Red Hot Mamas In Charge of Change.
By: Red Hot Mamas
Published: September 16, 2011
Menopause is no longer in the dark ages. Twenty years ago, mentioning the “M” word was rather taboo. A trip to the doctor could be more awkward than a teenager in a locker room. Asking doctors about the sudden onset of hot flashes or debilitating vaginal dryness just didn’t happen and many women were left feeling isolated and confused. These days, menopause is everywhere. From Roseanne talking about it on The Tonight Show with David Letterman to Rosie O’Donnell asking Madonna for advice, the cat is out of the bag.
The internet is flooded with health sites and menopause information, which allows us easy access to wonderful health information and all types of menopause resources right at your fingertips. Evaluating the information and detecting the good from the unreliable isn’t always easy. Question the source of all information, be a dubious critic and mind your Google!
Here are a few of our favorite organizations that are the thought-provoking leaders in the menopause field:
The American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) – the nation’s leading group of physicians providing health care for women. As a private, voluntary, nonprofit membership organization, ACOG:
- Serves as a strong advocate for quality health care for women;
- Maintains the highest standards of clinical practice and continuing education of its members, who include nearly 90 percent of the nation’s board-certified ob-gyns – more than 40,000 physicians;
- Promotes patient education;
- Increases awareness among its members and the public of the changing issues facing women’s health care.
One of our favorite features is ACOG’s free e-newsletter and consumer magazine, Pause.
The North American Menopause Society (NAMS) – Founded in 1989, The North American Menopause Society (NAMS) is North America’s leading nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting the health and quality of life of all women during midlife and beyond through an understanding of menopause and healthy aging. Its multidisciplinary membership of 2,000 leaders in the field – including clinical and basic science experts from medicine, nursing, sociology, psychology, nutrition, anthropology, epidemiology, pharmacy, and education – allows NAMS to be uniquely qualified to provide information that is both accurate and unbiased, not for or against any point of view.
Our favorite NAMS features include their “Find a Menopause Practitioner/NCMP Search” where you can find a Certified Menopause Practitioner who is right for you and their abundant amount of consumer information on www.menopause.org.
AARP Health – AARP is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization with a membership that helps people age 50 and over have independence, choice and control in ways that are beneficial and affordable to them and society as a whole, ways that help people 50 and over improve their lives. Since 1958, AARP has been leading a revolution in the way people view and live life.
We love AARP for staying on the forefront of the medical world on their website www.aarp.org and for the discounts we receive with our AARP card!
US Food and Drug Administration’s Office of Women’s Health (FDA OWH)– FDA is an agency within the Department of Health and Human Services. The FDA is responsible for protecting the public health by assuring the safety, efficacy and security of human and veterinary drugs, biological products, medical devices, our nation’s food supply, cosmetics, and products that emit radiation, and by regulating the manufacture, marketing, and distribution of tobacco products.
The FDA is also responsible for advancing the public health by helping to speed innovations that make medicines and foods more effective, safer, and more affordable; and helping the public get the accurate, science-based information they need to use medicines and foods, and to reduce tobacco use to improve health.
The FDA website makes it easy to find out the latest recommendations and medication safety tips on www.womenshealth.gov.
The National Women’s Health Center – which has US government health resources for women www.4women.gov/menopause.
The Women’s Health Initiative – provides information you need to know about this major women’s health study at www.nhlbi.nih.gov.
Society for Women’s Health Research – provides a wide array of information on health topics www.womenshealthresearch.org
The Female Patient – Office-and-hospital-based ObGyns, primary care physicians, and nurse practitioners use The Female Patient® for timely, unbiased, and practical information to enhance the day-to-day care of their female patients. The Female Patient® is committed to educating our readers on the latest therapeutic advancements in the field of female health by providing clinically relevant, concise, and comprehensive information for their continuing professional development. All articles are peer-reviewed and written by experts in readable, evidence-based formats.
Information is geared for the physician but there’s no reason why consumers can’t read it too! Their website is updated frequently and frequently include audio casts of their articles online at www.femalepatient.com.
The Vibrance Network – The Vibrance sites are members of the Health on the Network (HON) and Internet Health Care Coalition (IHC) and we urge all visitors to review their guidelines and the principals we proudly adhere to. Our vision and mission are to present timely, accurate, useful education and information in the areas of male and female sexual function, prostate health, gynecological issues, male and female incontinence and male fertility to empower the visitor with information. We do not diagnose nor prescribe. We make every effort to inform and educate,powerful tools for empowering those who visit our sites. Our information is written by or reviewed by clearly identified medical and health care professionals, generally with links to information about the author. All advertising is clearly labeled advertising, as provided for in the HON/IHC codes. We provide financial disclosure of our authors as provided by traditional AMA standards.
The Vibrance Network includes:
