Over twenty five years ago... a radical little book dared to tackle cultural taboos -- topics like menstruation, masturbation, and people with physical disabilities having sex. Circulating from woman to woman, "Our Bodies, Ourselves" quickly traveled from underground to mainstream and became every woman's bedroom classic, selling more than four million copies in 15 languages.
When "Our Bodies, Ourselves" was first published:
**About 2 percent of obstetrician-gynecologists were women, as compared with
     about 26 percent today.
**AIDS, surrogate mothers, home pregnancy tests, and fake fat were unheard of.
**Half of women were married by age 21; today, half are married by age 24.
It is obvious the world is changing... to that end it is not only important to know your body and the politics that surrounds women's healthcare today... it is imperative!
The National HPV & Cervical Cancer Campaign

Every year in the United States, approximately 12,900 women are diagnosed with
cervical cancer and 4,400 women die of the disease. Worldwide, cervical cancer
affects 400,000 women annually, and in some parts of the world, cervical cancer is the
most common cancer in women. With early and regular screening, most cases of cervical
cancer can be prevented.
Use of the Pap test as a screen for cervical cancer over the last fifty years has reduced the incidence of this disease in the U.S. by 75%. Yet despite this enormous success, each year thousands of American women are still affected and die unnecessarily. Most of the cervical cancers that occur in the U.S. occur in women who have not had regular cervical cancer screening. This emphasizes the importance of regular Pap testing. While the Pap test remains the primary screening method in the U.S., new cutting edge technologies are now available.
Clinical studies have confirmed that the human papillomavirus (HPV), is the primary cause of cervical cancer and is present in virtually all cases of cervical cancer. When a Pap test is abnormal, additional testing is needed and should be discussed with your doctor. A test to determine the presence of those HPV types that are currently known to lead to cervical cancer is now available for use in evaluating abnormal Pap tests. Of the more than 70 types of HPV, only 13 key types are now known to be associated with cervical cancer. Only those women who have persistent infection with one of these cancer causing types of HPV are at risk of developing cervical cancer.
HPV is one of the most common sexually transmitted infections in the United States. It is established that up to 80 percent of women will get HPV at some point during their lives. While many women become infected in their early 20’s, only a few of these women with HPV will develop cervical cancer. This is due to a combination of the natural defenses of the body and the availability of early treatment following an abnormal Pap test. There is growing scientific evidence that the ability to identify the presence of high risk HPV is key in our efforts to combat this disease.
Cervical cancer is a highly curable disease when detected early and can be the first major victory in the war against cancer. But in order to achieve this victory, American women need more education about cervical cancer, the importance of regular Pap test screening, and current and cutting edge tests for the causes of cervical cancer. In a recent survey, 70% of women were unable to name the cause of cervical cancer, and 76% had never heard of HPV. Knowledge about the cause of cervical cancer, existing and new screening tests and protocols, and improved treatments can save lives.
The National HPV & Cervical Cancer Campaign will enable women to discuss this disease with their health care provider by informing women about:
• the link between HPV and cervical cancer
• methods to detect precancerous cervical disease and cervical cancer
• the availability of effective treatment for precancerous cervical disease and cervical cancer.
The Campaign works in partnership with the American Medical Women’s Association, an organization of women physicians and medical students dedicated to improving women’s health. The Campaign also partners with a core group of women’s, health, and cancer organizations, to develop and disseminate information about HPV, cervical cancer, and available detection methods to women throughout the United States. The goal of the Campaign is to reduce the number of preventable deaths caused each year by cervical cancer through increased education, outreach and communication between women and their health care providers.

The National HPV & Cervical Cancer Campaign has received an unrestricted educational grant from Digene Corporation.
Stop Drive-through Mastectomies!
Sign the pledge and make a difference.

You would think a diagnosis of breast cancer would be bad enough, but despite wide-ranging medical opinions that women who have undergone mastectomies need at least two to four days to recover from the surgery, insurance companies continue to refuse to cover hospital stays. The result? Women are forced to leave the hospital before they are ready.
You may have thought that this health crisis was behind us. After all, back in 1996, 17,000 of you signed Lifetime’s online petition against "drive-through mastectomies," an issue that has received nationwide attention. Lifetime brought your signatures to Congress and the White House. But the Breast Cancer Patient Protection Act, which would guarantee a minimum hospital stay of 48 hours for women undergoing mastectomy, was never brought to a vote.
This year, U.S. Rep. Rosa DeLauro, a strong advocate for women's health, has reintroduced this legislation to ensure that breast cancer patients get the care they deserve. Rep. DeLauro won’t give up on this — and neither will we.
If you agree that mastectomies require more than one night's hospital stay, here’s your chance to make your voice heard. The Articulate Rainbow is proud to provide this link to assist in collecting signatures and once again, Lifetime will deliver these signatures to Rep. DeLauro's office on Capitol Hill and to the White House. With the strength of these petition numbers behind us, we will get this legislation passed.

                              Click on O'Hare (the caring bear to the left here)
                    to read and sign the pledge and make a difference!
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