Deadline for registration: August 15, 2010

Do you know a young woman between 16-25 years of age who gets fired up about the issues, is an emerging or active leader who would like to hone her skills and meet other youths from across Canada? Invite her to register for the ELLE Project! This leadership training unites 20 young women to learn new skills, find mentors and have fun. Activities and workshops include how to: find your voice, organize, engage communities, create multi-media, develop projects, change policies and influence the world!  (No income barriers! This 7-day training is FREE, transportation and accomodations included!)

For more info and to register click here.

"The Pregnancy Intentions of HIV-Positive Women: Forwarding the Research Agenda," a two and a half-day conference composed of plenary sessions, interdisciplinary breakout sessions and a half-day research symposium was convened at the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston, Massachusetts from March 17th to 19th 2010.

The conference brought together a multidisciplinary group from six continents engaged in HIV/AIDS and sexual and reproductive health and rights work.

This conference report synthesizes current knowledge and discussions related to the four conference themes and five cross-cutting issues, identifies points of consensus and points of departure amongst participants, highlights suggestions for promoting multidisciplinary research in identified areas, and concludes with recommendations for future research.

The full report (PDF) is available on the HSPH Program on International Health and Human Rights website, as well as short document that highlights our proposed research agenda.

The short document is available here. (PDF)

FACT: There are toxic chemicals in the bodies of Canadian girls and women- chemicals that enter the bloodstream from pesticides and hormones in our food, from furniture and detergents, and from the personal care products we put on our bodies. Even small doses of these toxins can have serious effects. THE GOOD NEWS: Young women have a lot of consumer power- power to get these unnecessary toxins out of products like the cosmetics that we use to feel healthy and beautiful! FemmeToxic's goal is to educate young Canadian women about the potential dangers of cosmetics ingredients and provide people with the tools they need to create personal change and to influence national legislative reform. Refuse to be “toxified”! Demand safer cosmetics!

In the spring of 2009, a passionate and dedicated committee from the non-profit organization Breast Cancer Action Montreal (BCAM) decided to develop a youth-oriented campaign for safe cosmetics. Soon to join the organization were several young women, coming from different backgrounds, who were alarmed by the current state of cosmetic regulations in Canada. FemmeToxic was created because of the strengths of this unique group of women and their desire for stronger legislation to make safer cosmetics the norm.

FemmeToxic is a campaign focusing on the toxins in the environment, particularly those found in cosmetic and personal care products, which are detrimental to human health and can increase the risk of cancer and other health-related disorders.

Visit the website here.

Watch this documentary being re-aired on Sunday August 8, 2010 at 10 pm ET/PT on CBC News Network:

"Extraordinary behind-the-scenes access reveals a drug company's fevered race to develop the first FDA-approved Viagra for women - and offers a humorous but sobering look inside the cash-fueled pharmaceutical industry." - Hot Docs Film Festival

In the shocking and hilarious documentary Orgasm Inc., filmmaker Liz Canner takes a job editing erotic videos for a drug trial for a pharmaceutical company. Her employer is developing what they hope will be the first Viagra drug for women that wins FDA approval to treat a new disease: Female Sexual Dysfunction (FSD).

See the trailer and more information here.

From April 2009 to the end of survey collection in May 2010, Trans PULSE collected information from 433 trans people across Ontario. They are now analysing the data from the 80-page survey and, with this e-bulletin, are returning the results back to their communities. They would like to thank all those that took the time to complete the survey and pass it on to others. The information presented in these e-bulletins is only a small fraction of the results they've gathered over the year.

The following is the first of a series of e-bulletins that Trans PULSE will release over the course of the next several months and they hope that this will go a long way to enact change for trans people.

E-bulletin #1: Who are trans people in Ontario? (PDF)

Final deadline for submissions: October 31st, 2010.

The Canadian Modern Language Review (CMLR) invites manuscripts to be considered for a special issue on “Language barriers in access to healthcare services”, to appear in September 2011. Language barriers can potentially compromise healthcare delivery when professionals cannot speak the patient’s language or speak it poorly. Full and equitable healthcare is especially at risk in those areas where correct language usage—and the cultural values and norms such usage may reflect—plays a critical role in health communication.

Download the Call for Papers. (PDF)

The registration forms for MMFC's National Research Day are now available on line (French and English).

Please visit the MMFC website to learn more about the conference and to submit your registration form. Muriel McQueen Fergusson Centre for Family Violence Research, UNB Fredericton

Early Bird registration deadline: July 30

Conference Co-Chairs Scott Livingstone, CEO Sask Cancer Agency and Darlene Gray, President, OCATS, in partnership with CNT Management Group, invite survivors, support people and the medical community to the first ever Gynecologic Cancer Conference, Strategies for Survival on September 24, 2010 at the Regina Inn. 

This important event will feature some of the province’s most knowledgeable specialists in female reproductive cancers.  Experts will address clinical study trials for new drug therapies, managing cancer recurrence, the emotional aspects of cancer diagnoses, identifying families with hereditary risks, alternative and complimentary therapies available and the roles of our nurses, general practitioners, and pharmacists in cancer care delivery.

A conference highlight will be a presentation by Canada’s leading ovarian cancer “patient” advocate, Sandi Pniauskas. 

See conference information and on-line registration here. 

Join the Women's Global Network for Reproductive Rights in putting state representatives at the United Nations Headquarters on notice that we are alarmed as the final preparations for the UN High Level Summit on the Millennium Development Goals proceed because:

-Members of civil society, including grassroots social movement alliances, SRHR, women's, youth and human rights advocates and groups representing systematically marginalised communities, continue to find our participation unacceptably limited at MDG negotiations, as well as in related implementation and monitoring processes;

-Language in the outcome document being negotiated does not match up to commitments made under the International Conference on Population and Development Programme of Action, Beijing Platform for Action, CEDAW, ICESCR and other binding UN human rights frameworks;

-The advisory committee for MDG 5 (maternal health, including universal reproductive health indicators) includes no women and is not representative of the Global South.

Read more here about the issues and how to add your voice. 

Early bird registration deadline: July 30, 2010.

Reproductive Health is the leading clinical conference for translating emerging research into practice and is hosted annually by the Association of Reproductive Health Professionals, the Planned Parenthood Federation of America National Medical Committee, and the Society of Family Planning. This year's meeting will be held at the Hyatt Regency Atlanta from September 22-25.

For more information and to register, visit the website.

Resilience: Stories of Single Black Mothers is an intimate, richly detailed documentary that confronts long-held sterotypes by stepping inside the lives of three real women in the real world. 

For more information about the film and launch dates, please visit its official website. 

For regular updates about the film, please become a fan of the film's Facebook fan page.

Position Type: Contract - Part Time
Job Region: ON - Metro Toronto Area
Location: Downsview (York University)

Application Deadline: August 11, 2010

The National Network on Environments and Women’s Health (NNEWH) is one of four federally funded centres of excellence in women’s health mandated to enhance the health system’s understanding of and responsiveness to women’s health. NNEWH is focused primarily on policy-oriented research relating to the impact of different environments on the health of women.  It incorporates two working groups, Women and Health Protection, and Women and Health Care Reform, focused on pharmaceutical and health reform issues respectively.

NNEWH has a part-time contract position available for a Program Evaluator/Consultant or team of same. The person in this position will be primarily involved in conducting a funder-mandated evaluation aimed at enhancing links between evidence, theory and practice, which will additionally help to guide NNEWH projects and future project proposals.

September 25-26, 2010

InterContinental Hotel Toronto Yorkville
The Many Faces of Medical Women
Medical Women, through their lifespan undertake many leadership roles including that of entrepreneur, researcher, patient advocate, educator, medical politician, communicator and mentor. The conference will provide strategies and tools for female physicians to negotiate and to succeed in their many roles.

Featuring:
Dr. Mamta Gautam ~ Woman as Career Developer
Dr. Marla Shapiro ~ Woman as Teacher
Dr. Vivien Brown~ Woman as  Health Promoter
Janice Stein (PhD) ~ Woman as Leader
And more - Woman as Researcher, Politician, Mentor, Networker, Author and Sexual Being!

Conference fee includes:
2 breakfasts, 3 breaks
2 lunches (1 Awards Lunch)
2 (NEW!) Networking Receptions:
Friday –hosted by the OMA
Saturday -hosted by the FMWC Toronto Branch
Plus, Saturday Soirée at one of Toronto’s trendiest restaurants: ONE ($100)

For more information, visit this site.

Download the AGM brochure here.

REGISTER here.

Do you know of a clinic that wants to sign on for the National Pap Test Campaign awareness week campaign? The organizers encourage you to direct them to these web pages:

To learn more about the National Pap Test Campaign, please visit this website.

Complete the registration form here.

Access the List of participating clinics here.

Are you a childless woman between the ages of 20 and 50 who may consider bearing a child sometime in the future? Do you presume you are fertile?

If so, please take 10 minutes to complete this confidential, anonymous online survey and enter to win one of two, $100 Amazon.ca gift certificates drawn every month!

The survey can be complete in either French or English and is focused on women’s fertility intentions and their beliefs and knowledge about childbearing after the age of 30 and about assisted human reproduction.

The study is being conducted by UBC researchers Dr. Judith Daniluk and Dr. Anthony Cheung, and is funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and Assisted Human Reproduction Canada. For more information about the study contact Judith at info@laterchildbearing.com.

Findings from the study will be used to develop educational materials and programs to support women’s childbearing decisions.

South Riverdale Community Health Centre, Mount Sinai Hospital’s Marvelle Koffler Breast Centre, Toronto Public Health and members of the Advisory Committee are pleased to announce the release of…Engaging Seldom or Never Screened Women in Cancer Screening: A Compendium of Pan-Canadian Best and Promising Practices

Funded by the Public Health Agency of Canada, this is a unique Canadian publication on improving access to equitable healthcare and screening participation across the country for all women.

To download the compendium, please click here.

Please share this link with your contacts.

For more information, please email srchc@srchc.com or call 416-461-1925, ext 348.

VIENNA, AUSTRIA (July 20, 2010) — Researchers have achieved an important scientific breakthrough in the fight against HIV and genital herpes with a vaginal gel that significantly reduces a woman’s risk of being infected with these viruses.  The results of the ground-breaking safety and effectiveness study of an antiretroviral microbicide gel study were reported today by the Centre for the AIDS Programme of Research in South Africa (CAPRISA) at the XVIII International AIDS Conference in Vienna, Austria.

The microbicide containing 1% tenofovir—an antiretroviral drug widely used in the treatment of HIV—was found to be 39% effective in reducing a woman’s risk of becoming infected with HIV during sex and 51% effective in preventing genital herpes infections in the women participating in the trial. Should other studies of tenofovir gel confirm these results, widespread use of the gel, at this level of protection, could prevent over half a million new HIV infections in South Africa alone over the next decade.

For the full press release and additional materials, see:

www.caprisa.org

www.fhi.org

www.conrad.org

IWHC shapes international policy and builds local capacity for women’s health and human rights in Africa, Asia and Latin America.  We leverage our work in these two very different, but critically linked worlds – to change thinking, redirect funding and motivate action by people and institutions that can secure rights and health for women. 

For more information, please visit the website.

The POWER Study (Project for an Ontario Women's Health Evidence-based Report) Musculoskeletal Conditions chapter is now available for download. The POWER Study (Project for an Ontario Women's Health Evidence-based Report) is producing a Women's Health Report to serve as an evidence-based tool for policy makers, providers, and consumers in their efforts to improve health and reduce health inequities among Ontario women.

Musculoskeletal (MSK) Conditions limit physical function, impose significant pain and suffering and are the number one cause of disability in Ontario. As a result, the associated costs to our health care system and to society are staggering. This chapter examines condition-specific prevalence, indicators of health and functional status, access and utilization of services and clinical care indicators for osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis and osteoporosis. We examine performance on these indicators for women and men and assess differences by income, education, age and geography.

To download a copy of the full chapter or the highlights document (which outlines the chapter's key findings and messages), please visit the POWER Study website.

The Canadian Breast Cancer Network will be hosting a 2nd conference for young women living with breast cancer, Body, Mind, Spirit 2010, in downtown Toronto on October 29 – 31, 2010.

This year’s conference will bring together young women living with breast cancer, researchers, medical professionals, support organizations and decision makers from across Canada.

The first CBCN National Conference for Young Women Living with Breast Cancer was held in Toronto in November 2007 under the theme “Getting together to inform, support and inspire.” It was attended by 326 young survivors and provided young women living with breast cancer the opportunity to learn and share with other breast cancer survivors.

Registration for this conference will be opening soon via the CBCN website. If you would like to be added to the mailing list to receive updates on the conference and notification as soon as registration opens, please email jmcneil@cbcn.ca.

A Lunchtime Event with the BC Centre of Excellence for Women's Health
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
Noon to 1:00 pm  PDT

Two short presentations will be followed by discussions.

-Linking trauma, mental health and addictions treatment practice
Dr. Vivian Brown will briefly discuss the findings of the Women and Co-occurring Disorders and Violence Study (WCDVS) and her work with Prototypes in California in order to highlight our need to bring evidence to practice as a way of linking and integrating the treatment of mental health, trauma and addictions concerns experienced by women.
Vivian B. Brown, Ph.D. is the founder and recently retired Chief Executive Officer of PROTOTYPES, Centers for Innovation in Health, Mental Health, and Social Services.

-Linking addictions and child welfare practice
Dr. Laurie Drabble returns to share results of recently completed research on the role of collaborative and harm reduction oriented values, for bridging the work of child welfare and addiction treatment providers as they support mothers with substance use problems.
Laurie Drabble, Ph.D., MSW, MPH is an Associate Professor in the School of Social Work at San José State University.

How you can participate
In person:   BC Centre of Excellence for Women's Health, E311-4800 Oak Street, Vancouver. Seating is limited, please register early.
Webcast:  You can participate virtually via webcast. Instructions for this option will be sent upon registration.

Registration is required for this event. If you wish to attend, in person or via webcast, please send an email to bccewh@cw.bc.ca  by July 30, 2010. For more information and to download the flyer, please go to BCCEWH's website.

Mounting research shows a significant amount of Canadian prevention initiatives do not adequately meet and address the needs of our diverse population. To help address this issue, the Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse (CCSA), in collaboration with key partners and researchers from across Canada, has developed the Sex, Gender and Diversity-based Analysis (SGDBA) Checklist. (PDF)

To learn more about both the Checklist and the foundational document mentioned above, please visit the CCSA website and click on ‘National Framework’ under the ‘Priorities’ tab.

Family Health International reports in its newsletter, Sino-Implant (II) Update, that the International Planned Parenthood Federation's International Medical Advisory Panel has approved the purchase and distribution of the contraceptive implant Sino-implant (II) by its global network of associated members.

Read the newsletter here.

These two archived webinars hosted by the Association of Reproductive Health Professionals describe current knowledge of emergency contraception, including myths, safety and efficacy, and counseling. 

African-American women’s beliefs about depression and depression care are consistently and systematically influenced by racism, according to a new study conducted at Oregon Health & Science University. The results are published online in the American Journal of Public Health.

Read the whole story here.