A Women's Wellness Conference, presented by the School of Nursing and the A.S. Women's Center, California State University, Chico, will be held throughout the day on Thursday, Nov. 14, in the Bell Memorial Union auditorium.

Members of the community are invited to join university students, faculty and staff, free of charge, in an event that will present speakers, many of them primary researchers, on women's health issues. There will also be activities, a variety of information, and several health booths available.

A line-up of nationally known health professionals, researchers and specialists in the field of women's health has been assembled for our speaker's panel. "Most impressive to me," said Becky Damazo, professor of nursing, "is that these outstanding health professionals are giving us their time and expertise to provide the latest health information that concerns women of all ages. This is a rare opportunity to learn from experts and to have them answer questions."

The keynote speaker for the conference is Jennifer O'Dea, M.P.H. and Ph.D., from the University of Sydney, Australia. She is currently a visiting scholar at UC Berkeley. O'Dea, whose expertise is preventing and treating eating disorders, has researched body image among male and female adolescents and young people and the connection between eating disorders and self-esteem.

The idea for the conference came as a result of many students and others in the community coming to nursing professors and the A.S. Women's Center with questions about such things as the latest information on birth control, eating disorders, hormone replacement therapy and early breast cancer detection.

"One of our goals is to get the wealth of recent information on women's health to young women, who are at a critical time for making lifelong health decisions," said Damazo.

Schedule of Women's Wellness Conference Events
All events held in the auditorium of the Bell Memorial Union.

9:00 Women and Heart Disease: Janet Wright, Cardiologist
Are you at risk? Heart disease is the number one killer of women in this country. Come and hear about how to prevent this silent killer.

10:00 Controversies in Hormone Replacement Therapy: Whitney Dixon, M.D. Gynecologist
New research has brought attention to hormone replacement. Women are faced with decisions and have questions about hormone replacement.

11:00 Breast Cancer Early Detection and Prevention by Dr. John Burnham, Radiologist Imaging Specialist, and Pat Jeeter, RN Breast Education Specialist
Breast cancer continues to be a leading cancer killer for women. Speakers will talk about what's new in the area of early detection and prevention for women.

12:15 Musical Entertainment and Poster Presentations, Information Tables and Booths on Women's Health
Women's Center, American Heart Association, American Cancer Society, American Lung Association, Campus Health Center

1:30 Keynote Address: Preventing and Treating Eating Disorders, by Jennifer O'Dea, MPH, PhD
O'Dea is a senior lecturer, University of Sydney, Australia, and visiting scholar at UC Berkeley. O'Dea conducted a large longitudinal study of prepubescent girls. She is particularly interested in the connection between eating disorders and self-esteem.

2:30 Birth Control, What's New in 2002: Robert Greene, M.D., Specialty Care for Women, Redding
Come find out the latest information on new methods of birth control, including emergency contraception and how to make wise contraceptive choices based on your sexual lifestyle.

5:00 How Yoga Builds Strength: Free Yoga Demonstration and Instruction

Participants do not need to pre-register for the conference and can come to whichever events fit into their schedules. "We just want as many women as possible to take part in this opportunity to have some of the latest health research demystified. There are so many contradictions in the media," said Damazo. "Our goal is to put accurate information in the hands of women so they can make valid health decisions."

The conference is offered free to the public through the generous donation of time and resources by the professional speakers, School of Nursing Alumni, Ortho-McNeil Pharmaceutical, Inc., the A.S. Women's Center and the California Student Nurses Association.
For more information, contact the A.S. Women's Center, 530-898-5725, or Damazo at 530-898-4422.

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