A Quarterly Newsletter

National Breast Cancer Awareness Month
Celebrates 19 Years

October marks the 19th year of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Since the program began in 1985, mammography rates have more than doubled for women age 50 and older (from 25 percent in 1987 to 69 percent in 1998) and all breast cancer deaths have declined by 9.8 percent between 1989 and 1995.

This is significant progress, but there are still women who do not take advantage of early detection at all and others who do not get screening mammograms and clinical breast exams at regular intervals.

• Women age 65 and older are less likely to get mammograms than younger women (55 percent vs. 65 percent for women age 40-49), even though breast cancer risk increases with age.
• Hispanic women have fewer mammograms (63 percent) than Caucasian women (74 percent) and African American women (76 percent).
• Women below poverty level are less likely than women at higher incomes to have had a mammogram within the past two years (44 percent versus 65 percent, respectively).
• Mammography use increased between 1989 and 1997 for all groups except American Indian and Alaska Natives.
• American Indian and Alaska Native women experienced a 4.0 percent annual increase in breast cancer death rates.

National Mammography Day is October 17. Mammography facilities around the country will offer reduced-fee screenings on the 17th and throughout the month of October. For more information about certified mammography facilities in the area that will be offering reduced-fee screenings in October, call one of the following toll-free numbers: American Cancer Society, 800-227-2345, National Alliance of Breast Cancer Organizations (NABCO) at 888-80-NABCO, National Cancer Institute (NCI) at 800-4-CANCER, Y-ME National Breast Cancer Organization at 800-221-2141.

The National Breast Cancer Awareness Month program is dedicated to increasing public knowledge about the importance of early detection of breast cancer. Seventeen national public service organizations, professional associations, and government agencies comprise the Board of Sponsors, who work together to ensure that the NBCAM program is heard by thousands of women and their families.

Article reprinted courtesy of the National Breast Cancer Awareness Month web site at http://www.nbcam.org/.

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Women and Money
Personal Finance Series

With such a great response from campus and community women for the Women and Money series held during Summer 2003, a return run has been scheduled as part of the WRC’s Fall Program lineup. If you are one of the millions of women who use money every day, but need some assistance with wide-range planning or overall financial well-being, then this series is for you.

“Women and Money: A Guide to Financial Well-being” will be facilitated by Ani Quinby of the Eastern Eight Community Development Corporation. Beginning Thursday, October 16, and scheduled for four consecutive Thursdays, the series will end on November 13. Provided through SAFECO, lunch will be included with each session.

The five-part series, designed to help women plan for their financial health now and in the future, was developed as part of SAFECO's Strengthening America's Neighborhoods initiative. Both the guidebook and seminars are designed to educate and empower women in financial planning. Stocked with a detailed glossary and references for texts, web sites, and other outside financial planning resources, the guidebook will be an invaluable financial planning tool.

This series is a collaborative effort of the Eastern Eight Community Development Corporation, SAFECO, and the Women’s Resource Center. Please refer to the WRC Calendar of Events on page 3 for a complete list of dates for the series. All sessions will be held in the WRC, Panhellenic Hall, basement suite 2. Reserve your space by calling the WRC at 423-439-7847.

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“Legal Options for Women”

“Legal Options for Women” will be presented by Deborah Yeomans, J.D., on Wednesday, September 24, 2003. Location and time for this informative lunch break seminar is the Forum Room of the D.P. Culp Center, noon.

Topics to be discussed by Yeomans will include legal options related to domestic violence situations, the difference between an order of protection and a restraining order, including insight on the effectiveness of both. Also, child support specifics, along with the legalities surrounding divorce will be covered by Yeomans.

A 1987 graduate of the University of Tennessee’s College of Law, Yeomans has been with Legal Aid of East Tennessee for the past 14 years. Legal Aid of East Tennessee provides representation for indigent persons in civil matters such as divorce, domestic violence, bankruptcy, housing issues, TennCare, Medicare, and adoption.

This Women’s Legal Series Seminar is co-sponsored by the Counseling Center and Women’s Resource Center. For more information concerning this lunch break seminar, contact Kim Bushore-Maki at 423-439-4841 or the Women’s Resource Center at 423-439-7847.

Women’s Health Series
Fall 2003

“The Truth About Female Sexuality,” a Women’s Health Series seminar, is scheduled for Thursday, October 9, 2003, at noon. Judy Tudiver, Ph.D., licensed psychologist in private practice in Johnson City, will conduct this lunch break seminar. Location is the East Tennessee Room, D.P. Culp University Center.

With so much emphasis placed on the proactive care of the female anatomy during the month of October with National Breast Cancer Awareness Month events and Love Your Body Day on October 15, this timely seminar explores what is actually known about our female sexuality and female anatomy, along with dispelling some accepted myths.

On Tuesday, October 28, 2003, Coleen M. Smith, D.O., will present “Antioxidants – Are They for You?” Smith, osteopathic physician and owner of Johnson City Osteopathic Medicine, will discuss the value of vitamins A, E, and C, along with other ways to help your body stay healthy.

Clearly, there is a myriad of conflicting reports on the health benefits of antioxidants permeating medical journals, news reports, and print media. Often, this makes a proactive decision difficult for the layperson. This “basics” women’s health seminar can help with that decision.

Location for “Antioxidants – Are They for You?” is the East Tennessee Room, D.P. Culp University Center. For additional information regarding either seminar, contact the WRC at 423-439-7847.

Counseling Center
to highlight
Love Your Body Day

October 15, 2003, is the date for the sixth annual Love Your Body Day. Launched by the National Organization of Women Foundation, as part of the Women's Health Project initiative, the annual campaign encourages women and girls to love their bodies and keep them healthy every day of the year! In conjunction with the annual observance, the ETSU Counseling Center will sponsor an interactive information station from 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. Location is the Atrium of the D.P. Culp University Center.

Over the last five years, Love Your Body Day events have captured the attention of organizations and individuals nationwide. The campaign promotes self-esteem and a healthy lifestyle and sponsors an annual day of action to speak out against advertisements and images of women that are offensive, harmful, dangerous, and disrespectful.
Everyone should love what they see when they look in the mirror. Yet, advertisers and the fashion, cosmetics, and diet industries work very hard to make us believe that no parts of our bodies are acceptable. Print ads and commercials reduce us to body parts — lips, legs, breasts — airbrushed and touched up to meet impossible standards.

For decades, the fashion industry and Hollywood have promoted the diet pill, turning it into a multibillion dollar business. The new millennium tells women and teenage girls that face lifts and breast implants are good for self-esteem. Is it any wonder that more than 80 percent of fourth grade girls have been on some form of fad diet and by the eighth grade most of these girls will be using tobacco as a diet aid? Women and girls spend billions of dollars every year on cosmetics, fashion, magazines and diet aids. Get informed, then speak up for media images of women and girls that are diverse and realistic, promoting health and self-esteem.
For more information, contact Kim Bushore-Maki at 423-439-4841.

LYBD logo reprinted courtesy of the National Organization for Women Foundation web site at http://www.nowfoundation.org/issues/health/lybdkit/.

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FATAL VISION GOGGLE OLYMPICS
October 22 (rain date October 29)
11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m., Pedestrian Walkway, Culp Center
Contact: Kim Bushore-Maki at 423-439-4841.
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