Are You a Woman in Pursuit of Health and Well-being?

SOUTH HADLEY — It’s never easy to talk about life’s most sensitive subjects with your physician, from emotions to lust and love. The conversations, though, can be critical for overall well-being. It’s been 44 years since Our Bodies, Ourselves, a book about women’s health and sexuality, was first published in 1971. Even today, its ninth edition remains popular and sold 3 million copies in 2011.

There is still much to learn from the women’s health movement of the 1970s and beyond. The World Health Organization said in 1946 that economic, cultural, and social conditions have tremendous impact on overall health. They noted that healthy living is a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease.

The conversation is ongoing today. Nurse practitioner Ellen Miller-Mack will present “Women in Active Pursuit of Health and Well-being” on Thursday, April 16, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at Baystate Medical Practices – South Hadley Adult Medicine, 470 Granby Road, South Hadley. The event is sponsored by Baystate Health’s Spirit of Women.

She will explore a range of issues using principles of women’s health to construct meaningful visits with one’s healthcare provider, the mind/body connection, talking with providers about sexuality and relationships, narrative medicine, achieving emotional well-being, and opportunities for social change.

Miller-Mack recently joined South Hadley Adult Medicine as a nurse practitioner providing primary care. She worked for many years at Baystate Brightwood Health Center in Springfield, where her role included providing care to incarcerated women in Hampden County.