Top Women's Health Site To Support And Fund Women's Health Research Through A Global Web Campaign -- Calls On 1 Million Women To Help

Main Category: Women's Health / Gynecology
Article Date: 10 Sep 2010 - 5:00 PDT


Top 10 women's health site EmpowHER launched what is expected to be the largest online movement for women's health in the next year -- the 1000Women campaign.

Expecting to engage 1,000 women who will each recruit another 1,000 women to participate in this classic pay-it-forward viral effort; the campaign's goal is to get 1 million women to share their inspirational health stories with friends, family, and women they've never even met. Campaign participants can do this by creating profiles on 1000Women.com where they can: "tell a friend" about the campaign; share their own personal health and wellness story -- including pictures and videos if they wish, or simply vote for another woman's story that inspires them.

When 1 million women have engaged in the campaign, EmpowHER will donate $50,000 toward women's health research.

"Participants in this campaign are not required to spend a penny. Every time a new woman signs up to share a story, vote for a story, or share the campaign with others, money will be donated by EmpowHER to fund women's health research," said Thom Brodeur, Chief Marketing Officer for EmpowHER and campaign architect. "Our challenge to women is simple. Open your hearts, log onto the website, and pass it along. We'll open our wallet and do the rest. We're partnering with women to improve their health and change their lives, and we're honored to play a role."

The majority of campaign funds will be donated to HealthyWomen, the nation's leading nonprofit health information source for women. For more than 20 years, HealthyWomen has been committed to improving women's health through public education campaigns grounded in research among women nationwide.

"Studies show that when women share their health issues with other women, their state of mind improves, sometimes even having positive effects on their overall health," said Jay K. Harness, MD, a member of EmpowHER's Medical Advisory Board, President of Breast Surgery International and breast surgeon in Orange County, Calif. "For example, a recent report from the California HealthCare Foundation reported that when patients managing the same chronic condition share observations with each other, their collective wisdom can yield clinical insights well beyond the understanding of any single patient or physician."

Dr. Harness, past president of the American Society of Breast Surgeons, goes on to say, "Studies have found that cancer patients who were isolated and lacked social interaction had greater tumor growth and worse prognosis. We firmly believe that loneliness and isolation can have a significant impact on a patient's long-term battle with a disease." Dr. Harness concluded that online communities are a great resource for patients to share and connect, but are not a substitution for oversight and guidance from a patient's medical team.

"Women need to advocate for themselves and each other by calling for more gender-specific health research," said Michelle King Robson, Founder, Chairperson and CEO of EmpowHER. "Much of the world's health-related research remains male dominated, signaling there is still much to learn about women's unique health conditions and the specific effects of procedures, drugs and diagnostics on women. This campaign was created to give women a voice in their own health, and to provide financial support to organizations dedicated to advancing women's health research and advocacy."

King Robson has witnessed this trend first-hand. Her site, launched just 24 months ago, reaches nearly 1.2 million unique visitors and viewers every month from women sharing their most intimate health conditions and then connecting with others for support. "I started this site after I experienced my own health nightmare and began telling my story. What has occurred has been a firestorm of other women who have found solace and better health by sharing on EmpowHER.com. We now want to take this to a new level of connectivity for all women around the globe by giving them a voice in their health through this campaign."

Source:
EmpowHER
HealthyWomen

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