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focusing on women's health
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Volunteers from Neighborhood Health Plan at a recent YW Boston women's health phone-a-thon.
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October means falling leaves, cooler air, and pink everywhere! As national Breast Cancer Awareness Month comes to a close, YW Boston is proud that we focus on eliminating health disparities - including those related to breast cancer - this month, and every month, as a key part of our work.
For over 20 years, the Women's Health and Wellness program of YW Boston has provided chronic disease prevention, education and support services to women in greater Boston. In this special "Persimmon & Pink" edition of YWCatalyst, we hope you will discover some of the ways that YW Boston is working to keep women healthy, and that you may learn some ways to take care of your own health.
We'd like to particularly thank the Avon Foundation for Women and Susan G. Komen for the Cure Massachusetts Affiliate for their long-standing support of our work to reduce breast cancer disparities in Boston - we've been doing this work for years thanks to their generosity!
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volunteers take action to promote health
This October, YW Boston staff, volunteers, and partnering organizations worked together to ensure that women have access to the breast health information and resources they need through two events: a Breast Health Phone-a-Thon and a YW Boston team at the Komen Massachusetts Race for the Cure.
October 24th's Breast Health Phone-a-thon, held in partnership with Neighborhood Health Plan, provided breast cancer screening resources and support to women who have lapsed in their mammograms and clinical breast exams. Over 30 volunteers called hundreds of women to discuss the importance of ongoing preventive screenings. Many of the women we called were referred to their health care providers for mammograms on the spot!
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YW Boston's team stretches before the 2012 Komen Massachusetts Race for the Cure.
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On October 20, YW Boston staff, friends, family and Board Members donned orange shirts and pink ribbons at the 2012 Komen Massachusetts Race for the Cure, a fundraiser and memorial 5K walk to benefit breast cancer research, education and awareness. YW Boston ranked fourth amongst two dozen Massachusetts Komen grantees for most money raised!
Thank you to our racing team of 23 members, including Board Members Nancy Hayes Bevington, Kathleen McQuiggan and Mim Minichiello, for making this event a success. Click here for more photos of the YW team in action.
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In the Shower or Lying Down:
Place your right hand behind your head. With the fingers of your left hand flat, press you right breast in either a circular or vertical pattern using light, medium, and firm pressure. Be sure to span the entire breast including the region of your underarm and the region right below your
collarbone. Keep your hand pressed against your breast throughout the self-breast exam (simply poking the breast at random spots can leave areas of your breast unexamined). Check for any lumps, hard knots, or thickening. Finally, squeeze the nipple to examine for discharge and lumps. Repeat these steps for your left breast using your right hand.
Before a Mirror:
Look for any changes in the contour of each breast, a swelling, a dimpling of the skin, change in size, or changes in the nipples as you pose before the mirror in the following three positions:
- Standing straight with your arms at your sides.
- Standing straight with your arms high overhead.
- Placing hands on your hips as you bend over at the hip.
Breast Changes that should be reported to your health care provider:
- Lump, hard knot or thickening inside the breast or underarm area
- Swelling, warmth, redness or darkening of the breast
- Change in the size or shape of the breast
- Dimpling or puckering of the breast skin
- Itchy, scaly sore or rash on the nipple
- Pulling in of your nipple or other parts of the breast
- Nipple discharge that starts suddenly
- New pain in one spot that does not go away
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helping to "elevate lives!"
On October 15, nearly 400 people attended YW Boston's 6th Annual Elevating Lives Breakfast, raising over $80,000 to support our programs! Thanks to all who turned out, and especially to our Elevating Lives Breakfast Supporting Sponsors: | |
� Milton Bevington, All Rights Reserved
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Catalina Leadership
Citibank
VivaKi
to view more photos from the event!
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expanding care to latina women
In partnership with the Dana-Faber Mobile Mammography Van and several community health centers, YW Boston offers culturally appropriate comprehensive breast health education to women who are disproportionately affected by breast cancer.
This year, YW Boston has formed new partnerships to expand its breast health education services to Latina women. Thanks to our collaboration with Bowdoin Street Health Center, Joseph Smith Community Health Center of Allston, Martha Eliot Community Health Center, Roxbury Comprehensive, South End Community Health Center, Southern Jamaica Plain Health Center & Brookside Community Health Center, we've been able to dramatically increase the number of Latina women we serve!
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why mammograms are not enough
Breasts that are "dense," meaning that they are comprised of less fat and more connective tissue, appear white on a mammogram image. This makes it harder to find tumors in the breast, because tumors also appear white on a mammogram image.
Ask your physician if you have dense breasts during your next mammogram appointment. A breast ultrasound can be provided as an alternative screening method. In conjunction with appropriate screening, clinical breast exams and frequent self breast exams can help in the early detection of breast cancer.
For information on recent legislation concerning screening for women with dense breasts, check out this article. |
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race and women's health
In July 2007, The Boston Globe reported this about the connection between racism and women's health:
"More than 100 studies -- most published since 2000 - now document the effects of racial discrimination on physical health."
"Black women who pointed to racism as a source of stress in their lives developed more plaque in their carotid arteries - an early sign of heart disease - than black women who didn't."
Click here to learn about how you can be involved with YW Boston's annual Stand Against Racism.
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preventative screenings and the affordable care act
As laws regarding health change, it is important to keep informed about what to expect. Under the Affordable Care Act, women are currently entitled to access to 22 preventive services with no co-pay, including breast cancer mammography screenings, breast cancer genetic testing and counseling, cervical cancer screening, gestational diabetes screening, and STI screening and counseling.
Men are also entitled to many preventative screenings with no co-pay.
For more information regarding preventative care and the Affordable Care Act, click here or here.
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