The Center for Disease Control (CDC) reports that the top five leading causes of death for women in the United States are heart disease, cancer, stroke, chronic lower respiratory diseases and diabetes. Yet how close has the city come to addressing the seriousness of these illnesses in San Francisco? Furthermore, what are city health institutions and health services at SF State are providing for women in the way of adequate testing, awareness and preventative measures?

Maria Cora, from the office of women’s health said the city of San Francisco faces challenges over the health of it’s citizens, however, overall the health of women who live in San Francisco is better than average.

“There are challenges statewide and locally. For example, for the number of uninsured women in the city it can be harder to get access to procedures and preventative measures,” Cora said. “Women without insurance might not be thinking, ‘I really need to that that mammogram,’ even though that kind of testing is available for people with out insurance. While the health department is stretched to its limit, our department is population focused, client centered and very effective, in my opinion.”

The San Francisco Department of Public Health (SFDPH) publishes an annual report on the effectiveness of health institutions in the city as well as a comprehensive report on the health of the citizens of San Francisco.

According to the SFDPH, the health of San Franciscans and women in particular, is generally good when compared with the rest of the state of California. What public health officials are most concerned with, however, are the discrepancies in good health that run along sex and racial/ethnic lines.

Currently, the projected life expectancy for women who live in San Francisco is five to seven years higher than for men, according to the annual report.

The SFDPH compares mortality rates, death records and life expectancy projections. Death records are considered a very helpful tool when analyzing the health of a population because these records reveal the cause of death, age, sex, race/ethnicity and zip code of an individual, according to the SFDPH.

The report also says, “San Francisco’s overall age-adjusted death rate and the rates of coronary heart disease, diabetes and cancers are lower than the rest of the state.” However, it reads, “San Francisco has increased incidents of AIDS, syphilis and tuberculosis.”

Dr. Marie Schafle, director of health services at SF State said during a budget crunch, it is impossible to offer free testing, however, the leading causes of death for women overall are not the leading causes of death for students at SF State.

“We don't have the money to offer free testing for uterine cancer or breast cancer,” Schafle said. “We certainly screen for breast cancer and refer women over forty. On this campus a big killer is trauma from accidents, many of which are alcohol related,” Schafle said.

Albert Angelo, health educator at Student Health Services, agreed with Schafle and said that none of the top five leading causes of death for women pose a direct risk for students at SF State. He point out, however, that quite a few female SF State students may face the life threatening diseases later in life because they smoke.

“Heart disease, cancer, and chronic lower respiratory diseases (breathing problems) are often caused by long-term smoking,” said Angelo. Each year, 400,000 people die from smoking in the United States alone. “It’s not surprising that the number one cancer killing women is lung cancer, although breast cancer is more common,” said Angelo. He thinks that too many women smoke at SF State, and he believes the reason why they continue smoking is the fear of gaining weight, in addition to addiction. “Even though you’re probably not going to die in your 20s from smoking, I think it’s a health hazard, right now,” Angelo said.

In terms of other diseases, the Student Health Service’s biggest concern for female students are sexually transmitted diseases such as chlamydia and HIV. Angelo strongly recommends that female students take an annual gynecologic examination, which includes a breast examination, general health screening, pelvic examination, Pap smear and an optional STD check. These services are currently offered at the health center at SF State.

Screenings such as Pap smears and breast exams are key in early detection of cancer. All women are at risk for breast cancer, and while there is no prevention, studies show that early detection does save lives. “When breast cancer is found early, the five-year survival rate is 96 percent,” according to the National Breast Cancer Foundation, “Over 2 million breast cancer survivors are alive in America today.”

“Heart diseases are still the number one cause of death,” said Gloria Rodriguez, media organizer at the San Francisco General Hospital (SFGH). There are many reasons contributing to the huge number of people with heart disease reaching from genetic causes to daily life issues.

“Nowadays, people live a differentlife style. Most of the patients with heart problems live a fat-food life. They don’t eat the right thing at the right time,” said a nurse at SFGH, who doesn’t want her name published. There are, however, ways to avoid heart disease and cancer, she said. “We tell people to stay away from packaged food, caned food and meat,” said the nurse. “People with heart problems should be careful with meat. The portion shouldn’t be bigger than two to four ounces, the size of a fist,” she said.

No one wants to die prematurely from something that can be prevented, but unfortunately there is no magic pill we can take to stay healthy. That doesn’t mean women should resign themselves to an early death though. For all the leading causes of death the answer is the same: lifestyle. To stay healthy you need to live healthy. That includes eating well, exercising, and staying in good physical shape.

According to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, “Obesity and being overweight substantially increase the risk of morbidity from hypertension, dyslipidemia, type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease, stroke, gallbladder disease, osteoarthritis, sleep apnea and respiratory problems, and endometrial, breast, prostate, and colon cancers. Higher body weights are also associated with increases in all-cause mortality.”

To help prevent obesity and being overweight exercise needs to be incorporated as well. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) recommends, “20 to 30 minutes of physical activity on most days of the week.” Regular exercise helps to reduce the risk of developing colon cancer, high blood pressure, diabetes, and lowers the risk of dying from heart disease, as well as helping to prevent obesity, according to a 1996 Surgeon General’s report.

Eating right will also help in pursuit of good health. That includes limiting fat intake and bulking up on fruits and vegetables. According to the CDC, eating five daily servings of fruits and vegetables may help reduce the risk of cancer and other diseases. It’s not just what you eat, but how much you eat. Portion control is a big part of a healthy diet. Just because something is low fat or fat free, it doesn’t mean you should take that as license to pig out. Those foods are often high in calories. Learn to read the nutrition labels on food packaging and stick to the recommended serving size.

While there may not be any one thing that will help prevent diseases, following these tips to a healthy lifestyle will increase the chances of remaining disease free.

For students at SF State and San Francisco residents in general, services available are more than abundant but are rare in other counties throughout the state.

“California has a general department of women’s health and so do Los Angeles and San Francisco counties,” Cora said, on behalf of the San Francisco Department of Public Health. “Other than that, no other county health department has an Office of Womens Health.”

Tobacco Information and Prevention Source: http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/research_data/health_consequences/mortali.htm