Women's Issues

Office of Women's Health

The Office of Women's Health helps coordinate internal and external efforts to use policy changes to improve the health of women, to increase public awareness of issues impacting the health of women, and to promote healthy behaviors and environments in partnership with other programs and organizations.

Core Principles

• Women’s health spans every stage of a woman’s life – preadolescence through adolescence, reproductive, midlife, and mature years.  It involves physical and mental health, personal and environmental safety, as well as the prevention and treatment of disease.
• Women’s health expands beyond the concept of childbearing. It encompasses the prevention of health problems and the assurance of high quality health care to improve the quality of years of life for all women.
• Disparities in health care and services for women can be identified by using current surveillance and research data about women’s health to guide policy development and program planning.
• Women’s health can be enhanced by fostering partnerships, collaborations, and building bridges between health providers, consumers, health advocates, researchers, policymakers, and stakeholders.
  
  3 Capitol Hill 
  Room 302
  Providence, RI  02908
  Phone (401) 222-4655
  Fax (401) 222-1442
  Carrie Bridges
  http://www.health.ri.gov/disease/owh/index.php

Women and Yoga

To eliminate pain caused by stress, women find Yoga  as an easy alternative to alleviate muscle and other body pains rather than going to the gym.  Yoga can be done at home.  Yoga is very beneficial in developing both mind and body.  It is very relevant in managing stress.
Not only has it helped in eliminating pain, it will also keep your muscles toned, eliminate excessive fats, and it makes your body even more flexible.  Yoga was defined as “an ancient system of breathing practices, physical exercises and postures, and meditation intended to integrate the practitioner’s body, mind, and spirit”.

Santosha-Yoga Studio & Holistic Center
14 Bartlett Avenue, 2nd floor
Cranston RI  02905
Telephone: (401) 780-9809
 E-mail us at contact@yogaatsantosha.com
http://www.yogaatsantosha.com

Innerlight Center for Yoga and Meditation
Middletown Commons
850 Aquidneck Avenue
Middletown, RI  02842
Telephone: (401) 849-3200
http://www.innerlightyoga.com

All That Matters
315 Main Street
Wakefield, RI  02879
Telephone: (401) 782-2126
Store: 401-284-0545
Fax: 401-788-3648
http://www.allthatmatters.com/contact.cfm

Breathing TimeYoga
541 Pawtucket Avenue, 2nd floor
Pawtucket, RI  02860
e-mail: info@breathingtimeyoga.com
http://www.breathingtimeyoga.com

Menopause

Overview
Menopause is the transition period in a woman's life when her ovaries stop producing eggs, her body produces less estrogen and progesterone, and menstruation becomes less frequent, eventually stopping altogether.

Symptoms
In some women, menstrual flow comes to a sudden halt.  More commonly, it slowly stops over time.  During this time, the menstrual periods generally become either more closely or more widely spaced.  This irregularity may last for 1 - 3 years before menstruation finally ends completely.  Before this the cycle length may shorten to as little as every 3 weeks.

Common symptoms of menopause include:

• Heart pounding or racing
• Hot flashes
• Night sweats
• Skin flushing
• Sleeping problems (insomnia)

Other symptoms of menopause may include:

• Decreased interest in sex, possibly decreased response to sexual stimulation
• Forgetfulness (in some women)
• Irregular menstrual periods
• Mood swings including irritability, depression, and anxiety
• Urine leakage
• Vaginal dryness and painful sexual intercourse
• Vaginal infections
• Joint aches and pains
• Irregular heartbeat (palpitations)