All posts tagged Smoking

Living well with HIV


What is HIV?

To start, it is the abbreviation for Human Immunodeficiency Virus. HIV is a virus that can only infect people and that weakens the immune system. Unlike other viruses, HIV does not clear out of the body – there is currently no cure for HIV.

According to AIDS.gov,

We know that HIV can hide for long periods of time in the cells of your body and that it attacks a key part of your immune system – your T-cells or CD4 cells. Your body has to have these cells to fight infections and disease, but HIV invades them, uses them to make more copies of itself, and then destroys them.

Over time, HIV can destroy so many of your CD4 cells that your body can’t fight infections and diseases anymore. When that happens, HIV infection can lead to AIDS, the final stage of HIV infection.

It used to be said that HIV was a “death sentence” – but nowadays, there are many options for treatment and medication, and programs throughout the United States to help patients afford medication.

Around the world, there are about 35 million people living with HIV. There are about 1.2 million people living with HIV in the United States, 12,300 living in Washington state, and about 7,300 in King County. In the United States, 16% of those living with HIV don’t know they are – which means they haven’t been tested and aren’t receiving the medical treatment that will help them be healthy in the long-term. What to get tested? Click here for more info on local testing sites.

For those living with HIV, medical treatment isn’t the only way to stay healthy. Having a good relationship with a doctor, and honestly and openly discussing your health is an important part of taking care of your health. And, there are additional ways to live well.

  • Manage your mental health – talk to a counselor if you’re experiencing major stress or just need to talk through some things.
  • Avoid using substances like drugs and alcohol in a way that harms your health.
  • Consider quitting smoking cigarettes and other tobacco products. Smoking isn’t healthy for anyone, but it also can increase your risk of co-infections if you’re living with HIV. Learn more here.
  • Follow a healthy diet – talk to your doctor or a nutritionist about learning how to improve your diet. Are you getting enough veggies? What about protein?
  • Keep moving! Exercise increases your strength, endurance and fitness. It helps your immune system work better to fight infections.
  • Talk about family planning options with your health care provider – there are lots of options for birth control and ways to plan for having children.
  • Learn about how to prepare to travel abroad.

These are just some ideas. What do you need to be healthy and live well? Make sure to talk about your goals with your doctor, and find support to help you be successful!

If you are a woman living with HIV, consider giving us a call at BABES Network-YWCA at 206.720.5566. BABES is here to support women living with HIV and their families. We’re happy to connect with you on the phone or via email. Or, you can join us at a support group or upcoming retreat. We’d love to get to know you and have you join the sisterhood!

WordpressHeader

Leave a comment
by ywcakatie on September 24, 2014  •  Permalink
Posted in BABES Network
Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Posted by ywcakatie on September 24, 2014

https://healthaccessywca.wordpress.com/2014/09/24/living-well-with-hiv/

Friends help friends be healthy


girlfriends-1075970-m

Photo by Ben Earwicker, Garrison Photography

The friendships in our lives are important. The people we surround ourselves with become our support system, and we become theirs. Our friends become a part of how we live our lives. We can choose to support each other be healthy and safe.

What is one new way you and your friends can support each other be healthy?

The CDC shares some tips in celebration of last week’s National Girlfriends Day:

Be Active and Eat Healthy
Make healthy choices when you get together with your friends. Find fun ways to get physical activity like walking, dancing, gardening, or swimming. When eating out or cooking at home, be sure to include fruits and vegetables and other foods rich in vitamins and minerals. Avoid foods and beverages high in calories, saturated fat, or added sugars and salt.

Prevent Violence
Intimate partner violence has significant adverse health consequences. Nearly 1 in 4 women (24%) and 1 in 7 men (14%) have experienced severe physical violence by an intimate partner at some point in their lifetime. This violence and its heavy toll can be prevented. Promoting respectful, nonviolent relationships is key.

If you are, or know someone who is, the victim of intimate partner violence, contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE (1-800-799-7233) or contact your local emergency services at 9-1-1.

Give Up Drugs, Alcohol, and Tobacco
Friends can be important sources of support. Resources are available for people who are trying to quit or cut down on drinking or give up smoking.

  • Binge drinking (defined for women as consuming four or more drinks on an occasion) increases the chances of breast cancer, heart disease, sexually transmitted diseases, unintended pregnancy, and other health problems.
  • Call 1-800-662-HELP (1-800-662-4357) — to get information about drug and alcohol treatment in your local community.
  • Quitting smoking has immediate and long-term benefits. You lower your risk for different types of cancer, and don’t expose others to secondhand smoke—which causes health problems in infants, children, and adults.
  • Call the state tobacco quitline at 1-800-QUIT-NOW (1-800-784-8669); TTY 1-855-855-7081; relay service 1-800-833-6384 or visit smokefree women.
Leave a comment
by ywcakatie on August 4, 2014  •  Permalink
Posted in BABES Network, Community Mental Health, Health Care Access, Healthy Birth Outcomes, Women's Health Outreach
Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Posted by ywcakatie on August 4, 2014

https://healthaccessywca.wordpress.com/2014/08/04/friends-help-friends-be-healthy/

Everyone Loves Quitters


Today is the 37th annual Great American Smokeout – a day when the American Cancer Society and others encourage us, our friends, and our family members “to make a plan to quit, or to plan in advance and quit smoking that day. By quitting — even for one day — smokers will be taking an important step towards a healthier life – one that can lead to reducing cancer risk.”

The American Cancer Society says: “Tobacco use remains the single largest preventable cause of disease and premature death in the US, yet about 43.8 million Americans still smoke cigarettes — Nearly 1 in every 5 adults. As of 2010, there were also 13.2 million cigar smokers in the US, and 2.2 million who smoke tobacco in pipes — other dangerous and addictive forms of tobacco.”

We all know that it’s hard to quit smoking, but it gets easier with support from others. Call the American Cancer Society at 1-800-227-2345 to learn more about how to quit smoking. Here are some of their helpful tips:

1 Comment
by ywcakatie on November 15, 2012  •  Permalink
Posted in BABES Network, Healthy Birth Outcomes, Women's Health Outreach
Tagged , , , , , , ,

Posted by ywcakatie on November 15, 2012

https://healthaccessywca.wordpress.com/2012/11/15/everyone-loves-quitters/

Can being an LBTQ woman increase your risk of breast cancer?


In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, it’s important to learn how you can decrease your likelihood of breast cancer. While there are no studies that say being LBTQ makes a woman more susceptible to breast cancer, there are a few risk factors for breast cancer that are more likely in LBTQ women. The specific reasons that these behaviors are often higher in LBTQ women is not known for certain, but is believed to be due to stress associated with homophobia and being a part of a marginalized group. For more information visit HealthyPeople.gov.

First, alcohol consumption tends to be higher in women who are LBTQ than in women who are not. Consuming more than three alcoholic drinks a week increases the risk of breast cancer, so remember to drink in moderation!

Some studies indicate that lesbians are more likely to be overweight, which can increase chances of breast cancer. Changes in both exercise and a nutritious diet—not just one or the other!—are the most effective and healthy ways to lose weight.

Smoking is another risk factor for breast cancer, and another harmful activity that LBTQ women are more likely to partake in. For information on how to quit smoking, see the Washington State QuitLine website.

Giving birth before the age of thirty, which LBTQ women are less likely to do, can decrease the risk of breast cancer.

Finally, having to come out to health providers can make doctor visits stressful for LBTQ women, which can be a hurdle to getting a regular mammogram. Start by finding a doctor who you feel comfortable with. If you are over the age of 40 and have no risk factors for breast cancer, you should get a mammogram every two years. Over the age of 50, however, or if you have any heightened risk for breast cancer, you should get a mammogram annually. Every woman should do a self-breast exam once a month. To learn how, click here.

Stress is the reason that these things tend to be higher.

Being aware of these risk factors and how they affect you in particular is the first step in decreasing your risk of breast cancer! For more information on breast cancer and the possible causes of it, go to this website.

Information for this blog post was gathered from a Verbena pamphlet on lesbian health titled “Lesbian Health Matters” and the National LBGT Cancer Network.

Leave a comment
by ninaywca on October 23, 2012  •  Permalink
Posted in Women's Health Outreach
Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Posted by ninaywca on October 23, 2012

https://healthaccessywca.wordpress.com/2012/10/23/can-being-an-lbtq-woman-increase-your-risk-of-breast-cancer/