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According to HERstory, a public education campaign of the Vagisil Women's
Health Center® (VWHC), genes may be the determining factor in some diseases.
However, prevention, early detection and a cure may rely just as heavily on how a
woman manages her personal health in the face of inherited illness.
Women today can take control of their personal health history and give
themselves the best scenario for a long and healthy life by following the advice of most
health experts. This includes:
- If you smoke, stop.
- Limit alcohol consumption to one drink a day.
- Maintain proper weight.
- Eat a healthy diet.
- Get the proper amount of rest and exercise.
- Get an annual checkup and Pap smear.
- Get tested regularly to assess genetic predisposition to certain diseases as indicated by
your family history research. Discuss personal medical history openly with your
physicians.
- Keep any genetic risk in perspective. Seven women in eight escape breast cancer; 54
in 55 fail to develop ovarian cancer.
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