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February Featured Health Article: FAQs:
Heart and Cardiovascular Disease Hot Topics of the Month: | From the NWHIC Project Director U.S. Department of Health
and Human Services It’s the stuff of love stories, boxes of chocolates, and romantic dinners for two. When store shelves fill with red cupids and little hearts, it must be February and Valentine’s Day is sure to be around the corner. In addition to being a month for expressions of love, this month is also American Heart Month for good reason. Just as we begin to think about our hearts because of Valentine’s Day, February has become the month we recognize something more serious. This month we focus on the nation’s number one killer among women—heart disease. Chances are you know someone who has high blood pressure, is overweight, smokes or is not physically active. However, did you realize all of these things significantly increase your chance of heart disease? According to the American Heart Association, one in 29 American women will die of breast cancer but one in 2.4 will die of heart disease, stroke, and other cardiovascular diseases. With advances in research and continued public demand, the amount of information about women and heart disease is becoming more available. In this newsletter alone, we have included information from campaigns such as the American Heart Association, the Congenital Heart Information Network; The Heart Truth; Sister to Sister; and others. Even if you’re at less risk, there are plenty of things you can
do this month to make sure your heart is in good health. One good way
is to get involved in your community and participate in National
Girls and Women in Sports Day on February 6th. Also, when reaching
out to girls in your life, take note that National Eating Disorders
Awareness Week is during February as well. If you know someone with
an eating disorder, take the time to reassure him or her of your friendship
and support of their recovery process. Discover an entire list of special
health events by logging onto their website. Valerie Scardino, M.P.A. 4GIRLS.GOV HAS A NEW LOOK! New Images Added to FAQs About Uterine Fibroids You can find these updates on www.4woman.gov/faq/fibroids.htm CALL NOW TO RESERVE YOUR COPY OF THE 2004 WOMEN’S HEALTH DAYBOOK, “WELLNESS STARTS WITH YOU: WOMEN'S STEPS TO A HEALTHIER US!” Our annual Daybook offers comprehensive information on a variety of health topics along with other valuable resources. Reserve your copy while supplies last by calling us at: 1-800-994-9662! NOW AVAILABLE IN ENGLISH, SPANISH AND CHINESE! "A LIFETIME OF GOOD HEALTH, YOUR GUIDE TO STAYING HEALTHY" -THE PREVENTION GUIDE: In addition to the English version, this helpful guide is also available in Spanish and Chinese. This attractive, easy-to-read guide offers basic information that every woman needs to know to protect her health and the health of the ones she loves. It's full of useful information such as recommended screenings and immunizations and provides tips on topics such as maintaining a healthy pregnancy, healthy lungs and healthy eyes, just to name a few. You can order your copy now by calling NWHIC at 1-800-994-9662. FOR YOUR HEART (http://www.4woman.gov/hhs/)
National Wear Red Day: Taking Women’s Health to Heart Friday, February 6, 2004 is National Wear Red Day, a day when people nationwide will take women’s health to heart by wearing red to show their support for raising awareness that heart disease is the #1 killer of women in the United States. By showing off a favorite red dress, shirt, or tie, Americans will unite in the national movement to give women a personal and urgent wake-up call about their risk of heart disease. National Wear Red Day supports the Red Dress as the symbol for women and heart disease awareness, allowing women and men across the country to participate in this life-saving awareness movement. The Federal government launched the Red Dress icon as the creative centerpiece of its Heart Truth campaign and is proud to collaborate with national and local partners to proclaim the first Friday during American Heart Month as the first annual National Wear Red Day. Thousands of people will commemorate this important day through special events and awareness activities at clinics, hospitals, workplaces, and other public places to help spread The Heart Truth, “Heart disease doesn't care what you wear. It’s the #1 killer of women.” In addition to donning red, Americans can support women and heart disease by wearing the official Red Dress lapel pin, available for $2.50 from the NHLBI Health Information Center at www.hearttruth.gov or by calling 301-592-8573 (TTY: 240-629-3255). The Heart Truth, a national awareness campaign for women about heart disease is sponsored by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), in partnership with the Office on Women's Health (OWH); The American Heart Association; WomenHeart: the National Coalition for Women with Heart Disease; and other groups committed to the health and well-being of women. For more information on women and heart disease and ideas on how to raise awareness in your community, visit:
BE A PART OF A VACCINE EFFORT FOR STDS: NEW RESEARCH BEING CONDUCTED FOR POSSIBLE HERPES VACCINE – The UCLA center for vaccine research is recruiting volunteers for a herpes vaccine that could possibly be the first vaccine available for the prevention of a sexually transmitted disease. Sponsored by the NIH. For more information about this effort. Antibiotic Resistance: Get Smart, Know When Antibiotics
Work REQUEST FOR ABSTRACTS! The 2004 National Conference on
Health Care and Domestic Violence Call for Abstracts ** THE DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSION OF ABSTRACTS IS FEBRUARY 26, 2004. The goal of the Third National Conference on Health Care and Domestic Violence is to advance the field of health care's response to domestic violence. The National Conference provides valuable professional education on the latest research and innovative health care prevention and clinical responses to domestic violence for over 750 health care professionals. Please contact Mari Spira at (415) 252-8900 x 20 or mari@endabuse.org with questions. 
National
Breastfeeding Support & Awareness:
BREASTFEEDING HELPLINE! NWHIC CAN ANSWER YOUR BASIC BREASTFEEDING QUESTIONS - Do you have questions about breastfeeding? NWHIC can help you with your basic concerns. Our trained Breastfeeding Counselors can answer breastfeeding questions in English and Spanish, order free breastfeeding publications for you and direct you to organizations that can provide you with additional assistance. Call us today at: 1-800-994-9662 or TDD 1-888-220-5446. FREE BREASTFEEDING INFORMATION PACKETS NOW AVAILABLE IN ENGLISH, SPANISH AND CHINESE! These information sheets are available through our toll-free call center 1-800-994-9662, and online. 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. 
Have you ever wanted to meet the people behind OWH and NWHIC? Here is your chance to introduce yourself face to face. We’d love to meet you at one of the upcoming conferences we will be attending this month. If you’re in town, please drop by our booth to ask us questions about NWHIC or OWH one-on-one or just stop in and say hi. OWH or NWHIC representatives will be at the following
locations in February:
FOR DINNER:
FOR DESSERT: "Keep the Beat: Heart Healthy Recipes" can be downloaded free of charge. Printed copies are available for $4.00 through the website or from the NHLBI Information Center at P.O. Box 30105, Bethesda, MD 20824-0105, or at 301-592-8573 or 240-629-3255 (TTY) 
National Observances
MONTH LONG OBSERVANCES: WEEK LONG OBSERVANCES: DAY LONG OBSERVANCES:
Featured Organizations
AMERICAN HEART ASSOCIATION SISTER TO SISTER PREVENT BLINDNESS
AMERICA AMERICAN DENTAL ASSOCIATION AMERICAN ACADEMY OF OTOLARYNGOLOGY,
HEAD AND NECK SURGERY, INC. AMERICAN BURN ASSOCIATION OFFICE OF OCCUPANT PROTECTION CONGENITAL HEART INFORMATION
NETWORK AMERICAN SOCIAL HEALTH ASSOCIATION NATIONAL EATING
DISORDERS ASSOCIATION 
Who is Using NWHIC's Services? Arizona, Massachusetts, Main, Minnesota, Nebraska, New Mexico, Tennessee and Wyoming are the states with the LOWEST calls last month to our Information and Referral Line (1-800-994-WOMAN). If you reside in one of these states, we encourage you to make your first call in February and request some of the listed publications in this month’s newsletter. Maryland & Georgia brought in the most calls this month. Our most frequent health topic requests for January were for information on: pregnancy, cancer, breast pain, HPV, menstruation, and disabilities. 
About the 2004 Women’s Health Daybook! “4 women – to women- about women. The impact of this daybook has changed my life. I read it from cover to cover. I put it to practice. I’m a cancer survivor this book has opened my eyes, has helped me in so many ways. It has enlightened me. It has enabled me to speak with my doctor on better terms. It gives me knowledge. Thank you so much for sending this book to me. I am forever grateful. Keep up the good work.” -Beth. Lancaster, PA “Thanks to your Women’s Health Daybook, I found breast cancer in its early stages. Thank you. Looking forward to having your 2004 Daybook. Thanks again.” -Sheila. Joplin, MO “This booklet has been such a wonderful source of information. I’ve been able to share it and use it to peek interest in people to inform them about THEIR health. It’s very well put together and easy to read. I have a place of business and would very much like to know how to obtain books for 2004 and share them with others. Thanks.” -Cheryl. Detroit, MI “This book is fabulous. It makes scheduling very easy for me. It gives me reminders about things to ask my doctors about types of check ups I need. I am a breast cancer survivor so I have many check ups and various doctors. I love the layout and the information is very helpful. Thank you! I look forward to the 2004 Daybook.” -Susan. Arlington, VA “Thank you! Thank you! This is my second edition of your Women’s Health Daybook. I have gained more knowledge about women’s health issues from these two books and I am sixty years old. The books to me are like my American Express card, “Don’t leave home without it.” Keep up the good work. The format and content are great. I am looking forward to the next issue.” -Jennie. Beaufort, SC 
User Support
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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 The Heart Healthy Handbook: Download this online or call 1-800-994-9662 to request a copy be sent to you. A Healthy Mouth for Your Baby available online, or call 1-800-994-9662 to request a copy be sent to you. How Does Alcohol Affect the World of a Child? The National Cancer Institute's Cervical Cancer Homepage. Car Safety for You and Your Baby - ACOG Publication #AP018
Guest editor feature for February 2004: If you're a regular reader of Woman's Day, you know that we've been championing the cause of women and heart disease for a long time - five years, to be exact. In that time, we've collaborated with the American Heart Association (AHA) on more than a dozen articles to help raise awareness about the number one health threat facing American women. This month, in recognition of American Heart Month, Jane Chesnutt from Women’s Day magazine has given us a series of great articles detailing the effects of heart disease in American women. Be sure to read this whole series and share the articles with the people you love this month. Read the rest of this month's article, A Woman's Heart Spanish Guest editor feature for February 2004: Article from "La
Opinion" online newspaper about Alzheimer's Disease entitled
"Dementia:
la enfermedad de Alzheimer." The information in this article
is printed in Spanish.
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