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http://www.girlshealth.gov/
About this site
Media kit
girlshealth.gov media kit (PDF - 1.96MB)
Contents
- Introductory Letter
- girlshealth.gov Brochure
- girlshealth.gov Fact Sheet
- Friends of girlshealth.gov Program
- Media Advisory
- Staff Biographies
Introductory Letter
top
Dear friend,
Let’s face it, today’s media-savvy teens rely more heavily on the Internet as a reliable source of information than they rely on their parents, teachers, or friends. So, it is critical to give them the most reliable and up-to-date health information available.
Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office on Women’s Health, our mission is to inspire healthy behaviors using positive, supportive, and non-threatening messages. In an effort to make our Web site safe for girls, the articles, interviews, quizzes, and links we refer to are reviewed and approved by representatives of the Office on Women’s Health.
We are constantly updating our content in order to answer girls’ questions. Our Web site covers these topics and more:
- Relationships
- Fitness
- Nutrition
- Bullying
- Illness & Disability
- Drugs, Alcohol, & Smoking
- Body
- Safety
- Your Emotions
- Your Future
Our online materials are available for download and our printed materials can be ordered for free. Also, our Parents & Caregivers section is available in English and Spanish with resources for adults with girls. We have a special section with links and information for educators to help improve the lives of the girls they teach and care about.
Thank you again for supporting girlshealth.gov and helping all girls be happy and healthy.
Sincerely,
Ann Abercrombie, M.L.S.
Project Manager
Office on Women’s Health
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
girlshealth.gov Brochure top
Download the brochure here.
girlshealth.gov Fact Sheet top
History and background
Girlshealth.gov (formerly 4Girls.gov) is a program sponsored by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office on Women’s Health (OWH). It was developed in 2002 to fulfill the need for reliable, current health information on the Internet for adolescent girls, and to help improve the health of women from childhood to adolescence and into adulthood. Girlshealth.gov motivates girls to choose healthy behaviors using positive, supportive, and non-threatening messages.
Mission and purpose
The mission of girlshealth.gov is to promote healthy, positive behaviors in girls between the ages of 10 and 16. The Web site gives girls reliable, useful information on various health issues and advice on handling relationships with family and friends, at school and at home.
Operations
Ann Abercrombie, Office on Women’s Health, is the project director for girlshealth.gov. A short biography of Ms. Abercrombie can be found on girlshealth.gov.
The “Sounding Board” is a special group of young women all across the country tasked with providing their opinions on health topics and other subjects to OWH on an ongoing basis. Over the course of the girlshealth.gov program, they have shared their thoughts about the Web site, suggested improvements, and have provided valuable feedback about the issues they feel are important to girls’ health.
Health categories
Body – Covers everything from growth and body hair to acne and hair care.
Fitness – Stresses that being fit means more than only how you look.
Nutrition – Addresses healthy eating for girls and what to do to improve nutrition.
Illness & Disability – Shows ways to cope with a chronic illness and how to combat the fears of being sick.
Drugs, Alcohol, & Smoking – Describes substance abuse and what it does to a girl’s body.
Your Emotions – Talks about stress relief as well as depression and preventing teen suicide.
Relationships – Talks about the importance of healthy relationships and open communication.
Bullying – Shows girls, parents, and educators the issues associated with bullying.
Safety – Addresses safety issues about the Internet and within relationships.
Your Future – Helps girls discover their talents and plan for the future.
Parents & Caregivers Section – Provides resources to help parents talk to girls about their health concerns.
Educators Section – Offers tools, resources, and guidance for educators to teach the girls with whom they work.
Información para padres de familia y cuidadores de niños – Ofrece recursos y enlaces a información útil.
Friends of girlshealth.gov Program top
Being part of the Friends of girlshealth.gov Program means that you or your organization is making an effort to support, promote, and encourage girls’ health in a positive way. When you become a part of the Friends of girlshealth.gov Program, you can also link to us from your own Web site.
Promoting girls’ health in a positive way takes the combined effort of many people. Here are some suggestions about how you or your organization can further support girlshealth.gov:
- Show your support for girlshealth.gov by letting us add your organization’s name to our Partners and friends of girlshealth.gov page. Fill out our application form online.
- Use the girlshealth.gov banner and put a link to our Web site on your Web site.
- Send us emails with suggestions for the site or submit answers in the Speak Up! topics section.
- Order free materials offered on this Web site, like brochures, for yourself or girls you know.
- Spread the word to others that you are part of the Friends of girlshealth.gov Program and encourage them to look at the Web site to learn about issues regarding girls’ health.
Media Advisory top
Contact: Valerie Scardino
Communications Director
Office on Women’s Health (OWH)
(202) 205-0270
Girls’ Health Web Site Changes Name and Web Address
New Web site address makes it easier to find girls’ health information online
http://www.girlshealth.gov
August 30, 2005 Washington, DC – In an effort to streamline the information they provide to girls, parents, and educators, OWH changed the name, Web site address, and logo of their girl’s health Web site to girlshealth.gov. These changes allow anyone to find reliable, up-to-date girls’ health information on the Internet faster and easier.
What: The Office on Women’s Health (OWH) is proud to announce the name change of their girls’ health Web site to girlshealth.gov. Formerly www.4girls.gov, this new name and Web site address more accurately describes the content on their Web site. Along with these changes, girlshealth.gov also has a new logo. OWH hopes that these changes will help girls, parents, and educators find important information on girls’ health faster and easier.
Who: Girlshealth.gov is sponsored by the Department of Health and Human Services, Office on Women’s Health, and is the “daughter” program of the National Women’s Health Information Center (www.womenshealth.gov). Girlshealth.gov provides valuable information about ways girls can achieve a healthy lifestyle helping them to understand their body, mind, and spirit as they grow into adults. For information, visit www.girlshealth.gov or call the National Women’s Health Information Center at 1-800-994-9662.
When: Our new name, Web site address, and logo have officially been changed and were launched this month.
Why: The Web site relocation and name change to www.girlshealth.gov will make it easier for girls, parents, and educators to find girls’ health information on the Internet. As incidents of diabetes, eating disorders, and drug abuse continue to increase and teens continue to consume more and exercise less, OWH recognized the need to make girls’ health information even more accessible to the public. The mission of girlshealth.gov is to promote healthy, positive behaviors in girls between the ages of 10 and 16. The site, originally launched in 2002, gives girls current, reliable, and useful information on various health issues they will face as they become young women, and tips on handling relationships with family and friends, at school, and at home. The former Web site address for girlshealth.gov was www.4girls.gov. This address will still work.
girlshealth.gov Staff Biographies top
R. Ann Abercrombie, M.L.S
Program Manger for womenshealth.gov and girlshealth.gov
Ann Abercrombie is the program manager for womenshealth.gov and girlshealth.gov. For girlshealth.gov, she manages all of the fun designs and content of the Web site and supervises the planning of printed materials like our Teen Survival Guide.
Along with these activities, she is also the program manager for the Best Bones Forever!™ campaign.
Ann has a master’s degree in library service from Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, and a bachelor’s degree in English from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She enjoys reading (Harry Potter is one of her favorites) and travels whenever she can. She recently started doing stained glass projects as a hobby and really enjoys it.
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Content last updated September 22, 2009
