen Kaplan and Harold Lief, who separately were diagnosing lack of desire and calling it by different terms, proposed that APA include this condition in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders III. The diagnosis of Inhibited Sexual Desire (ISD) was added to the DSM III and was published in 1980. There are at least ten recent articles on PubMed discussing HSDD, screeners, and communication about HSDD. (more…)

By Ruth Lubic. It is my distinct honor to be an awardee of this prestigious organization along with Dr. Omega Logan Silva and Diane Rehm.  I thank Katharine Weymouth for her enlightening opening words as well.

We awardees have been asked to speak briefly about “… how times have changed (or not) for women over the years.”  I would like to do this from two perspectives, first that of the management of the childbirth experience in the 1950′s when my son, Douglas, was born and also from that of the acceptance and utilization of midwives in this country in a similar time frame.  Keep in mind that my husband, Bill and I are “children of the Great Depression” and were taught to live frugally and to care about folks less fortunate than ourselves.

BIRTH IN THE 1950′s was often managed by the routine use of Demerol, a pain killer and scopalomine, an amnesiac, so that women would not “remember” the experience.   Laboring women, (there were no family members permitted), were restricted to a bed with padded side rails so their erratic drug-induced behavior would not harm them or their fetuses and when moved to the delivery room, had their hands cuffed in leather bracelets to the side of the delivery table so that they could not touch their “clean” baby with their “dirty” hands.  How destructive of a  mother’s instincts to hold and provide needed bonding with the new baby!  And how destructive of her perceptions of her ability to be a “good” mother when she might have vague memories of her negative behavior in labor.    Today, there are differing settings to cater to the mother’s and family’s  choices, with the nurse-midwifery operated freestanding birth center being the one with which I am most familiar.  The original Childbearing Center in Manhattan’s Carnegie Hill neighborhood was set up to offer sensitive care to young families who, disenchanted with conventional care, were engaging in “do-it-yourself” home birth, with little or no prenatal care and fathers catching their babies, a potentially very unsafe plan.  The success of the CbC evoked a response from hospitals in the form of in-hospital birth rooms, which, for the most part convert to standard delivery rooms and, even when fathers are present, usually do not offer any control, or even partnership, to the laboring family. (more…)

Ever since Viagra hit the stores (and bedrooms) drug companies have been searching for a comparable little pink pill. Viagra didn’t seem to do much for girls (we tried it once, we felt nothing). Now there’s a new pink pill that came really close to getting FDA approval, but failed.

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By Robin Strongin. This was a busy week in women’s health—an issue of global importance. On June 7th, Women Deliver 2010, the largest meeting on global maternal health in the last ten years, kicked off in Washington, DC. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon delivered opening remarks and US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton addressed participants via video. The conference offered an opportunity to take stock of progress that has been made in improving global maternal health while assessing the challenges that remain.

Women Deliver 2010 highlighted achievements in reducing maternal mortality, breakthroughs in reproductive technology, the role of women’s health in development, and remaining obstacles to improving maternal health around the world. The conference’s 3,000 participants, including heads of state, ministers of health and leading maternal health advocates, called on governments, donors, and multi-lateral organizations to increase their financial commitments to women and girls. For more information on Women Deliver, visit: www.womendeliver.org and to watch replays of the presentations, click here: www.womendeliver.org/webcast.

During the conference, Population Action International launched a new documentary, Empty Handed: Responding to the Demand for Contraceptives. WATCH THE TRAILER

Empty Handed Advocacy Short from Population Action International on Vimeo.

Around the world, more than 215 million women lack access to basic contraception. Empty Handed tells the story of women’s lack of access to reproductive health supplies (contraceptives and condoms) in sub-Saharan Africa, and its impact on their lives. The film documents the challenges at each level of the reproductive health supply chain and identifies key areas of improvement.

Empty Handed was shot in Uganda in March 2010 by PAI filmmaker Nathan Golon with support from the Reproductive Health Supplies Coalition.

The following is a guest post by Irene Natividad. Ms. Natividad is President of the Global Summit of Women, an international economic forum for women. She also runs her own public affairs firm, Globe Women, based in Washington, D.C.  Ms. Natividad is a frequent commentator on PBS’ ‘To The Contrary’, CNN, Good Morning America, Fox News, MSNBC, and other television news outlets. She has written editorials for USA Today, The Los Angeles Times, The Washington Post, and The Chicago Tribune.

Imagine if businesses – and business leaders – could help beat cancer. It may seem an unlikely match, but I believe they can.

My organization, Global Summit of Women, and I have taken on the challenge of cervical cancer based on one key fact: cervical cancer is almost entirely preventable. And yet it continues to strike at least 500,000 women each year, killing more than 270,000.

To me, as president of the largest economic forum for women, these figures are outrageous. Women are at the heart of our global economy. Whether they are tilling a field in Uganda, running a Laundromat in Paris, or leading a Fortune 500 company in California, our economies are only as strong and healthy as they are. Global economic growth, especially in developing countries, depends on empowering women to control their own economic futures. Without health, this is impossible.

This is why thousands of leaders from corporate, government, and non-profit sectors are joining me this month at the 2010 Global Summit of Women in Beijing, and lending support to our Global Consortium of Women to End Cervical Cancer, the closing event of our three-day gathering. Year after year we make it our mission to ensure that women leaders spread the word about cervical cancer prevention, focusing on efforts to increase access to the screening and vaccines necessary to make cervical cancer the first cancer the world gets rid of for good.

The alternative is dire: If we fail to take real steps toward preventing cervical cancer, the number of worldwide diagnoses could reach 700,000 annually by 2020. Most of these will be in developing countries, where 80 percent of cases occur. Cervical cancer tends to strike women in their prime, and because so many cases in developing countries go undetected until they’re too severe to treat, the toll cervical cancer takes on economies is astonishing.

These figures are particularly egregious because cervical cancer prevention does not depend on future technological discoveries; we already have everything we need to do the job. The cause of cervical cancer is known: human papillomavirus (HPV). Screening for HPV can help identify women who are already at high risk for cancer, allowing them to be treated early as necessary. Vaccinating girls against HPV can help prevent cervical disease as today’s young generation become women. Together, these tools form a powerful defense arsenal.

Even more promising for developing countries, researchers are creating a new HPV test that doesn’t require running water, electricity, or highly trained laboratory professionals. It would allow women to be screened and, if necessary, begin treatment on the same day. Technologies that can help broaden access to women in low-resource, rural areas promise to bring about a turning point in the areas hit hardest by cervical cancer.

So if we agree that wiping out cervical cancer makes sense, and technology isn’t the problem, then what’s stopping us? The global community needs to prioritize the cause, and global business leaders, particularly women, can be the key to making this happen. We need to recognize that cervical cancer is not merely a health issue, but an economic issue that impacts development enormously. As such, governments and donors must commit the funding necessary to ensure that infrastructure for implementing screening and vaccination technologies is available and affordable. Organizations must encourage sustainable public health programs to reach all segments of a country’s population. All women must take action to protect themselves and their daughters.

Cervical cancer is one issue on which we can make unprecedented progress now and leave a legacy of a cervical cancer-free world. Over the past few years, groups such as the European Women’s Management Development Network, the International Federation of Business and Professional Women and the Inter-American Commission of Women have all been a part of the Summit’s Consortium of Women to End Cervical Cancer. This year, the All China Women’s Federation, the First Lady of Tanzania, and Sun Network co-owner Yang Lan are joining our call to action. We all have an extraordinary opportunity to make cervical cancer history, and we must not let it pass us by.

This blog entry was originally posted at The Huffington Post on May 17, 2010.

By Hygeia. Several Disruptive Women in Health Care are very involved in the high tech or biotech space.  We thought it was important to let you know about this exciting program—one that is taking place in our backyard.  We encourage as many of you ladies out there with an interest in health, science, innovation and business to attend—we need to spread the estrogen around – there are many women in and out of the I-270 corridor who are making enormous contributions to these fields. Don’t let the men do all the talking—join the conversation and join us on June 1st.

Click here to see the full announcement. If the image in your browser appears small, click to enlarge.

By Liz Scherer.  A Twitter friend recently asked me about stopping hormone replacement therapy (HRT). It was a question that I hadn’t explored thoroughly although I write about HRT often on my blog. In fact, I had never truly considered the “what now” of the issue, as in, what if you decide to go off hormones or try alternatives after you’ve been on HRT?

Interestingly, when I looked into the issue, the answer seemed to be even less clear-cut than the therapy. In fact, there are no guidelines for stopping HRT.  Granted, until the Women’s Health Initiative started to reveal the dangers and risks of HRT, there was no real reason to stop therapy, (although, I’m of the mindset that there’s really no good reason to start HRT).

Fortunately, researchers are finally starting to look into this issue although study findings (which are published in the online edition of Menopause) highlight that the practice of stopping HRT is intuitive and not evidence-based.

So, what did they learn?

Among 438 group practice physicians surveyed, an overwhelming majority believed that women should taper HRT, with most believing that the best strategy was not only to slowly decrease the dose, but also to reduce the number of days HRT was taken per week. However, they had no suggestions with regards to how to taper use of HRT patches, even though the patch is increasingly being recommended and touted as a safe solution to oral hormone therapy. (Notably, like the evidence from this particular study I am talking about, the evidence that shows the safety aspect of the HRT patch is mostly observational, meaning that it is subject to personal bias.)

More interesting, however, was the finding that the majority of the physicians who participated in the study were more strongly influenced by their personal beliefs than by colleagues’ actions or most importantly, by a woman’s preference. In other words, physicians are not asking their patients about what they would like or if they have any thoughts about stopping therapy. More shocking was the fact that only 2% of physicians surveyed relied on actual evidence to stop hormone therapy. Physicians who indicated that they believed that some action should be taken if symptoms returned after stopping hormones overwhelmingly turned to behavioral changes or exercise, not to alternative therapies such as herbs.

In an era of evidence-based medicine and strategies that integrate eastern and western philosophies, why are our physicians relying on their own personal belief systems rather than real facts? Why aren’t they asking their patients how they feel about stopping therapy or if they have fears about symptoms returning and then thoroughly exploring alternatives ? Are these findings in a vacuum or will they be found on a broader basis? Does the problem lie in fact that there are no standards?  What’s more, why hasn’t the American Medical Association or American College of Obstetrics & Gynecology devised guidelines for stopping HRT therapy? Why hasn’t the Food & Drug Administration demanded this guidance in labeling?

Finally, why do we continue to play Russian Roulette when it comes to women’s health? Isn’t it time for a change?

Let’s start with HRT. There are a lot of folks out there who continue to espouse the benefits, deny the risks and ignore the facts. Clearly, this story continues to unfold. Unsafe medical practices are even more unsafe when they are not backed by evidence, right? Is HRT the exception?  What do you think?

[This post, appeared in part, on Flashfree on May 10, 2010.]