"Until recently, little was known about Latina health. The U.S. government did not even collect statistics on causes of death among Hispanics before 1989. Since then, research has yielded a wealth of new information. The most surprising is that even though Latinas have high rates of diabetes and are more likely to be overweight than non-Hispanic white women, Latinas have lower rates of heart disease, lower rates of stroke, and live longer than non-Hispanic white women, rich or poor. Nevertheless, the health messages Latinas receive are still the same as those of the general population--or worse--focus only on the disparities. These messages do not match the experiences of Latinas nor do they not take into account Latinas' strengths and assets. No other book addresses this hot topic. Written by Jane L. Delgado, the nation's leading expert on Hispanic health, The Latina Guide to Health features cutting-edge medical information as well as "consejos" (conversational advice) throughout. Authoritative and accessible, this guide includes an A - Z "Health facts" section on everything from alcoholism and asthma to depression, diabetes, lupus, and sexually transmitted diseases, as well as sidebars, charts, and website resources." -- from publisher's website.

Foreword / Antonia Coello Novello -- Introduction -- pt. 1. Health in the life of today's Latinas -- 1. Overcoming our barriers to health -- Familia (family) -- Cultura (culture) -- Bringing it all together -- 2. Making today's medicina work for you -- Medical approaches become Latina friendly -- Understanding the medical system -- It will get better : advances in science -- 3. Caring for ourselves : body, mind, and spirit -- Avoiding all smoke -- Going for annual wellness visits -- Eating good and good-for-you foods -- Getting fit for your heart, flexibility, and strength -- Sleeping soundly and sufficiently -- Enjoying sexual intimacy -- Promoting clean air and safe water -- Working toward mental wellness -- Nurturing your spirit through healthy relationships and faith -- 4. Caring for others : our children, our partner, and our familia -- Our children -- Our partner -- Our familia -- pt. 2. Taking care of our health needs -- Essential facts and resources for Latinas -- Alcohol use and alcoholism : "She's not drinking ; she's just happy" -- Arthritis : "Why is she complaining? We all have pain" -- Asthma : "She's just too emotional. There is nothing wrong with her" -- Birth control : "I can't believe I'm pregnant again! How could this have happened?" -- Cancer : "Don't even say it" -- Depression : "Just get over it ; it's all in your head" -- Diabetes : "Every person in my family has it" -- Heart attack : "It's nothing--I just need to rest a little" -- Heart disease : "Me duele el corazón" (My heart hurts) -- High blood pressure (hypertension) : "I feel fine, so I know my blood pressure is normal" -- HIV/AIDS : "I had no idea my husband was HIV positive" -- Immune system : "Where is it located? I'm not too certain what that is" -- Liver disease : "®Me duele el higado!" (My liver hurts!) -- Lupus : "There's nothing wrong with her ; she looks fine" -- Menopause : "®Tengo mucho calor!" (I am so hot!) -- Menstruation : "It would be so much easier if I didn't have to think about periods" -- Pregnancy : "I know I'm pregnant, but I don't feel pregnant" -- Sex, sexuality, and sexual intimacy : "I can't talk about that" -- Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) or sexually transmitted infections (STIs) : "I don't have any symptoms, so I know I'm okay" -- Glossary of frequently used words -- pt. 3. Record keeping and resources -- About my health : five essential tools -- Making my choices now and making them known -- Knowing what I need to ask -- More resources -- Acknowledgments -- Index -- About the author.