Health, Reproductive Rights & Sexuality

Full equality for women and girls can be attained only when they have the information and services they need to lead healthy lives and make informed and independent decisions about their health, reproductive health and sexuality. Health for women depends on many factors, including access to safe water and nutritious food; affordable care and insurance; disease prevention and access to comprehensive reproductive and maternal health services; and awareness and support for women with HIV/AIDS and other diseases and disabilities. Health is not limited to physical well-being but extends to sexuality, mental health and body image as well. Explore the resources listed below, including Related Categories links, or use the Keyword Search for more information.

The Report on the Status of Women and Girls in California

Submitted by asklar on Mon, 04/02/2012 - 10:44am

Women have made great strides in the last 100 years, but they remain vastly underrepresented in elective office, scientific fields and the boardrooms of California. The Report on the Status of Women and Girls in California focuses on key areas crucial to the advancement of women. This is the state's first comprehensive look at key areas impacting women's lives, such as changing demographics, poverty, mental and physical health, incarceration, employment, the media and much more. It presents never-before-compiled data in a format for general use by women, legislators and community-based organizations.

URL:

http://www.msmc.la.edu/status-of-women.asp

Champion® Athleticwear Celebrates 40th Anniversary of Title IX with Women’s Sports Foundation Board Chair and Olympic Athlete Benita Fitzgerald Mosley

Teaser:

The 1970s ushered in two significant milestones in the evolution of women’s fitness -- the passage of Title IX legislation in 1972 and the invention of the sports bra. In celebration of the 40th anniversary of Title IX, Champion Athleticwear, recognized as the founder of sports bras, hosted a special event today in New York City featuring Olympic gold medalist Benita Fitzgerald Mosley, who now serves as the board chair of the Women’s Sports Foundation.

Editorial:

From the press release:

A national survey commissioned by Champion shows a significant improvement in women’s participation in sports and fitness. In the survey, 100 percent of women ages 18 to 24 said they were encouraged to play sports, compared with 75 percent for women ages 25 to 34 and just 45 percent for women ages 55 and older.

During the anniversary event, Champion traced the evolution of sports bras from the very first prototype created in 1977 by Hinda Miller, Linda Lindahl and Polly Smith by sewing together two jockstraps to the latest fabric and design innovations debuting in 2012. What began with the original Jogbra, has expanded to more than 19 different Champion sports bra silhouettes designed for all type of fitness activities, levels of support and sizes.

For spring 2012, Champion introduced the new Champion Sweetheart Neckline Sports Bra and the Champion Seamless Adjustable Sports Bra, both launching at retail stores nationwide this month. In addition, the brand previewed more new sports bra styles planned for late summer and early fall.

[...]

Source:

Marketwatch

URL:

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/champion-athleticwear-celebrates-40th-anniversary-of-title-ix-with-womens-sports-foundation-board-chair-and-olympic-athlete-benita-fitzgerald-mosley-2012-03-29

Date:

April 1, 2012

Affiliate:

Associated Issues & Expertise:

AGENDA Annual Conference 2012 external rev March 30

Submitted by vivhdem on Fri, 03/30/2012 - 5:13pm

AGENDA: NCRW Annual Conference 2012 - Agenda-Setting Nationally and Globally: Leveraging Women's Voices

Attachment:

AGENDA for 2012 NCRW Conference (external) 3-27-12.pdf

Study: Teen access to Plan B uneven

Teaser:

Since 2009 the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has mandated that Plan B and other emergency contraceptives be available without a prescription to women age 17 and up. In reality, a new study suggests, a 17-year-old's access to these drugs can be uncertain.

Editorial:

From CNN:

In the study, two female research assistants at Boston University called every commercial pharmacy in five major cities and asked whether emergency contraception was available to them that day. If the answer was yes, they followed up with the question "If I'm 17, is that okay?"

At that point, 19% of the pharmacy workers told the young women that contraception would not be available to them. When researchers posing as doctors called the same pharmacies on behalf of a (fictional) 17-year-old patient, however, just 3% of pharmacies said the drugs weren't available.

Pharmacies, moreover, incorrectly reported the age guidelines for over-the-counter access to 43% of the "girls" and 39% of the "doctors," according to the study, which appears in the April issue of the journal Pediatrics.

[...]

Source:

CNN

URL:

http://www.cnn.com/2012/03/26/health/teen-contraception-access/

Date:

March 27, 2012

Affiliate:

Associated Issues & Expertise:

Sex talk still stigmatized in doc's office, study finds

Teaser:

Gynecologists and other doctors are not talking enough with their female patients about sexual problems and sexuality in general, leaving many women to suffer in silence, a new study concludes.

Editorial:

From MSNBC:

Based on a survey of obstetrician-gynecologists across the United States, the researchers found that less than half of them routinely ask their female patients about sexual problems. At the same time, the researchers noted from past studies that about a third of young and middle-age women have some sort of issue related to sexual intercourse, such as pain, low desire or lack of pleasure.

Such sexual dysfunction not only can lead to worry, shame, guilt and feelings of isolation for a woman, but can put a real strain on relationships, the researchers said.

"Patients are often reluctant to bring up sexual difficulties because of fear the physician will be embarrassed or will dismiss their concerns," lead study author Dr. Stacy Tessler Lindau said in a statement. "Doctors should be taking the lead."

[...]

Source:

MSNBC

URL:

http://todayhealth.today.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/03/22/10817181-sex-talk-still-stigmatized-in-docs-office-study-finds

Date:

March 23, 2012

Affiliate:

Associated Issues & Expertise:

Expert Profile

Location:

United States

32° 13' 59.8224" N, 110° 56' 55.6836" W

See map: Google Maps

Member Organizations:

Southwest Institute for Research on Women

Sally Stevens is the Executive Director of the University of Arizona - Southwest Institute for Research on Women (SIROW) and a Distinguished Outreach Professor in the Department of Gender and Women's Studies. Dr. Stevens conducts collaborative process and outcome studies in the area of health disparities, substance abuse and mental health, HIV and other infectious diseases, and innovations in education. Much of her work is community-based with a focus on gender and culture. Dr. Stevens has published numerous articles and edited several collected volumes on these topics. Her most recent article is titled Meeting the Substance Abuse Treatment Needs of Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Women: Implications from Research to Practice. Dr. Stevens conducts workshops and trainings on substance abuse and mental health treatment approaches, diversity and equity, community-based participatory action research, and program evaluation.

Location

Tucson, AZ 85721

United States

32° 13' 59.8224" N, 110° 56' 55.6836" W

See map: Google Maps

Associated Issues & Expertise:

Clyda Rent

Clyda S. Rent, Ph.D. is recognized as a successful leader, speaker, strategic planner, executive coach, and marketer. She played primary roles in the successful turnaround efforts of two significant higher education institutions. She served as a university president, vice-president, or dean for over two decades and on corporate boards. Rent was named by Working Woman magazine as One of the Nation’s Ten Most Admired Managers and in 2000 was honored as one of eleven for the International Women’s Forum award, Women Who Make a Difference. Rent is Co-founder and Principal of Rent Consulting Group, LLC in Charlotte, NC. The firm focuses on executive search, leadership, strategic planning, and executive coaching for leaders in higher education and health care sectors. Her coaching/mentoring clients include leaders and aspiring-to-next-level leaders from dean to president from major colleges and universities and health care organizations.

Associated Issues & Expertise:

Indigenous Women's Dialogue - Roundtable Report on the Accessibility of Plan B as an Over The Counter (OTC) Within Indian Health Service - February 2012

Submitted by asklar on Thu, 03/22/2012 - 11:02am

In most of the United States, a woman 17 years or older who needs Plan B, an emergency contraceptive that can prevent pregnancy up to 72 hours after intercourse, can walk up to a pharmacy counter and request it without a prescription.

But for Native American women served by the Indian Health Service, obtaining Plan B might require a drive of hundreds of miles, a wait beyond the pill's window of effectiveness, and a price beyond what the IHS would charge.

(From Local10.com)

URL:

http://www.nativeshop.org/images/stories/media/pdfs/Plan-B-Report.pdf

Black women more likely to die of breast cancer

Teaser:

More than 1,700 black women die of breast cancer every year in the United States because of racial disparities in cancer risks and access to care, suggests a new study.

Editorial:

From Reuters:

Researchers who calculated cancer death rates in 24 of the largest U.S. cities found that in 13 of them, black women were significantly more likely to die of breast cancer than white women.

That's despite the evidence that white women are more likely than blacks to get breast cancer in the first place.

"It's unfortunate that this disparity exists and we all need to work hard to overcome it," said Marc Hurlbert, one of the researchers on the new study from the Avon Foundation for Women, which funded the report.

"The good news is it's a solvable problem, because some cites are doing better than others," he said.

Of the cities where black women were more likely to die of breast cancer, that disparity ranged from a 24 percent higher risk of death in New York to more than twice the risk of death in Memphis between 2005 and 2007.

[...]

Source:

Reuters

URL:

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/03/21/us-black-women-breast-cancer-idUSBRE82K1CZ20120321

Date:

March 22, 2012

Affiliate:

Associated Issues & Expertise:

Building Women’s Meaningful Participation in the Scale-Up of Vertical Transmission Programmes

Submitted by asklar on Thu, 03/22/2012 - 10:41am

The Center for Women Policy Studies is very pleased to share with you the Briefing Paper from our sisters at the Global Coalition on Women and AIDS (GCWA) and the AIDS Legal Network (ALN), South Africa.

URL:

http://www.womenandaids.net/CMSPages/GetFile.aspx?guid=c7ce0acd-8ac1-4c34-9098-c77096279025&disposition=inline

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NCRW is a network of leading university and community based research, policy, and advocacy centers with a growing global reach dedicated to advancing rights and opportunities for women and girls. We also have a Corporate Circle comprised of senior diversity professionals from leading U.S. and global member companies and a Presidents Circle of college and university leaders who share our commitment. NCRW harnesses the collective power of its network to provide knowledge, analysis, and thought leadership on issues ranging from reducing women’s poverty to building a critical mass of women’s leadership across sectors.

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