World AIDS Day 2012 – Getting to Zero
World AIDS Day is celebrated on December 1st around the world. Since December 1, 1988, World AIDS Day is a day to honor the millions who have died of AIDS but also for the future generations. This day is also an opportunity for people to worldwide to unite in the fight against HIV/AIDS, raise awareness and celebrate the victories such as: increased access to care and prevention services.
The theme for this year and through 2015 is Getting to Zero. The theme is about Getting to Zero New HIV Infections, Zero Discrimination, and Zero AIDS Related Deaths. According to UNAIDS estimates, there are 34 million people living with HIV around the world. In 2010, 2.7 million people became newly infected with the virus including 390,000 children. Despite a decline in the estimated AIDS-related deaths, there were still an estimated 1.8 million AIDS-related deaths in 2010.
World AIDS Day is important for reminding people that HIV has not gone away. There are still many things to be done. On December 1 and every day, DO SOMETHING! Get inspired, Get educated and most importantly, Get tested!
W.O.M.E.N. Goes to Prison
W.O.M.E.N. is bringing P.O.W.E.R. to the prisons. Through a partnership with Corrections Corporation of America (CCA), W.O.M.E.N. has been granted access to incarcerated women in a Metropolitan Davidson County Detention Facility. W.O.M.E.N. will be Providing Our Women with Education upon Release (P.O.W.E.R.). This curriculum- based education intervention will increase HIV prevention education, treatment and awareness among incarcerated women, increase community linkages and networks to ensure care and social services are available for incarcerated women upon release, and increase the availability of HIV testing to high risk incarcerated women. This program is the first of its kind allowed in a correctional facility in Nashville.
According to the Tennessee Department of Corrections (TDOC); as of July 2012, there are 2,506 women incarcerated in Davidson County. Through P.O.W.E.R., W.O.M.E.N. is helping to give these ladies the tools they need in order to have the self-esteem, self awareness, and self efficacy needed to make positive choices and change their behaviors so that they become productive citizens upon release.
This new partnership allows W.O.M.E.N. to bridge critical gaps in the community by educating and preparing these women for pre-release.
National Breast Cancer Awareness Month
October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month – a time to promote regular mammograms and increase early detection of breast cancer. About 1 in 8 women in the United States will get breast cancer. And every 74 seconds, someone dies of breast cancer.
Any woman can get breast cancer, even those who have no family history of the disease. Two important risk factors for breast cancer are: being a woman and growing old; however young women can and do get breast cancer.
No one knows the cause or how to prevent breast cancer, therefore; early detection is vital. If found early there are more treatment options and a higher survival rate. To increase the chances of early detection, the American Cancer Society recommends the following:
1. Mammograms
A mammogram is an X-tray of the breast and is the best screening tool available for early detection. Yearly mammograms are recommended starting at age 40. Most insurance plans, including Medicare, cover the cost of mammograms. However, if you cannot afford one or do not have insurance, contact the Susan G. Komen breast care helpline at 1-877-465-6636 for free or low cost options in your area.
2. Breast Exam
A breast exam is a physical examination of the breast by a doctor or nurse to check for changes or lumps in the breast or any other problems. Medical experts recommend that women in their 20s and 30s receive a breast exam every three years as part of their health exam. Women 40 and older should receive a breast exam every year.
3. Breast Self Awareness
All women should know what is normal for them. It is important to become familiar with how your breast normally look and feel and report any changes to your doctor. Women ages 20 and older are encouraged to do a self breast exam once a month. Click here to learn how to do a breast self exam.
In addition to the above, contact your doctor if you notice any of the following breast changes:
- Lump, hard knot or thickening inside the breast or underarm area
- Swelling, warmth, redness or darkening of the breast
- Change in size or shape of the breast
- Dimpling or puckering of the skin
- Itchy, scaly sore or rash on the nipple
- Pulling in of your nipple or other parts of the breast
- Nipple discharge that starts suddenly
- New pain in one spot that does not go away.
National Latino AIDS Awareness Day 2012 Photo Contest
Women On Maintaining Education and Nutrition invites photographers (amateurs and novice alike) to enter our National Latino AIDS Awareness Day 2012 Photo Contest! “Hispanics United to End AIDS. Get Tested for HIV“ is the theme for the 2012 commemoration! W.O.M.E.N. wants your best photographs for this event pertaining to:
- Unity
- What HIV/AIDS means to you
- Hispanic Heritage
Online entries can be uploaded starting 12:01 am Eastern Standard Time on October 1, 2012. Deadline for submitting entries is 11:59 pm Pacific Standard Time on October 15, 2012.
Entries will be judged and winners decided October 16, 2012! Prizes include gift cards and winning photographs displayed on our website and social media pages!
Please Submit digital photographs electronically to :
For more details, click here!
“Women Doing Good” Nashville Celebration
Let’s celebrate Catherine Wyatt-Morley’s win as a 2012 “Women Doing Good” SELF Magazine Awardee! Join us after work for a Toast to Catherine on Thursday,October 4th at the Renaissance Hotel in Downtown Nashville.
Meet us on the Bridge at the Renaissance Hotel, 611 Commerce St., Nashville, TN at 5:30pm. Reception goes till 6:30pm.
Sponsored by Meharry’s Centers for Women’s Health Research
Catherine Wyatt-Morley Visits the Today Show
W.O.M.E.N.’s founder and CEO, Catherine Wyatt-Morley is taking on the Big Apple! Catherine is in town to receive the “Women Doing Good” award from SELF Magazine. While visiting NYC, Catherine had the opportunity to sit down with Kathie Lee and Hoda Kobt of the Today Show to discuss “Women Doing Good” and her efforts to educate women about HIV/AIDS.
Recently, Catherine was selected from thousands of nominations received by SELF detailing exceptional strength and determination as told by colleagues, family and friends. Catherine received a $10,000 award to further her efforts to bridge the service gaps to reduce health disparities and will be honored at an award gala hosted by Hoda Kotb, of the Today Show.
Click here to see Catherine on the Today Show.
Living Beyond..
Living Beyond … will be a personal space for clients, survivors, and anyone with a story to have a voice. This will be their place to express themselves.
COMING SOON….
ZUMBA FOR A CAUSE
Can you outlast W.O.M.E.N. staff??
Join us at ExecuFit Wellness Center for 4 hours of Zumba with Nashville’s Best Zumba instructors!
When: Saturday September 22, 2012
Time: 9AM – 1PM
Where: ExecuFit Wellness Center
3441 Lebanon Road
Hermitage, TN 37076
Admission: $5.00/ hour
Come out and enjoy music provided by DJ Crucial and a chance to win prizes every hour!
This fundraiser is in collaboration with ExecuFit Wellness Center who will also be hosting a Health, Beauty, and Wellness Fair.
Catherine Wyatt-Morley Honored By SELF Magazine
Every year SELF Magazine honors Women Doing Good; honorees are real women doing real things to make a difference despite personal adversity. The women honored have used action to heal and shift their energy into creating something positive and uplifting to benefit others.
Catherine Wyatt-Morley, Founder and CEO of Women On Maintaining Education and Nutrition, is among those being honored by SELF for her tireless efforts in the fight against HIV/AIDS.
“My wish is for every woman to be educated about this issue. Married women think they’re immune to the virus. But no one is an exception with AIDS. I want to reach that woman over 50 who thinks she can have unprotected sex or the young girl who is just starting to date”, says Wyatt-Morley.
Catherine Wyatt-Morley, Founder and CEO of Women On Maintaining Education and Nutrition is among those being honored by SELF Magazine for her tireless efforts in the fight against HIV/AIDS.
Because of this wish, Wyatt-Morley has spent the last 18 years battling HIV/AIDS for not only herself; but for future generations, in hopes that her struggles will prevent others from becoming infected with HIV.
Click here to read the full article.
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