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Resources for Women

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The mission of ACSM's Strategic Health Initiative for Women, Sport and Physical Activity is to "focus on scientific, medical and educational issues that pertain specifically to women and girls with the purpose of maintaining and enhancing fitness, health, sport and physical performance, and well being throughout the life cycle."

In keeping with this mission, the purpose of this page is to provide women and girls with resources to live healthier, happier lives.

Articles developed by ACSM
NEW! What are uterine fibroids?
NEW! Exercise as a way to reduce the side effects of breast cancer diagnosis and treatment
Benefits of Sport Participation for Young Females
Exercising Regularly After a Cancer Diagnosis
Mental Benefits of Exercise for Adolescents
Adolescent Bone Health
Vitamins: Are They Really Needed?
The Female Athlete Triad
The importance of calcium
Exercise, pregnancy, and postpartum depression
Exercise and cancer recovery
Urinary incontinence and the benefits of exercise
Exercise and osteoporosis
Depression and exercise
Strength training for women

Helpful resources
ACSM Current Comments
Asthma
Birth Control Pills
Breast Cancer
Depression
Female Athlete Triad
General women’s health links
Heart Disease
Incontinence
Menopause
Mesothelioma
Osteoporosis
Pregnancy health
Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD)
Stroke
Uterine Health

ACSM Current Comments. ACSM Current Comments are fact sheets on a variety of health and fitness topics, including exercise, youth sports and health, athletes and sports, and much more.
www.acsm.org/cc

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Asthma. In adults, more than 66 percent of asthma sufferers are women.
http://www.8004asthma.com/asthma_and_pregnancy.htm - Asthma and pregnancy, a series of frequently asked questions.
http://www.acsm.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Current_Comments1&Template=/CM/ContentDisplay.cfm&ContentID=8618 - ACSM Current Comment on Exercise-Induced Asthma

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Birth Control Pills
http://www.fwhc.org/birth-control/thepill.htm - This site details advantages and disadvantages to taking oral contraceptives and answers some commonly asked questions about birth control. 
http://www.fhi.org/en/RH/Pubs/factsheets/OCriskben.htm - Family Health International fact sheet on oral contraception. 
http://www.wdxcyber.com/ncontr13.htm - Article written by Frederick Jelovsek, M.D., on birth control pills.

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Breast Cancer
http://www.ourbodiesourselves.org/mammo.htm - Our Bodies Ourselves, also known as the “Boston Women’s Health Book Collective,” features an array of links pertaining to breast cancer.
http://www.susanlovemd.com/ - A Web site dedicated to women’s health that features physician Susan Love, and a frequently asked questions archive on breast cancer with more than 6,000 questions and answers posted.
http://www.komen.org/ - This site includes message boards for patients and survivors of breast cancer.

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Depression. It is estimated one in every seven women will suffer from depression in their lifetime.
http://www.nimh.nih.gov/healthinformation/depressionmenu.cfm  - National Institute of Mental Health; this site includes further reading on women and depression. 
http://www.psychologyinfo.com/depression/women.htm - Details symptoms of depression and treatment options.

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Female Athlete Triad. This condition was first recognized by the American College of Sports Medicine in 1992.
http://www.femaleathletetriad.org - Official site of the Female Athlete Triad Coalition.
http://www.physsportsmed.com/issues/1996/07_96/smith.htm - Causes, diagnosis, and treatment from the Physician and Sports Medicine Journal. 
http://www.aafp.org/afp/20000601/3357.html - Article from the American Academy Of Family Physicians.
http://www.emedicine.com/sports/topic163.htm - emedicine.com article on the female athlete triad. 
http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/biology/b103/f00/web3/lim3.html - Article written by a student at Bryn Mawr College about the characteristics, consequences, and social implications of the female athlete triad.

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General women’s health links
http://www.cwhn.ca/indexeng.html - Canadian Women's Health Network, which features many articles on current topics in women's health.
http://firstgov.gov/Citizen/Topics/Health.shtml - Health and information services from the U.S. government.
http://www.nsca-lift.org/Publications/PosStatements.shtml - Position statements from the National Strength and Conditioning Association.
http://www.4woman.gov/ - Women's health information from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
http://www.healthywomen.org/ - Lots of helpful information from the National Women's Health Resource Center.
http://www.healthfinder.gov/ - General health information from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
http://www.nutrition.gov/ - Federal food and nutrition site.
http://www.acog.org/ - Reproductive health information from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.
http://www.womenssportsfoundation.org/ - Advancing the role of women in athletics and the sports world.
http://www.sportshealthexercise.org - A general women's health site created by a member of the Strategic Health Initiative on Women, Sport and Physical Activity.

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Heart Disease. Heart disease is the leading cause of death in women.
http://www.womenheart.org/ - The National Coalition for Women with Heart Disease.
http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/hearttruth/ - The National Heart Lung And Blood Institute’s national awareness campaign for women. 
http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=1200011 - American Heart Association’s official women and cardiovascular disease site.
http://www.ahcpr.gov/research/womheart.htm - Agency for Healthcare Research site on women and heart disease.
http://www.womensheartfoundation.org/
http://www.americanheart.org/

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Incontinence. 85% of incontinence sufferers are women.
http://www.kegel-exercises.com/ - Dedicated to incontinence and treating it by strengthening the pelvic floor muscles through Kegel exercises.
http://kidney.niddk.nih.gov/kudiseases/pubs/uiwomen/index.htm - The National Kidney And Urologic Diseases Clearinghouse
http://www.urologychannel.com/incontinence/ - The Urology Channel – this link also includes an incontinence video. 
http://my.webmd.com/content/healthwise/90/22503 - WebMD discusses female incontinence.

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Menopause
http://www.menopause-online.com/ - Includes a forum to discuss menopausal problems
http://www.fbhc.org/Patients/Modules/menopause.cfm - Includes a "Frequently Asked Questions" section on menopause.
http://www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/WSIHW000/9103/9033.html - Includes more links on the topic of menopause.

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Mesothelioma
http://www.mesotheliomaweb.org/mesothelioma.htm - Diagnoses and symptoms of mesothelioma lung disease.

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Osteoporosis
http://www.nof.org/ - National Osteoporosis Foundation 
http://www.osteo.org/ - National Institute of Health site that includes further links on osteoporosis. 
http://courses.washington.edu/bonephys/ - University of Washington site that includes prevention, treatment, and images of osteoporosis. 
http://medlib.med.utah.edu/WebPath/TUTORIAL/OSTEO/OSTEOPOR.html - An osteoporosis tutorial.

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Pregnancy health
http://www.pregnancy-info.net/index.html - A site that has information on everything from pre-pregnancy to conception to post-delivery.
http://health.discovery.com/centers/pregnancy/pregnancy.html - The "Discovery Channel" official pregnancy health site.
http://www.yourbabytoday.com/babyplace/pregnancy/preg_health - A great site that includes a week-by-week guide to your baby’s development as well as an "Ask the Experts" section.

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Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD)
http://www.emedicine.com/med/topic3357.htm - emedicine.com article on PMDD.
http://www.methodisthealth.com/WomensHealth/gynepmdd.htm - Causes, symptoms and treatment of PMDD.
http://www.pmdd-and-menstruation.com/ - PMDD versus PMS; also outlines other menstrual disorders.
http://www.pmdd.factsforhealth.org/ - Madison Institute for Medicine site on PMDD.

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Stroke. Stroke is the third leading cause of death among women.
http://www.healthatoz.com/healthatoz/Atoz/hc/wom/life/womstrk.html - A site that separates the myths from the facts about stroke in women.
http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=10871 - American Heart Association site that details what stroke is, caring for people who have suffered a stroke, and stroke risk factors.
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2002-10/uomh-wss102102.php - News article detailing how women’s stroke symptoms oftentimes differ from men’s.
http://www.heartdiseaseonline.com/aa/aa053198.htm - Diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of stroke in women.

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Uterine Health
http://my.webmd.com/content/healthwise/135/33624?z=1840_00000_0000_rl_13 - WebMD - discusses uterine fibroids.
http://www.webmd.com/cancer/tc/Uterine-cancer-sarcoma-Treatment-Patient-Information-NCI-PDQ-Stages-of-Uterine-Sarcoma - WebMD - discusses uterine cancer. 
http://my.webmd.com/content/healthwise/74/18459 - WebMD - discusses endometriosis.

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