Newsletter

Newsletter The Women’s Health Activist® is a bimonthly publication of the National Women’s Health Network. We’d like to hear from you. Please e-mail questions or comments to editor@nwhn.org.

2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012

The Right to Choose and the Right to Know: Women's Health and Integrity Depend on Both

July/August 2008

By Cynthia Pearson, Executive Director

NWHN supports women’s right to choose what’s best for them when they’re dealing with their health. We also support everyone’s right to make fully informed decisions about their health care. Aren’t these two the same? Well, not always.

Hear us Now! A Powerful Force for Health Care Reform

July/August 2008

By Amy Allina

A veteran forced to leave school and declare bankruptcy to deal with her health care needs and expenses…A mother who moved her family across the country so she could care for her aging father and advocate for him after poor quality care during a hospitalization threatened to lead to long-term institutionalization…A Latina immigrant who sought health care through a community health program and then won awards for her work to promote community health with women facing problems similar to those she had confronted.

Latinas and Sterilization in the United States

May/June 2008

By Jessica Gonzalez-Rojas and Taja Lindley
National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health (NLIRH)

 

To “B” or Not to “B”

May/June 2008

By Cindy Pearson

 

Usually, when we write an article in our “You Heard it Here First” series, we’re patting ourselves and our members on the back for being in the know. Because NWHN loves to dig deep into an issue, we are often able to figure out new information before it is widely known. This time, however, it wasn’t knowledge that we predicted -- it was controversy.

Help Your Doctor Break the Sample Habit

May/June 2008

By Adriane Fugh-Berman, M.D.

 

Does your doctor give you drug samples? It’s always nice to get something for free. But, medication samples aren’t like the free samples you get at the supermarket. If you accept a cube of cheese offered to you at a grocery store, you can decide to purchase more if you like it, and walk away if you don’t.

Natural Hormones are Powerful Chemicals

May/June 2008

By Amy Allina

 

As more women have learned about the health risks of conventional hormone therapy drugs, many have started looking for natural alternatives, such as herbs or dietary supplements. One kind of alternative -- natural hormones, also called bio-identical hormones -- has attracted a lot of new interest. This has been driven, in large part, by unsubstantiated claims by the companies and pharmacies that make and distribute so-called “natural hormones” that their products are safer than conventional hormone therapy drugs.

Barbara Seaman 1935-2008: Author, Activist, NWHN Co-Founder

May/June 2008

By Cindy Pearson, Executive Director

Hormones for Hot Flashes - Is "Natural" Better?

January/February 2008

by Adriane Fugh-Berman, M.D.

Prescription Drugs for Healthy Adults - Too Much of a Good Thing?

January/February 2008

by Cynthia Pearson, Executive Director

Thank goodness for prescription drugs. Let me just say that right off the bat, before I give the wrong impression. Prescription drugs that have been proven to be safe and effective for a specific use have saved many, many lives. Maybe even mine. (I had a few pretty scary infections back when I was young and careless.)

Immigrant Women's Health a Casualty in the Immigration Policy War

January/February 2008

By Aishia Glasford and Priscilla Huang

Considering a Behind-the-Counter Option for Drugs

January/February 2008

By Amy Allina

CT Scans and Cancer Risk

November/December 2007 Women’s Health Activist Newsletter

Loyal readers of The Women’s Health Activist weren’t surprised when the television news shows and daily newspapers covered the “news” that Computed Tomography (CT) scans increased the risk of cancer. Sparked by a review article published in the New England Journal of Medicine on November 29, the media covered the story with headlines such as: “CT scans raise cancer risk”, “Rise in CT scans poses cancer risk”, and “Cancer tied to needless CT scans”.