Breast Cancer Awareness
The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders would like everyone to know that October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Take charge of your health and use the following breast cancer information to advocate for yourself!
- Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in women, second only to skin cancer.
- According to the National Cancer Institute, a woman has about a one in eight chance of being diagnosed with breast cancer in her lifetime.
- While non-Hispanic white women have higher rates of breast cancer incidence, African-American women have a higher incidence rate before age 40 and are more likely to die from breast cancer at every age.
- Women of Ashkenazi Jewish heritage are at higher risk of having BRCA mutation. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends testing for BRCA mutations for Ashkenazi Jewish women if they have a first-degree relative with breast or ovarian cancer or two second-degree relatives on the same side of the family with breast or ovarian cancer.
- Women with dense breasts (more glandular and fibrous tissue and less fatty tissue) on mammograms have a risk of breast cancer that is about 1.5 to 2 times that of women with average breast density.
- The movement away from one-size-fits all screening doesn’t mean you should skip your mammogram. Talk with your physician to evaluate your personal risk of breast cancer. The American Cancer Society continues to recommend women should have the choice to start annual breast cancer screenings with mammograms at age 40.
Know your risk for breast cancer, talk to your family and learn your family health history. Talk to your doctor about your personal risk of breast cancer. Get screened every year (mammography) and do your self-examinations these will help you know what is normal for you. Make healthy lifestyle choices by maintaining a healthy weight, add exercise to your daily routine, limit alcohol intake and limit menopausal hormone use.
Ovarian Cancer Awareness
The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders would like everyone to know that September is Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month. Take charge of your health and use the following ovarian cancer information to advocate for yourself!
Ovarian cancer is the 5th leading cause of cancer deaths among U.S. women, and accounts for 3% of cancers in U.S. women.
- A woman’s lifetime risk of developing ovarian cancer is 1 in 75
- Ovarian cancer rates are highest in women aged 55-64
- Around 22,000 women are diagnosed each year in the U.S.
- Approximately 1 in 10 cases are hereditary, attributed primarily to mutations in the BRCA1 or BRCA2 genes.
Often called the “silent disease” because of vague or subtle symptoms, If you experience any of the following symptoms please contact your doctor, early detection can save lives:
100th Anniversary of the 19th Amendment
The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders commemorates the 100th anniversary of the passage of the 19th Amendment, guaranteeing and protecting women’s constitutional right to vote.
In support the American Heart Association’s Go Red for Women movement, the Union County Office on Women and the Union County Freeholder Board asked County of Union staff to wear Red today. Wearing Red is to raise awareness about cardiovascular disease in women. For more information please visit: ucnj.org/women.
Meet the New Jersey Women Who Won the Right to Vote
In celebration of Women’s History Month, all Union County residents and visitors are invited to attend a presentation of Reclaiming Our Voice: New Jersey’s Role in Woman Suffrage, a first-person historical interpretation that opens a window into the world of women activists who fought for the right to vote, and ultimately won.
The event takes place on Wednesday, March 18 at 6:30 p.m. at the Liberty Hall Museum Carriage House at Kean University, at 1003 Morris Avenue in Union.
Admission is free of charge but advance registration is required at ucnj.org/womens-suffrage.
The performance features the story of former Union County resident Lillian Ford Feickert, who lived for a time in Plainfield. She served as President of the New Jersey Woman Suffrage Association during the pivotal eight-year period of 1912 to 1920, the year that women’s suffrage finally became the law of the land through the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
“Lillian Feickert and her contemporaries are inspirational figures in American history,” said Freeholder Chairman Alexander Mirabella. “The Freeholder Board is proud to help keep their stories alive through this special presentation as we celebrate the centennial anniversary of the 19th Amendment.”
Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Lucy Stone, Alice Paul and another former Union County resident, Florence Spearing Randolph of Summit are among the activists featured in the performance, as told through the voice of Lillian Feickert.
Performing as Lillian Feickert is Carol Simon Levin, a New Jersey storyteller, presenter and author of the book, Remembering the Ladies: From Patriots in Petticoats to Presidential Candidates.
Reclaiming our Voice is funded in part by a grant from the New Jersey Historical Commission, a Division of Cultural Affairs in the Department of State.
For more information about the event contact the Union County Office of Cultural and Heritage Affairs at 908-558-2550 or visit online at ucnj.org.
Women in S.T.E.M.
The women of Union County are some of the most accomplished women in history. The Union County Women Making History Video (below) is Mrs. Marion Johnson, Plainfield. Thanks to Mrs. Johnsons’ groundbreaking work at Boeing, where she was hired just after college, she was help to the United States to land the first person on the moon. This video not only celebrates Mrs. Johnsons’ achievements but shows us how Union County has its own ‘Hidden Figure’.
Margaret (Peggy) Salisbury
On behalf of the Union County Commission on the Status of Women and the Union County Office on Women we would like to extend our deepest condolences to the family and friends of 2017’s The Union County Women of Excellence Award for Lifetime Achievement recipient and Union resident, Margaret (Peggy) Salisbury. Peggy’s significant contributions will not be soon forgotten and her outstanding and unwavering dedication to the people of the entire Union County community will always be remembered. You will be very much missed, Peggy.
Union County Women Making History Video Series – Judy Jenkins Gaudino
The Union County Board of Freeholders is proud to announce that the Union County Office on Women has created a new series of videos highlighting women of achievement and leadership here in Union County, NJ. The new video series is called “Union County Women Making History.”
This video is for the final celebration of Women’s History Month here in Union County and features Judy Jenkins Gaudino, a Summit resident. Judy served in the Vietnam War as a civilian Special Services Recreation Employee. Her story is another look into the Vietnam War and the women that were there serving their country.
The Union County Women Making History video series highlights the achievements of the women of Union County and their contributions.
Jennifer Erdos, Coordinator
The mission of the Office on Women is to help ensure that women connect with services and programs that enable them to reach their full potential at every stage of their lives, in education, in employment and business, health, and in the social fabric of Union County, and to raise awareness of the many contributions that women make to life in Union County.
The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders is proud to announce the development of the new Office on Women. Established under the Department of Human Services, the Union County Office on Women is the first County government office of its kind in New Jersey.
“The Office on Women will provide a platform for leadership and advocacy on the needs of women of all ages, and serve as a catalyst for awareness and action on current and emerging issues that impact women’s lives,” said Freeholder Chairman Bruce H. Bergen.
The new Office on Women serves women in all walks of life throughout Union County. Through analysis, research and strategic collaboration the Office on Women will work to ensure that local programs and services support women’s leadership, equality and advancement in the home, at work and in the community.