In November, the Network Celebrates…
Diabetes Awareness Native American Heritage Birth Control Access Family Caregivers
The best science, stories, and strategies related to this month’s national health themes. Check back throughout the month for new additions.
Diabetes Awareness
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According to the CDC, diabetes is a chronic (long-lasting) disease that affects how your body turns food into energy. There are three main types of diabetes: type 1, type 2, and gestational diabetes (diabetes while pregnant). More than 133 million Americans are living with diabetes or prediabetes. Learn about diabetes prevention and management below.
- Action Alert! November is Diabetes Awareness Month – This is a time when communities across the country seek to bring attention to diabetes. This year’s focus is on taking action to prevent diabetes health problems. Learn more about how to observe over at NIH.
- Diabetes 101– The CDC has compiled a comprehensive resource center on diabetes basics.
- Diabetes and Women – Women with diabetes simply have more to manage. It increases the risk of heart disease, blindness, kidney disease, and depression more than it does in men. Learn how to manage it so you can be your healthiest here.
- The Diabetes Roadmap to Wellness – No matter where you are in your diabetes journey, the American Diabetes Association has the resources you need to thrive.
- Diabetes-Friendly Recipes – How do cheddar apples, roasted salmon, and noodle soup sound?
- Vetted Diabetes Support Groups – A comprehensive list of the best diabetes support groups out there, their structure, cost, and details.
- Diabetes Stories – Hear from patients who are successfully managing their diabetes.
Further Reading - News and Recent Articles
- Can this eye implant treat diabetes?
- Common medications linked to cardiac arrest in people with diabetes.
- How insoluble fiber can lower your risk of type 2 diabetes and cancer
- Diabetic Foot: Charting the Course of the Effect on Feet
- Healthy During the Holidays: Delicious Ways to Celebrate When You Have Diabetes
- Frequently adding salt to food linked to increased type 2 diabetes risk
- FDA Approves Eli Lilly’s Diabetes Drug Zepbound as a Weight Loss Treatment
- Eating red meat linked to higher risk of type 2 diabetes, study finds
- Intermittent fasting for weight loss in people with type 2 diabetes
- Avocado a day may keep diabetes at bay, suggests nutritional biomarker study
- Study: Your Voice May Reveal If You Have Type 2 Diabetes
- What are the types of diabetes? Hint: It’s more than just Type 1 and Type 2.
- Depression Can Be a Killer for People With Diabetes
- Probiotics paired with metformin could be a game-changer in type 2 diabetes control
- Cutting-edge ‘precision medicine’ shows great potential to improve diabetes care
Native American Heritage
According to newly released census statistics, over 9 million U.S. residents identified in whole or in part as Native American and Alaska Native. Native American and Alaska Native people have long experienced lower health status when compared with other Americans. Learn more about these health disparities and organizations working to close the gap below. The graphic above depicts Annie Dodge Wauneka, Navajo Nation Leader and public health activist. Read more about her at the Women of the Hall.
- Action Alert! November is National Native American Heritage Month – Every year on November 1, Native American Heritage Month is celebrated to honor the remarkable Native Americans who have contributed a lot to improve the character of the nation. Learn more about how to observe here.
- An Overview of Native American Health Disparities – Native Americans and Alaska Natives continue to die at higher rates than other Americans in many categories, including chronic liver disease and cirrhosis, diabetes mellitus, unintentional injuries. Learn more about the factors contributing to these disparate health outcomes from the Indian Health Service.
- Native American Women and Maternal Health – Native American and Alaska Native people experience disparities in pregnancy-related death and other maternal health conditions. Ongoing and historical trauma due to colonization, genocide, forced migration, and cultural erasure contribute to health inequities. Learn more from the CDC here.
- Featured Organization: The Changing Woman Initiative – CWI was one of the first organizations to graduate from the NWHN’s HEALTH program. Learn more about how they’re improving Native American maternal health and decolonizing birth knowledge on their website.
- What is the Indian Health Service – The Indian Health Service, an agency within the Department of Health and Human Services, is responsible for providing federal health services to Native Americans and Alaska Natives. Learn more about their programs here.
- 10 Indigenous Educators to Follow on Social Media – A Lakota model. A native dance master. A global water activist. A two-spirit LGBTQAI activist. These are just a few of the native social media influencers taking the US by storm right now.
Further Reading - News and Recent Articles
- Opinion: Providing care for Native American people requires a sensitivity to cultural disparities
- Consumer Alert: Fraud Schemes Targeting Native American Communities in Behavioral Health Treatment Centers
- Native American health care remains vastly underfunded
- November is Native American Heritage Month. Here’s How That Happened.
- Medical school on Cherokee Reservation will soon send doctors to tribal and rural areas
- New training program expands access to rheumatology care for Native American communities
- How Susan La Flesche Picotte became the 1st Native American medical doctor
Birth Control Access
In the United States, roughly six in ten women (61 percent) are on some form of contraception as of 2023. On Thanks Birth Control Day, we celebrate the history and importance of birth control to reproductive autonomy.
- Action Alert! November 15 is Thanks Birth Control Day – Learn how to support birth control access and spread the word over at Power to Decide.
- A Brief History of Contraception – Did you know condoms are thousands of years old, and used to be made out of animal intestines? And the first spermicide? That was crocodile dung and fermented dough! Learn more vintage birth control facts here.
- The Types of Birth Control and Their Effectiveness – View the complete list and sort by features like best at preventing pregnancy, ease of use, help with periods, less or no hormones, etc.
- Birth Control FAQs – The Office on Women’s Health has research-backed answers to the most commonly asked questions about birth control on their website.
- How to Shop for Birth Control Online – The NWHN has created the online shopping guide we didn’t know we needed.
- Featured Organization: Power to Decide – Power to Decide is the founder of Thanks Birth Control Day. They advance sexual and reproductive well-being for all. Check out their resource library here.
- Birth Control Stories – Hear from real people about the benefits of birth control.
Further Reading - News and Recent Articles
- Your insurance may soon cover these OTC products
- What’s driving more women to quit birth control
- What to know before taking obesity drugs while on birth control
- Opill: Is this new birth control pill right for you?
- Readout of HHS Secretary Becerra’s Roundtable on Contraception Access
- Birth Control Access, Parental Rights Collide in Fifth Circuit
Family Caregivers
According to AARP, Across the United States, an estimated 38 million people, about 11.5% of the population, are taking care of loved ones in 2023. This represents nearly $6 Billion dollars in unpaid care across the US. Get resources for caregivers and learn how to recognize their contributions below.
- Action Alert! November is Family Caregivers Month – This annual observance is dedicated to recognizing and honoring the selfless individuals who provide essential care and support to their loved ones who are ill, disabled, or elderly. Learn how to observe here.
- Featured Organization: Family Caregivers Alliance – The mission of Family Caregiver Alliance is to improve the quality of life for family caregivers and the people who receive their care.
- Intersectional Resources for Caregivers – Caregiving resources specific to types of illness, demographic, population type, and more.
- Caregiver FAQs– Answers to the most common questions received about caregiving.
- Vetted Caregiving Support Group List – A Place For Mom has compiled a list of both online and in person groups.
- Caregiver Stories – Read dozens of stories written by caregivers that cover everything from the practical considerations of caregiving to the mental and spiritual challenges.
Further Reading - News and Recent Articles
- Baby boomers are aging. Their kids aren’t ready.
- Online groups help family caregivers relieve stress, recharge, and learn
- Nearly Half of the Sandwich Generation Report a Time They were Unable to Meet Essential Expenses Due to Costs of Caregiving, Finds Special Edition of New York Life Wealth Watch Survey
- A Place for Mom State of Caregiving Survey Reveals Crisis for Families Caring for Aging Parents in America
- As People Live Longer, Family Caregivers Face Financial Challenges
- What You Need to Know as a Caregiver for Someone Who Had a Stroke