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Vancouver Women’s Health Collective

Community Health Advocate Project leaflet

Publication type: 
Brochure / Leaflet / Pamphlet / Information Sheet
Agency: 
Vancouver Women's Health Collective (VWHC)
Sponsor: 
Vancouver/Richmond Health Board
Pages: 
1
Collections: 
Vancouver Women’s Health Collective
Summary: 
A leaflet with information about the Community Advocate Project, produced by the Vancouver Women's Health Collective (VWHC). The leaflet describes the role of the community health advocate, and their purpose in serving women in order to "decrease the reality of violence against women in the health care system."
Keywords: 
Vancouver Women's Health Collective (VWHC); Community Health Advocate Project; advocacy; patients' rights; women and health; education; community-based health; women's health; women and health

Understanding Vaginal Health

Publication type: 
Brochure / Leaflet / Pamphlet / Information Sheet
Agency: 
Vancouver Women's Health Collective
Date: 
1984-06
Pages: 
4
Collections: 
Vancouver Women’s Health Collective
Summary: 
This document, produced for the Vancouver Women's Health Collective (VWHC) by Robin Barnett, explains several aspects of vaginal health in detailed and accessible language. It includes information about cervical self exam and things to look for when examining your cervix, different kinds of "friendly" bacteria naturally present in the vagina, and some explanation of the normal cyclical changes of cervical mucus.
Keywords: 
vaginal health; Vancouver Women's Health Collective (VWHC); women and health; women's health; sexuality; birth control; menstruation; sexually transmitted diseases (STDs); health information dissemination; awareness raising; self help; cervical self-exam; nutrition; stress

Sexuality is Ageless

Publication type: 
Research Paper / Project Report
Agency: 
Kinesis
Date: 
1983-09
Pages: 
2
Collections: 
Vancouver Women’s Health Collective
Summary: 
The article "Sexuality is Ageless," written by Jean Buzan and published in Kinesis in September 1983, was reproduced by the Vancouver Women's Health Collective (VWHC) for the information package on menopause. The article addresses stereotypes and women's sexuality as they age. Buzan argues that social stigma associated with aging is detrimental to women, who do not, despite popular belief, lose their sexual drive after menopause. She suggests several possibilities for women seeking sexual gratification in old age, including masturbation, lesbian partnerships, and threesomes.
Keywords: 
sexuality; aging; women and health; women's health; stereotype; gender and health; gender-based analysis; menopause

Undoing Medical Conditioning

Publication type: 
Brochure / Leaflet / Pamphlet / Information Sheet
Agency: 
Healthsharing
Date: 
1980
Pages: 
5
Collections: 
Vancouver Women’s Health Collective
Summary: 
This article, written by Melanie Conn and Rebecca Fox for Healthsharing (Fall 1980), and reproduced by the Vancouver Women's Health Collective (VWHC), identifies different aspects of medical conditioning that affects women's health. For instance, the belief in the absolute truth of scientific research, the authority of doctors, the use of screening as preventative health care, the dependence on drugs to 'cure' symptoms and illness quickly, and the isolation of health care to illness-identification. Conn and Fox suggest that the women's health movement has encouraged women to seek out and practice self-help practices, holistic therapies, community-based health and support, and self-knowledge (which demystifies women's bodies).
Keywords: 
Vancouver Women's Health Collective (VWHC); women and health; women's health; gender-based analysis; awareness raising; alternative therapy; women's organizations; women's health movement; self help; doctors; herbal; health information dissemination

Planning Document for Vancouver Women's Health Collective

Publication type: 
Conference / Meeting Proceedings
Agency: 
Vancouver Women's Health Collective (VWHC)
Date: 
1992-08
Pages: 
37
Collections: 
Vancouver Women’s Health Collective
Summary: 
This planning document, produced by the Vancouver Women's Health Collective (VWHC), is the result of their process of organizational re-evaluation in the summer of 1992. This document follows the August 21-23 retreat, where the VWHC created a three-year plan, outlined new goals, values, and policies, and revised their mission statement. The document also includes draft job descriptions, and committee responsibilities.
Keywords: 
Vancouver Women's Health Collective (VWHC); women's organizations; policy; policy making; evaluation; solidarity; consultation;

Pelvic Inflammatory Disease

Publication type: 
Training / Education Manual
Agency: 
The Canadian PID Society
Sponsor: 
Health And Welfare Canada
Date: 
1987-09
Pages: 
40
Collections: 
Vancouver Women’s Health Collective
Summary: 
This information booklet, produced by the Canadian PID Society, defines and describes pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), an infection of the pelvic organs in women that can cause infertility, ectopic pregnancy, and chronic pain. The booklet includes information on symptoms and causes of PID, procedures to diagnose PID, treatment and prevention of PID, and possible long term problems associated with PID.
Keywords: 
The Canadian PID Society; pelvic inflammatory disease (PID); women and health; women's health; sexually transmitted diseases (STDs); preventative; vaginal health; treatment

Nourishing Endometriosis

Publication type: 
Training / Education Manual
Date: 
2002
Pages: 
50
Collections: 
Vancouver Women’s Health Collective
Summary: 
A zine distributed by Blood Sisters, with information and alternative treatments for dealing with endometriosis. The zine features artwork, essays, and poetry as well as a critical examination of traditional western treatments for endometriosis, such as surgery. The author is critical of the impact of pharmaceutical industries on women's autonomy in their own health care. She encourages women with endometriosis to explore non-medicinal treatments such as herbs, relaxation and visualization, exercise, nutrition, therapy and acupuncture.
Keywords: 
endometriosis; women and health; women's health; herbal; alternative therapy; self help; gender-based analysis; pharmaceutical;

Media Release: Vancouver Women's Health Collective

Publication type: 
Media Release
Agency: 
Vancouver Women's Health Collective (VWHC)
Date: 
1992-07
Pages: 
1
Collections: 
Vancouver Women’s Health Collective
Summary: 
A media release following the planned demonstration by the Vancouver Women's Health Collective (VWHC) and other women's organizations at the Ministers Forum on Health Reform (July 23, 1992), in protest of the government's refusal to provide core funding to the VWHC. This release, written by the VWHC, outlines the meeting that took place between the VWHC and the health minister's assistant, who met with the collective before the demonstration. Further action is planned by the VWHC to continue the dialogue on women's health issues that extend beyond birth control and reproductive technologies, such as the social determinants of health.
Keywords: 
Vancouver Women's Health Collective (VWHC); women and health; women's health; advocacy; funding cuts; BC health system; BC ministry of health; BC provincial government; women's organizations; health reform

Obesity: Facts and Fiction

Publication type: 
Research Paper / Project Report
Date: 
1982
Pages: 
12
Collections: 
Vancouver Women’s Health Collective
Summary: 
The research paper, published as a booklet by Press Gang, and written by Kate Partridge, explores the social stigma associated with obese women, and suggests specific ways of addressing with obesity that do not include participation in the diet and exercise industries, industries that thrive on the impossible standards set for women to be thin. Rather, she develops treatment suggestions stressing physical fitness and body esteem, self esteem and social and political action.
Keywords: 
obesity; activism; women and health; women's health; stereotypes; body image; feminist; social determinants of health; fat politics; weight; weight loss industry

Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS) Examined Through a Feminist Lens

Publication type: 
Brochure / Leaflet / Pamphlet / Information Sheet
Date: 
1983-05
Pages: 
3
Collections: 
Vancouver Women’s Health Collective
Summary: 
A pamphlet available at the Vancouver Women's Health Collective (VWHC), reproduced from an article presented at the Society for Menstrual Cycle Research Conference in San Francisco, May 20 1983. The pamphlet examines the medicalization of Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS), and the treatment of PMS as an illness. The author argues that the symptoms associated with PMS are perhaps better dealt with as symptoms of inequality and the subordination of women under patriarchy: treating women's symptoms is about treating women to be manageable and docile. The author is also critical of the use of progesterone to treat PMS, citing the unknown risks associated with its use. The author encourages women to try other treatments for PMS, non medical treatments, and consciousness-raising groups which promote women's shared knowledge.
Keywords: 
premenstrual syndrome (PMS); menstruation; women's health; women and health; gender-based analysis; pharmaceutical; alternative therapy; awareness raising; feminist

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Important Note

Because CHODARR strives to create a historical archive as well as an information archive some documents may contain information that is outdated or inaccurate (i.e. - contact information, government policies or certain research findings).