Lesbian Health Research Center

Institute on Health & Aging, UCSF

The E-Newsletter of the Lesbian Health Research Center at UCSF        Vol 3, No 1

Lesbian Health MattersNewsletter Archives

Welcome to the fifth edition (Vol. 3, No. 1) of Lesbian Health Matters, the quarterly, e-newsletter of the Lesbian Health Research Center (LHRC) at UCSF.

Highlights of this issue include:

• Information About LHRC’s ‘Day Of  complementary Care’ – June 18th, 2005
  At The Women’s Building In San Francisco;

• Applying Chinese Medicine When Dealing With Menopause; and,

• Perspectives From A Community Expert Regarding LBT Women’s
  Mental Health Issues and Services

On behalf of LHRC I wish you and your families – chosen, created and natural – a healthy and fun-filled Pride month and Summer!

Maureen A. Kenney, Communication Consultant, mauriano@yahoo.com  

– Editor-In Chief, Lesbian Health Matters

A Day of Complementary Care

A Day of Complementary Care
2005 Educational Event
June 18, 2005
9:00 AM 3:00 PM
The Women s Building -- 3543 18th Street, San Francisco, CA 94110

Herbs, acupuncture, meditation and massage have been used for centuries to prevent and treat illness and/or relieve symptoms. In recent years, interest in these traditional therapies has grown, and been labeled “alternative medicine”. In the past decade these methods have been applied with increasing frequency in conjunction with contemporary western medical approaches that most people in the United States are familiar with. This integration of western medicine with traditional therapies has come to be defined as “complementary care/medicine”. For example, a woman with breast cancer using a special diet in addition to chemotherapy is using complementary care. A woman using a diet in place of chemotherapy is using alternative care.

Despite its increasingly common use confusion remains about what complementary care is, how it can be used and how to obtain it. How does a health care consumer separate fact from hype? What therapies have been proven effective and safe? Is complementary care right for me? Join us to explore these questions at ‘A Day of Complementary Care.’ The program will feature the following presentations:

East Meets West: Chinese Traditional Medicine in the 21st Century
Misha Cohen, OMD, LAc
Chicken Soup Chinese Medicine

Herbs & Supplements
Cathi Dennehy, Pharm.D
UCSF Department of Clinical Pharmacy

10,000 Steps to a Healthier You
Ellen Hughes, MD, PhD
UCSF Osher Center for Integrative Medicine

In addition to interactive workshops featuring Massage, Guided Imagery, Meditation, Acupuncture and Acupressure will also be featured.

Rate: $12 online pre-registration. $15 Flat Fee at the door. Nursing CEU Credits $10. Please use our online form to register. Scholarships are available -- please email Joanna Sickler at lhrc@itsa.ucsf.edu  for more information.

The Lesbian Health Research Center’s annual educational events are the cornerstone of our mission to take lesbian health information 'out of the closet' and into the hands of community members and health care providers. The goal of this event is to bring together representatives from leading health-related organizations, government agencies and community groups to provide information related to the health care of lesbians, bisexual women and transgendered individuals. The information presented this year is relevant to all people interested in complementary and alternative therapies. Everyone is invited to attend; all are welcome!

Applying Chinese Medicine to Manage Menopause

By Dr. Misha Cohen
In Chinese Medicine, the symptoms of menopause – hot flashes, palpitations, emotionality, depression, vaginal dryness, change in libido, urinary problems and changes in skin texture are associated with Deficient Kidney Yin; Deficient Liver Xue ; Deficient Kidney Yang; and Deficient Yin and Yang of Kidney. However, it is important to stress that menopause is not a disease or a disorder – it is part of the natural progress of life. Much physical and/or emotional discomfort associated with menopause can be eased or eliminated.

Managing Menopausal Symptoms
Peri-menopausal and menopausal women should be vigilant about having regular mammograms and Pap smears (even after the period has stopped), as well as cardiovascular check-ups.

The smartest approach to menopause is to try the least harsh, most natural treatments first -- that means:

• An appropriate, healthy diet -- avoiding caffeine;
• The introduction of or increase of supplements, particularly vitamins;
• The reduction of stress levels;
• Increased aerobic exercise; and.
• Smoking cessation – smoking is the single worst trigger of symptoms
• The use of acupuncture, herbs and, massage

Dietary Guidelines
Some foods contain phyto-estrogen, which can help ease the symptoms of menopause caused by lack of estrogen. Food that have been found to raise blood levels of estrogen include soya flour, tofu, linseed oil and red clover sprouts. Foods high in calcium and magnesium are recommended as well. Dietary fat should be kept low, especially during peri-menopause.

An Exercise Plan
Weight-bearing exercise is an important part of any peri-menopausal or menopausal program. It is associated with increased calcium uptake and increased bone density. It’s important to work both the lower and upper body. Aerobic exercise is also highly recommended (remember, heart disease is the major killer of women over 50.)

Soaks and Compresses
For hot flashes, try the following peppermint cooling soak.

Peppermint Cooler To Dispel Heat
Ingredients:
1/2 gallon of peppermint tea
made with 1/2 fresh peppermint
1 tub full of cool water

Preparation:
1. If you can buy, or grow fresh peppermint that is the best. Boil 1/2 cup in a gallon of water for 10 minutes.
2. Draw a cool bath and add the boiled peppermint tea, strained, to the tub.
3. Slip in and soak until you begin to feel cool. Don’t wait until you are cold.
If peppermint is not available, use spearmint instead.

 Helping Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Women
Lead Healthy, Connected Lives

By Michelanne Baker, Psy.D., Training Director, New Leaf
Recipient, 2004-2005 Mark Bronnenberg Award For Excellence

Lesbian, bisexual, transgender and queer women need gender-sensitive mental health services.

The unique needs of women include the need for a place where women can receive services by female-identified clinicians. Not only are lesbian, bisexual and transgender (LBT) women sensitive services needed; LBT affirming services are also needed. What does this mean? Clinicians that are knowledgeable about the unique challenges of being a lesbian, bisexual, or transgender woman in a society where women's concerns are often considered secondary and queer women's concerns are mostly invisible. Clinicians that understand that women endure the cumulative trauma of being ignored or neglected by society at large and that relationships between women are dismissed or unseen and women suffer from the subtle and not-so-subtle ways sexism permeates our culture. As a result, women are more vulnerable to the double whammy of sexism and homophobia that can result in isolation, depression, relationship difficulties and low self-esteem. Older women, in addition, encounter ageism.

New Leaf, a San Francisco based not-for-profit organization, is committed to providing services that mirror and validate women's struggles and strengths. While some women may be afraid to seek services by mainstream providers because they fear being re-traumatized by providers, we understand what it means to "come out" throughout one's life, what the developmental challenges are to identifying as a queer women, and how we create families of choice and community that support our values and who we are as women and LBT people.

At New Leaf we strive to provide a space where women - and, all LGBT people -- can feel understood and their experiences are validated. We help our clients to become empowered -- to help themselves, with the assistance of our professional counseling and support services. New Leaf offers an array of groups to support women's connections with each other and their community. And we strive to help women and all LGBT people who seek our services to ultimately lead healthy, connected lives.

If you would like to know more about the specific groups we offer to the women's community at New Leaf, for clinical services, please call New Leaf's Intake Office at 415-626-7000 x 201 or call Michelanne Baker, Psy.D. at 415-626-7000, x 413; and for social and recreation activities for LBT elder women, call Jan Couvillon, at
415-626-7000, x409.

Elder Women
Support Group ... a New Leaf Outreach to Elders program.
3:00-5:00pm
Elder lesbian, bisexual women, transgender support group. Theme-based.
Meets every 2nd and 4th Thursday.
San Francisco LGBT Center
1800 Market Street at Octavia Street
San Francisco, CA

 Complementary and Alternative Health Web Sites

 
Some helpful Web links to aid you in your quest for  complementary and alternative approaches to managing your health:

Acupuncture Today -- http://www.acupuncturetoday.com/ 
Doc Misha’s Chinese Chicken Soup Medicine – http://www.docmisha.com/ 
Feminist Women’s Health Center -- http://www.fwhc.org/
National Center For Complementary and Alternative Medicine -- http://nccam.nih.gov/ 
Quan Yin Healing Arts Center -- http://www.quanyinhealingarts.com/

About

About Lesbian Health Matters

Lesbian Health Matters is the e-newsletter of the Lesbian Health Research Center (LHRC) distributed by e-mail and available on our Web site: www.lesbianhealthinfo.org.

Editor-In Chief

Maureen A. Kenney, Communication Consultant, mauriano@yahoo.com  

Contributors:
•  Michelanne Baker, Psy.D., Training Director,
     New Leaf
•  Misha R. Cohen, OMD, L.Ac., Director,
    Chicken Soup Chinese Medicine
•  Joanna Sickler, LHRC

Copy Editors:
•   Suzanne Dibble, RN, DNSc, LHRC
•   Maureen A. Kenney, Communication
   Consultant
•   Joanna Sickler, LHRC

Webmaster
Barb Rush, barb@rushconsulting.com   

LHRC Co-Founders & Co-Directors

•   Suzanne Dibble, RN, DNSc

•   Dixie Horning

•   Patricia Robertson, MD

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