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  Women's Resources: Women's Health
Understanding your body is necessary to live a long and healthy life. To better acquaint yourself with the female anatomy, click here.

Visiting the Gynecologist

GYN exams are an integral part of a woman's comprehensive health care. GYN exams are not only for sexually active women. If you are 18 years or older, or have ever been sexually active, it is recommended that you have an annual gynecologic exam. The purpose of this exam is to determine that your reproductive organs are healthy, and to detect any medical conditions (such as infections or abnormal Pap smears) that could become serious if not treated. Click here for more information on your first GYN exam.

Information on your Menstrual Cycle and Pre-Menstrual Syndrome.

Calcium!

Young women (adolescents and young adults) need to make sure they get enough calcium, as they can achieve their peak bone mass just after this age. Adequate amounts of calcium will help her bones reach optimum bone density. This can help protect her from osteoporosis later in life. Mature women need calcium to prevent break down of bone. There is also a growing body of research that suggests that calcium may prevent PMS.

Where's The Calcium

  1. Non-dairy foods: broccoli (36 mg/0.5 cup cooked), sardines (420 mg/213 g), clams, oysters, kale (90 mg/0.5 cup cooked), turnip greens (99 mg/0.5 cup cooked), and mustard greens.
  2. Artificially calcium-fortified: juices and cereals. Calcium-fortified orange juice contains 320 mg/cup, while calcium-fortified cereals contain 200 mg/cup.
  3. Supplements: calcium carbonate, calcium citrate, calcium gluconate, calcium glubionate, calcium lactate, tricalcium phosphate
  4. Other forms: Tums, Viactive, Soy milk (200-500 mg/cup). Tums are tablets that contain calcium carbonate. One regular strength tablet contains 200 mg and one extra strength tablet contains 300 mg.
  5. Milk (whole, 2%, 1%, and skim) contains 315 mg/cup and fruit-flavored yogurt contains 259 mg per ¾ cup.

Skin Safety

Do you look forward to semester breaks so you can relax in the sun and get a tan? Many students do. A suntan looks good, but it is a sign that your skin is trying to protect itself from damage. Be especially careful not to get sunburned. In fact, you should never get sunburned! It can lead to premature aging, wrinkling of the skin, and skin cancer. (Be extra cautious if you have a family history of skin cancer.) Even if you are not concerned about these problems now, the pain and blisters that come with a severe sunburn can make spring break unbearable.

The risk for sunburn is increased for persons with fair skin, blue eyes, red or blond hair, and for persons taking some medicines. These include birth control pills; some antibiotics, such as tetracycline and sulfa drugs; and Benadryl, an over-the-counter antihistamine. Found out more with our Online Resources.

Breast Cancer Prevention

Some things you can't avoid when it comes to breast cancer risk, such as your age, genetic makeup and environmental exposures. But other breast cancer risk factors are well within your control. Recent studies indicate that lifestyle choices are more influential than genetic pre-disposition in the development of breast cancer. Employing preventive health measures can't guarantee that you won't develop breast cancer, but it's a step in the right direction.

  1. Diet and Exercise -  Women concerned about breast cancer should limit the fat content of their diets, especially since heavier women are at increased risk for breast cancer. Having more fat tissue can increase your blood estrogen levels, and one theory is that increased estrogen exposure is linked to breast cancer risk. A low-fat diet can help women reduce their weight and thus avoid this risk factor, as can a regular program of exercise.

  2. Alcohol Consumption - Studies have shown that women who have two to five alcoholic drinks each day have 1.5 times the risk of breast cancer as women who do not. However, studies for lower levels of consumption have been less clear (some find a relationship and others do not).

  3. Smoking - Although smoking is clearly linked to overall cancer risk, scientists don't yet know how it affects breast cancer risk. An American Cancer Society study suggested that women who smoke may be more likely to die from breast cancer. However, scientists don't know whether this means that women who smoke are less likely to survive breast cancer or that smoking contributes to breast cancer risk. Whatever the case, there are many benefits to be gained from quitting smoking — one of which may be a reduced risk for breast cancer.

Click here to learn how to perform a Self-Breast Exam.