Fact Sheets
The following fact sheets provide easy-to-understand women's health information.
Contents:
- Factsheets for Women
- General and Specific Health Matters for Women
- Pregnancy and Childbirth
- Maintaining Health and Wellbeing
- Mental Health
- Violence against Women
- Factsheets for Service Providers
For Women
General and Specific Health Matters for Women
Bone Health
This fact sheet developed by the Jean Hailes Foundation for Women’s Health provides an overview of bone health and prevention of osteoporosis. It also includes information about reducing your risk of osteoporosis through healthy eating, vitamin D, physical activity and regular check-ups. http://www.healthforwomen.org.au/images/stories/Education/Documents/info/bone_health.pdf
Endometriosis
This fact sheet developed by the Jean Hailes Foundation for Women’s Health provides an overview of endometriosis, including information about what endometriosis is, its causes, the signs and symptoms, fertility, diagnosis, treatment and links to further information. http://www.healthforwomen.org.au/images/stories/Education/Documents/info/endometriosis.pdf
Heart Health and Women
This fact sheet developed by the Jean Hailes Foundation for Women’s Health provides an overview of cardiovascular disease. In particular it discusses the relevance of cardiovascular disease for women, the risk factors, prevalence and relationship between hormone replacement therapy and cardiovascular health. There are also tips on how to reduce and understand your risks. http://www.healthforwomen.org.au/images/stories/Education/Documents/info/heart_disease.pdf
Menopause
This fact sheet is about menopause. Developed by the Jean Hailes Foundation for Women’s Health, it provides a definition of menopause, details about what happens to your body during menopause, symptoms and management.
http://www.healthforwomen.org.au/images/stories/Education/Documents/info/menopause.pdf
Pregnancy and Childbirth
Having A Baby In Canberra (HABIC)
This fact sheet provides basic information for women who may have just found out they are pregnant or who may be thinking of having a baby in the future. It describes the many choices that are available when having a baby in Canberra and provides a range of useful websites and books for further information.
Having A Baby In Canberra (HABIC) (87 KB)
Having A Baby In Canberra (HABIC) (183 KB)
Emotional health during pregnancy and early parenthood
This booklet looks at emotional changes you can expect during pregnancy and early parenthood, what you can do to manage these emotions so that you can get the most out of parenthood and what to do if times get tough. It was produced by beyondblue.
Emotional health during pregnancy factsheet (840 KB)
Postnatal Depression
Developed by beyondblue, this fact sheet provides information about postnatal depression: its prevalence, causes, signs, symptoms and treatment. It also includes the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale so that you can know if you have symptoms that are common to postnatal depression.
Postnatal depression factsheet (186 KB)
Maintaining Health and Wellbeing
Healthy Eating for You
This fact sheet is about healthy eating. Developed by the Jean Hailes Foundation for Women’s Health, it provides advice on how to start a healthy eating plan, advice about diets and alcohol and general information about the impact of healthy eating on the body. http://www.healthforwomen.org.au/images/stories/Education/Documents/info/healthy_eating.pdf
This fact sheet is about physical activity: the health benefits, how much is enough, the correct intensity and tips for getting active. It was developed by the Jean Hailes Foundation for Women’s Health. http://www.healthforwomen.org.au/images/stories/Education/Documents/info/physical_activity.pdf
Health Checks for Women
This fact sheet developed by the Jean Hailes Foundation for Women’s Health provides an overview of the kinds of checks and screenings that women should be having at particular ages. It provides a check list of the common health checks that all women should regularly have, and a check list for additional tests that women may need before their 30s, in their 30s, 40s, 50s and 60s and then at 70 and beyond.
http://www.healthforwomen.org.au/images/stories/Education/Documents/info/health_checks.pdf
Making Decisions about Your Health
This fact sheet developed by the Jean Hailes Foundation for Women’s Health provides advice on making decisions about your health. In particular it provides tips on which questions to ask yourself about your health, options for dealing with health matters, choosing a health practitioner, understanding evidence based practice and accessing health information from the Internet. http://www.healthforwomen.org.au/images/stories/Education/Documents/info/making_decisions.pdf
Weight Gain Prevention for Women
This fact sheet is about weight gain prevention in women: why it is important, the benefits of eating well, the benefits of being physically active, how weight gain occurs and tips about how to prevent it. It was developed by the Jean Hailes Foundation for Women’s Health. http://www.healthforwomen.org.au/images/stories/Education/Documents/info/weight_gain_prevention.pdf
Mental Health
Depression and anxiety disorders in women
Developed by beyondblue, this fact sheet provides information about women’s experience of anxiety and depression. It includes definitions and signs of depression and anxiety, factors that contribute to the conditions and the range of help and treatments that are available.
Depression and anxiety disorders factsheet (368 KB)
Eating Disorders
The Butterly Foundation developed this fact sheet in order to
provide general information about eating disorders. The fact sheet
includes brief descriptions of anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge
eating disorder and eating disorder not otherwise specified (EDNOS).
Fact sheets on particular topics are also available from the Butterfly Foundation’s website. http://thebutterflyfoundation.org.au/Uploaded_Files/CMS_Image/file/Tip_Sheets/eating_disorders1.pdf
Body Image
Deakin University was commissioned by the Australian Government Office for Youth to prepare a range of information sheets on body image. The Information Sheets provide information which may be helpful to people wishing to read more about body image. The topics covered include what body image is, what body dissatisfaction is and who it affects, why body image is important, causes of negative body image and steps that can be taken to improve body image. http://www.youth.gov.au/bodyImage/informationsheets/Pages/BodyImageInformationSheets.aspx
Violence Against Women
Domestic Violence
This fact sheet was developed by Reach Out to provide an overview of domestic violence. It includes information about keeping safe, as well as details about where to access additional information. http://au.reachout.com/find/articles/domestic-violence#toc-what-is-domestic-violence
General intimate partner violence statistics
This fact sheet was compiled for the Australian Domestic and Family Violence Clearinghouse and presents statistics about intimate partner violence taken from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) Personal Safety Survey and research conducted by the Australian Institute of Criminology. It presents data about prevalence, children affected by violence, reporting and help seeking. http://www.adfvc.unsw.edu.au/PDF%20files/Fast_Facts_1.pdf
Financial cost of domestic and family violence
This fact sheet was compiled for the Australian Domestic and Family Violence Clearinghouse and presents statistics about the financial cost of domestic and family violence. The topics covered include the cost to Australia, the cost to victims, the cost to Australian business and the costs and benefits of prevention.
http://www.adfvc.unsw.edu.au/PDF%20files/Fast_Facts_3.pdf
Impact of domestic violence on children and infants
This fact sheet was compiled for the Australian Domestic and Family Violence Clearinghouse and presents statistics about the impact of domestic violence on children and infants. The topics covered include violence during pregnancy, children affected by violence, impacts of exposure to violence, children and homelessness and children and homicide.
http://www.adfvc.unsw.edu.au/PDF%20files/Fast_Facts_4.pdf
Impacts of sexual assault on women
This resource sheet gathers together the findings from a wide range of research into the impacts of sexual assault on adult women. Sexual assault can include a diverse range of experiences and, as such, the effects of sexual assault on the victim/survivor and the community at large are also diverse. The effect of sexual assault is not only psychological or emotional but also impacts upon physical, social, interpersonal and financial domains. These are all considered in this resource.
http://www.aifs.gov.au/acssa/pubs/sheets/rs2/rs2.pdf
What’s love got to do with it?
What’s love got to do with it? is a publication produced by the Domestic Violence Prevention Council in the ACT as a guide to dealing with abusive and violent behaviours in relationships and the family. It provides information about health issues, legal options, safe accommodation, children and love, as well as information for family, friends and neighbours. It also provides contact details for a range of services in the ACT and NSW. http://dvcs.org.au/Resources/WhatsLove.pdf
For Service Providers
Forgotten Australians: Supporting survivors of childhood institutional care in Australia This booklet is designed to inform and assist doctors, nurses, mental health professionals, dentists, social workers, counsellors and welfare workers, and is an essential resource for service delivery organisations. It aims to give health and other professionals the background information they need to recognise, relate to and assist people who are experiencing long term trauma because of a childhood spent in orphanages or Homes – the Forgotten Australians. http://www.forgottenaustralians.org.au/PDF/MiniAfaBooklet.pdf