My Blog

Women's Health Rankings

October 21, 2007

U.S. Women's Health Rated "Unsatisfactory"

A new state-by-state report card on women's health indicates that most states have a ways to go to meet key health objectives set by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

"Making the Grade on Women's Health" was released by the National Women's Law Center in conjunction with Oregon Health & Science University.

From Reuters:

The groups looked at 27 measures of women's health, ranging from the rates of routine screening tests for breast and colon cancer to obesity and access to health care. The benchmarks were based on the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Healthy People 2010 initiative.

"Overall the nation's grade was 'unsatisfactory.' Only three of the 27 benchmarks were met," Dr. Michelle Berlin of the Oregon Health & Science University told a briefing.

The three exceptions were in the percentage of women 40 and older getting mammograms, regular dental care and colorectal cancer screening for women over 50.

According to the report, the best state for women's health is Vermont. The worst state is Mississippi. Click here to view data from your state.

Our Sexualized Culture - an APA Report

We all know how hypersexualized our culture is...

the American Psychological Association Task Force on the Sexualization of Girls issued a report this week detailing the omnipresence and damaging effects of sexualized images of girls and young women in American culture.

While much of the first part of the report confirms what most media observers already suspect, it is still enlightening to hear such a precise and thorough analysis. The APA report breaks down the consequences on multiple levels, looking at the effects of sexualized images on mental and physical health, development of a girl's sexuality, and the development of general attitudes and beliefs concerning femininity and sexuality. The research links sexualization to three common mental health problems among young women: low self-esteem, depression or depressed mood and eating disorders.

To continue reading more about the results of the APA report, and other news stories, please visit http://ourbodiesourblog.org/.

News from the blog!

Please visit our blog at http://www.ourbodiesourblog.org

A recent posting:
I used to be a big fan of Veronica Mars, but I've let it go some since our heroine -- the first female teen since Buffy who is routinely the smartest, toughest person in the room -- graduated from high school and moved on to private investigation at a nearby college. The show still has grand moments, but it hasn't been as consistently solid or satisfying.

Which explains why I've got more than a few episodes TiVo'd that I have yet to watch, so I'm going to direct your attention to Ann's post on Feministing about last night's episode, titled "There's Got to be a Morning After Pill."

to read more about what happened, visit our website!

and this just in...Harvard has picked it's first female president!

New Book Release

Hot Flashes? Hormone treatment? Sexual dysfunction? Millions of women are experiencing menopause. Now there’s a resource to help them navigate the transition.

In this new book, the editors of the classic “bible of women’s health” offer a trustworthy, up-to-date guide that examines the physical, emotional, and social aspects of menopause. The book builds upon the knowledge and perspective that made OUR BODIES, OURSELVES the book that women have turned to for trusted information about all aspects of their health for decades.

In the narrative tone of OUR BODIES, OURSELVES, the new book brings readers the most reliable, current information available on the issues facing women today, including:

• Female sexual “dysfunction” at midlife – myth or reality?

• How do commercial interests affect treatments for menopause?

• Is hormone treatment safe? And who should take it?

• What do women need to know about heart disease and osteoporosis?

• Are “natural” or bioidentical hormones better than synthetic hormones?

• Can herbs help with hot flashes or insomnia?

With clear, accessible language and a balanced look at every issue, OUR BODIES, OURSELVES: MENOPAUSE provides women with the information they need to make decisions about their health.

“As a general reference on menopause, this volume will be embraced by a wide female audience.” – Publishers Weekly

“By furnishing tools for empowerment, this book goes beyond other fine guides …. Highly recommended.” – Library Journal

“The go-to guide for women with menopause.” – Kirkus Reports

The Boston Women’s Health Book Collective (also known as Our Bodies Ourselves) is a non-profit organization founded in 1969 whose advisory board members include Susan Love, MD, and Gloria Steinem. Its mission is to empower women by providing information about health, sexuality and reproduction. For more information and to read “Our Bodies, Our Blog,” for women’s health story ideas, please visit www.ourbodiesourselves.org.

OUR BODIES, OURSELVES: MENOPAUSE

from The

Boston

Women’s Health Book Collective

Touchstone/Simon & Schuster, Inc.

Publication Date: October 2006 / Price: $15 / ISBN: 0-7432-7487-3

Emergency Contraception Workshop in Cambridge, MA

Come to an interactive workshop by the women's health nonprofit

Our Bodies Ourselves

on

HAVING A BACK-UP PLAN:

EMERGENCY CONTRACEPTION


Date: Tuesday, August 8th, 2006

Time: 7- 8:30pm

Place: Cambridge Public Library-

Central Square Branch Library

45 Pearl St.


How to get there:

Take the Red line to Central Square on Mass Ave

then walk to Pearl Street

**RSVP** at obos2005@bwhbc.org**

New Fall Internship!

Communications/Marketing Intern:   

Our Bodies Ourselves is seeking an intern or work-study student to work 8-12 hours a week in our books program area. This position is open for the fall 2006 semester.

Responsibilities:

The intern will help market and promote the release of our newest book, Our Bodies, Ourselves: Menopause (to be published in October), as well as the newest edition of Our Bodies, Ourselves, the groundbreaking book about women’s health and sexuality that has sold more than 4 million copies since its first publication

Responsibilities may include:

• organizing book publicity events in the Boston area and around the country
• marketing the books to colleges, local businesses, and communities around Boston and the country
• helping to pitch the book to local and national media
• tracking book sales, identifying key markets for our books, and developing marketing plans
• assisting in other book      promotion efforts (which could range from a blog to a podcast to a documentary film project to selling Our Bodies Ourselves merchandise)

Qualifications:

The intern should have strong organizational and oral/written communication skills; attention to detail; interpersonal skills; computer proficiency, including experience with databases, Excel, Microsoft Word, and the Internet; some marketing experience; and an interest in women’s health issues, public relations/communications, and/or nonprofit work. Multimedia skills a plus (especially with basic HTML and/or video editing software like Final Cut Pro, Avid, and/or Adobe Premiere).

To Apply:

To apply for this internship, send a cover letter and resume to Elana Hayasaka at elana@bwhbc.org. Arrangements can be made for students seeking academic credit.

New online store for OBOS T-shirts and apparel

Dear Friends, If you're looking for a special graduation gift, a slightly belated Mothers Day present, or just something to jazz up your wardrobe, please take a look at our new online shop: http://www.cafepress.com/obos . You can choose from a variety of OBOS products, including organic cotton T-shirts, caps, magnets, baby bibs, and more. Because each item is made only after its been ordered, it will probably take at least a week for it to be processed and shipped to you, so plan accordingly if you are buying a gift. Proceeds from each sale will go to Our Bodies Ourselves, so support a great cause and look great while doing it! Cheers, OBOS

Free healthy food and workshop for college students this Tuesday!

Do you obsess over what you eat?
Are you jaded by the latest fad diets?
Want to find out what’s real and what’s hype when it comes to diet and nutrition?
Or are you just looking for a healthy snack before you hit the books?

Come to a workshop on eating well, sponsored by Our Bodies Ourselves, a non-profit that has provided accurate, reliable, up-to-date health information for over 35 years.

When:  Tuesday, May 2, 2006  9:30-10:30 PM

Where: Packard Ave.  Accessible by T, Red Line, Davis stop.

***Healthy snacks will be provided!!***

Contact Cassie at cassiecote@yahoo.com or Adrianne at ortega1@bu.edu  for more information!

Fall Internships

I'm looking for a few good interns for this coming fall to help create and publicize me, my sister books, and/or my website. If you're passionate about women's health, feminism, advocacy and/or if you're interested in gaining experience in the field of publishing, send us a cover letter and your resume! For more info, click here.