Here are selected sites offering information about women's health issues. Though I've tried to use care in selecting sites, please be aware that I have no medical training or expertise and cannot vouch for the accuracy of all the information these sites provide.

Annual Review of Population Law

(This website from the Harvard University School of Public Health "contains a database of summaries and excerpts of legislation, constitutions, court decisions, and other official government documents from every country in the world relating to population policies, reproductive rights and health, women's status and rights, children and adolescents, HIV/AIDS and related topics." It also contains files on abortion laws, population policies, domestic violence, children and adolescents, HIV/AIDS, women's human rights, trafficking, and female genital mutilation, as well as files on population-related laws from specific countries and links to some related sites.)

Bibliographic References for Multicultural Perspectives on Domestic Violence in the U.S.

(Sociologist Natalie J. Sokoloff has compiled this extensive bibliography of print resources dealing with multicultural domestic violence. There are separate sections for Theories and Analyses, Racial/Ethnic Groups, Socio-Economic Status, Religious Groups, Lesbians, Social and Personal Change, Rural Domestic Violence, and Women with Disabilities.)

BlackWomensHealth.com

(Information about women's health with a focus on black women.)

Boneporosis

(The Latina Health Project has provided this site about osteoporosis, a health problem where the bones lose density and become susceptible to fractures. Though it can affect women and men of all ages, osteoporosis is seen most often in post-menopausal women. This website provides clearly written information about the condition, its symptoms, treatment, and prevention, as well as advice for living with osteoporosis. The site also includes links to related resources.)

Breast Cancer Network Nova Scotia

(Since 1996, this Canadian site has offered an online forum and extensive online resources about breast cancer, with a focus on support, information, news, treatment options, advocacy, and awareness. The intended audience includes patients, family members, caregivers, healthcare providers, and others.)

Canadian Women's Health Network

(This site, available in both English and French, offers very extensive resources on women's health. A large assortment of relevant topics include not just the usual ones such as ""fitness and nutrition," "menopause and healthy aging," and "pregnancy and motherhood," but also such categories as "gender-based analysis," "health policy," "women in the workplace," and attention to the health issues of aboriginal women, lesbians and bisexual women, and women with disabilities. The site also provides a section called "what's hot in women's health?" and extensive links to related sites. )

Center for Reproductive Rights

(The Center for Reproductive Rights is an independent, non-profit organization "dedicated to ensuring that all women have access to appropriate and freely chosen reproductive health services." The website provides news coverage of reproductive rights legal issues, information about the status of reproductive rights around the world, fact sheets and other resources, an online newsletter, and more. Sections of the website are devoted to Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean, Europe, and the United States. Some materials are available in Spanish, French, and Arabic as well as English.)

Center for Young Women's Health

(Sponsored by Boston's Children's Hospital, this site provides bilingual [English/Spanish] information about eating disorders, nutrition, menstruation, gynecological exams, endometriosis, cancer, sexuality, birth control options, STDs, smoking, breast health, body piercing, emotional health, and more, as well as a guide to lesbian health for teens.)

Creating LGBTQIA+ Friendly Communities in Healthcare and Education

(An organization entitled EduMed has created this online guide to help make healthcare and healthcare education more inclusive and welcoming for the LGBTQIA+ community [LGBTQIA+ stands for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex, Asexual plus other marginalized groups]. The guide "looks at the various challenges LGBTQIA+ individuals face--from the college classroom to the doctor's office--" and presents workable solutions for overcoming them. "The guide also shows readers how and where to find LGBTQIA+ friendly schools and medical providers."

Disabled Women's Network (DAWN) - Ontario

(Canadian organization whose web site includes an annotated bibliography on Violence Against Women with Disabilities [under Publications], a fact sheet, research requests, an extensive set of links to related sites, and more.)

Domestic Violence and Substance Abuse

(This site describes various kinds of domestic violence and links between domestic violence and substance abuse. As the site's name, DrugRehab.com, suggests, its focus is primarily on aspects of substance abuse, but it does have useful things to say about domestic violence.)

DrDonnica.com

(Billing itself "the first name in women's health" ["Donnica" is Dr. Donnica Moore's first name], this site at first made me uneasy with its focus on Dr. Donnica's media appearances and its calling on celebrities from the entertainment world to talk about health issues. Nonetheless, the site does offer a wealth of clear and useful information about women's health issues. In addition to the usual topics [Aging, Breast Health, Fibroids, HRT, Pregnancy, etc.], it includes interesting sections on Debunking Myths, News Alerts, FAQs, and Top Tips, as well as extensive links to related sites.)

Eating Disorders

(Colleen Thompson's web site defines and explains eating disorders and offers resources for dealing with them, including recommended books, organizations, treatment centers, related links, and more.)

The Effects of Hormone Replacement Therapy on the Body

(An account of reasons for using hormone replacement therapy (HRT), ways in which it may be useful, and dangers that it may involve. This is still a rather controversial topic. Do not depend on a single source for information when making a decision about whether or not to use HRT. Also, at the end of the account is a link to Article Resources.)

EngenderHealth

(Website of a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving women's health worldwide. The site offers abundant information about women's health issues, with an international focus.)

Estronaut: A Forum for Women's Health

(Clear information organized by the stages of a woman's life and by subject. Also includes the option of sending questions to a woman doctor.)

Family Health International (FHI)

(FHI is a not-for-profit organization working in the areas of AIDS/HIV/STD, family planning, and reproductive health around the world, with a focus on developing countries. A Women's Studies page includes links to a number of case studies, working papers, and reports. Parts of the web site are available in English, French, Spanish, Russian, and Arabic.)

Female Genital Mutilation

(This web page from the human rights organization Amnesty International discusses female genital mutilation [FGM], also known as clitoridectomy or female circumcision. It defines and describes FGM, briefly explains why it is practiced, discusses FGM as a human rights violation, outlines how international law regards the practice, and describes the work of Non-Governmental Organizations [NGOs] to combat FGM.)

Female Genital Mutilation Education and Networking Project

(Marianne Sarkis' site offers extensive resources for research, teaching, and activism regarding female genital mutilation, including a bibliography, information about films, legislation, health concerns, religious issues, e-mail lists, and more. Some attention also to male circumcision.)

Feminist Women's Health Center

(Information about abortion, birth control, breast cancer, menopause, and other women's health issues. Much of the site is also available in Spanish.)

FemiWeb

(Website in French devoted to women's health, with emphasis on resources for pregnancy and childbirth.)

FORCE: Facing Our Risk of Cancer Empowered

(Web site for women whose family history and genetic status put them at high risk of getting ovarian cancer and/or breast cancer, and for members of families in which this risk is present. The site offers message boards, chat, and well-organized, annotated links to relevant sites, including a section devoted to Canadian sites.)

4CollegeWomen

(A site dealing with women's health, with a focus especially on health issues facing college-age women. Created by Brandeis University students and sponsored and overseen by the Former U. S. Assistant Surgeon General, Dr. Susan J Blumenthal, the site is especially strong on information about the following concerns: General Health and Prevention; Tobacco, Alcohol, and Substance Abuse; Reproductive Health; Emotional and Mental Health; Diseases and Conditions; and Safety and Violence-Related Issues.)

FSD Alert

(Psychiatry professor Leonore Tiefer has created this web to publicize challenges to "the myths promoted by the pharmaceutical industry" and calls for research on the many causes of women's sexual problems, often referred to as "female sexual dysfunction" or FSD. The clearly partisan site includes an account of the issue and many useful links to news articles and related web sites.)

Gender and HIV/AIDS

(Sponsored by UNIFEM, the United Nations Development Fund for Women, this web site serves as a resource center and web portal for gender-specific knowledge and information about HIV/AIDS. It provides reports, debates, and practical tools, links to other quality websites on gender and HIV/AIDS, as well as a home in cyberspace for the global community to share insights, materials, research, best practices and more.)

Gender-Related Electronic Forums: Health

(Annotated, frequently-updated listing of women- and gender-related email discussion forums focusing on health issues.)

GirlsHealth.gov

(Sponsored by the U. S. Department of Health and Human Services, this site gives girls 10-16 reliable, current information about health, growing up, and issues they may face. Focusing especially on health issues, the site contains sections on body, fitness, nutrition, illness and disability, drugs, alcohol and smoking, mind, relationships, and more. Each topic also offers separate resources for parents and caregivers.)

Go Red for Women

(Information from the American Heart Association about heart disease and related ailments in women. (El sitio está disponible también en español.)

The Guttmacher Institute

(This well-known Institute's site offers current research findings and policy analyses concerning sexual and reproductive health and rights in the U. S. and internationally. Resources include articles from Institute publications, policy papers, fact sheets, and more. It also gives visitors to the site the opportunity to create a table or a map using the Institute's data on demographics, abortion, adolescents, contraception, pregnancy, , services, and financing.)

Health and Human Rights Syllabi Database

(The Program on Global Health & Human Rights, Institute for Global Health at the University of Southern California has compiled a database containing syllabi from around the world, including many that focus on sexual and reproductive health and rights.)

Heart Disease in Women

(Information about heart disease in women, from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. Includes information about causes of heart disease, who is at risk, signs and symptoms, diagnosis, treatments, prevention, living with heart disease, and links to related sites.)

Humboldt Community Breast Health Project

(A clearinghouse for information and support to improve the lives of people touched by breast cancer. Extensive links to related sites.)

Institute for Women's Health Research Blog

(Northwestern University's Institute for Women's Health Research sponsors a rather interesting blog on women's health issues. Recent entries have dealt with topics such as "Preventive Cancer Surgeries May Save Lives," "Arthritis Prevalence Higher in Women than Men," "Stress and Infertility," "Scientists as Role Models for Girls," "New Study Shows Obesity Has No Impact on Birth Control Effectiveness," and "Chocolate May Lower Risk of Heart Failure." Entries carry links to related postings.)

International Women's Health Coalition

(The IWHC "works to generate health and population policies, programs, and funding that promote and protect the rights and health of girls and women worldwide, particularly in Africa, Asia, Latin America, and countries in postsocialist transition." The web site offers reports and resources that focus on three themes: adolescent health & rights; sexual rights; and access to safe abortion.)

Librarians' Index to the Internet: Women

(Created and maintained by librarians who are experts in finding and evaluating online resources, the Librarians' Index to the Internet is itself one of the most valuable resources on the Web. Its focus extends to just about every topic, but its coverage of women is especially impressive. Its opening page on Women" lists approximately 70 topics. Each of these contains carefully selected and annotated links to information-rich web sites. Though the topics range widely--the S's alone include Sex Discrimination, Social Conditions, Speeches, Sports & Athletics, Statistics, and Suffrage--the site offers particularly extensive coverage of health issues and what it refers to as "Notable Women." Not to be missed!)

Medical Humanities Dissertations - Women's Health and History

(This resource from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine provides a monthly listing of selected doctoral dissertations from around the world that deal with a variety of medical humanities issues, including a large section dealing with Women's Health and History. The listing begins with dissertations completed in 2001 and continues to the present. Each entry includes an abstract; it is also possible to read the first few pages of the dissertation, and, if one wishes, to purchase a copy of the entire work.)

Medline Plus: Menopause

(Medline Plus, from the National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health, provides high-quality information about many health issues. The page on the Menopause is a good example. It offers overviews of menopause, news, information about symptoms, treatments, alternative therapies, clinical trials, research, related issues, and more. Limited sections are also available in Spanish.)

Medscape - Women's Health

(The Medscape site offers full-text, peer-reviewed articles, literature reviews, and medical news "for health professionals and interested consumers.")

Merck Manual of Medical Information: Women's Health Issues

(Section 22 of the Home Edition of the Merck Manual offers extensive information about women's health issues.)

MUM: Museum of Menstruation and Women's Health

(Harry Finley created this site and, according to the site, an actual physical museum as well. The site offers an interesting, often humorous exhibit devoted to menstruation.)

National Center for Policy Research for Women and Families

(This nonprofit, nonpartisan organization's web site provides news and information about policy research on such issues as social security, breast implants, breast cancer, poverty and welfare, violence, women's health, children's health, and work and family. It invites researchers in these fields to tell the Center about their work, which the Center will then try to make more widely available.)

National Partnership for Women and Families

(Formerly the Women's Legal Defense Fund, the National Partnership now focuses on Health Care and on Work and Family issues. The website offers resources in both these areas.)

National Sexual Violence Resource Center

(A clearinghouse of information [reports, news, statistics, state and national organizations, federal agencies, legal and medical resources, related web sites] about sexual violence and its prevention.)

National Women's Health Information Center

(Also called "4women.gov," this site offers many links to women's health information to lay people and health professionals. Special sections on topics such as girls' health, heart disease, disabilities, and pregnancy. One section offers extensive resources focusing on minority women). Sponsored by the U. S. Department of Health and Human Services.

National Women's Health Resource Center

(This non-profit organization's site, also called "Healthy Women," offers extensive information about many aspects of women's health. In addition to sections devoted to a wide variety of health issues, the site includes frequently-updated news coverage of women's health, a library of recommended books available for purchase at the site or elsewhere, web-based discussion forums, information about national and community health services, and more.)

National Women's Law Center

(Organization whose mission is "to protect and advance the progress of women and girls at work, in school, and in virtually every aspect of their lives." Its informative web site provides news, information, and activist alerts in support of its mission in such categories as Athletics, Child & Family Support, Education, Employment, Health, Social Security, and more.)

NOMORE: Together We Can End Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault

(This site offers concise definitions of domestic violence and sexual assault, descriptions of campaigns and activities to combat them, ways to take action, and links to related resources.)

North American Menopause Society

(NAMS is a non-profit organization that aims to provide current, accurate information about menopause to both health practitioners and the public. Among the resources the site offers is a core curriculum study guide, current news, a suggested reading list, and more. You may have to burrow through the site's major sections to find what's available.)

NOT-2-LATE.com: The Emergency Contraception Website

(This site, under the aegis of Princeton University and the Association of Reproductive Health Professionals, offers high-quality information about emergency contraception--what it is, what kinds there are, where emergency contraception can be found, and more, including an extensive section of Frequently Asked Questions. The site is peer-reviewed by a panel of outside experts.)

OBGYN.net Clinical Links

(Regularly updated collection of links for health professionals in obstetrics and gynecology. See also the set of links for lay people under Women's Pavillion (OBGYN.net), below.)

Online Birth Center

(Information and resources concerning midwifery, pregnancy, birth, and breastfeeding.)

Only Healthy: A Guide to Domestic Abuse Information and Resources on the Web

(A useful site that offers information about the different kinds of domestic abuse and provides extensive links to related web resources.)

Our Bodies, Ourselves: Companion Website

(The classic book about women's health and sexuality, Our Bodies, Ourselves, currently in its 8th edition, now has a very useful companion website. The site provides abundant information and links arranged into eight categories: Taking Care of Ourselves, Relationships and Sexuality, Sexual Health, Reproductive Choices, Child-Bearing, Growing Older, Medical Problems and Procedures, and Knowledge is Power. It also offers excerpts and resources organized around the book's 32 chapters.)

PCOS Challenge

(A website offering resources and support for women with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome. The site includes a web forum, member blogs, videos, groups (e.g., Fitness with PCOS, Overcoming Depression), a calendar of events, and links to related resources. To maintain members' privacy and to encourage discussion, the site requires that people sign up in order to view or use most of the site's offerings.)

Planned Parenthood: Issues and Action

(A Planned Parenthood site offering information about birth control, abortion, legislative initiatives, activist efforts involving reproductive rights, anti-choice threats to the 1973 Roe v. Wade court decision, a daily blog, and more.)

Power Surge

(Resources for women going through menopause; extensive links)

ReproLine: Reproductive Health Online

("An educational, nonprofit source of up-to-date information on selected reproductive health topics," including contraception/family planning. The site is "designed for use by policymakers with a technical and/or clinical background," and for "individuals, particularly teachers and trainers." The nonprofit organization producing the website is affiliated with Johns Hopkins University.)

SkinPick - Dermatillomania Center

(A site offering resources for people suffering from the compulsive skin picking disorder dermatillomania, the majority of whom are women. The site offers information about symptoms, causes, and treatment, as well as a web forum.)

Society for Women's Health Research

(Includes useful information about issues in women's health care and well-organized statistics and links to related sites.)

The State of World Population 2000

(Released in September 2000, this annual report of the United Nations Population Fund documents extensive gender inequality and discrimination against women and girls and discusses the effects of this discrimination on individuals and societies. The report's sections include Gender and Health; Violence Against Women and Girls; Men, Reproductive Rights, and Gender Equality; Counting the Cost of Gender Inequality; Women's Rights are Human Rights; and Working Towards a Better Future. The report includes graphs and charts of key facts and figures, and related links. It is also available in French and Spanish.)

Stop Violence Against Women

(This site, sponsored by the human rights organization Amnesty International, provides news, action alerts, reports, and other resources for stopping violence against women around the world.)

34 Menopause Symptoms

(This website provides refreshingly clear information about 34 symptoms that women may experience during menopause. It also discusses some of the treatment options available.)

Ultimate Birth Control Links (Ann Rose)

(An exceptionally rich collection of links, incl. abortion clinics and adoption info)

Understanding Menopause

(This website from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services offers clear discussions of menopause, its symptoms, and treatments, as well as links to additional resources. Warning: a few resource pages may offer to take you to commercial websites that promote various drugs, some of which may be problematic.)

Violence Against Women on the Internet

(A 6-week lecture and discussion session sponsored in 2002 by the Beekman Center for Internet & Society, Harvard Law School. Though the discussions are over, many of the resources are still available online. The session was organized into five modules: Campus Sexual Assault Policies; Pornography; Sex Trafficking; The Internet as a Site of Resistance; and Safety.)

WidowNet

(An information and self-help resource for and by widows and widowers. Topics covered include "grief, bereavement, recovery, and other information helpful to people of all ages, religious backgrounds, and sexual orientations who have suffered the death of a spouse or life partner." Good information about email forums and other forms of online interaction, as well as a useful FAQ.)

Woman's Diagnostic Cyber

(A women's health site established by gynecologist Frederick R. Jelovsek "to provide information and education to help decrease a woman's health concerns." Discussion of symptoms and risk factors, news, free message board, and the possibility of consultations [for which there's a charge].)

Women and Disability Resources

(Barbara Robertson's site offers a fact sheet on women with disabilities and development, an explanation of why it makes sense to focus on women with disabilities, and links concerning women and disabilities in a number of categories, including Sexuality, Economics, African American Women, Older Women, Lesbians, Abuse, and General.)

Womenheart: National Coalition for Women with Heart Disease

(Womenheart, "dedicated to reducing death and disability among the 8,000,000 American women living with heart disease," offers an array of current information on diet, exercise, hormone replacement therapy, cholesterol guidelines, the usefulness of statins, and much more, as well as a message board and annotated links to related sites.)

Women of Color Health Data Book

(Provided by the National Institutes of Health, this 178-page .pdf document offers extensive information intended to help policy makers and women's health advocates understand the health status of women of color and assist them in addressing their needs. Organized in three parts: Factors Affecting the Health of Women of Color, Health Assessment of Women of Color, and Issues Related to Improving the Health of Women of Color.)

Women's Cancer Network

(Website associated with the Society of Gynecologic Oncologists provides information about risk factors, referrals, links to related sites, news about women's cancers, and more.)

Womenshealth.gov

(A project of the U. S. Department of Health and Human Services Office on Women's Health, this extensive site offers information on a vast array of women's health issues. El sitio web también está disponible en español.)

Women's Health: A Guide to Legal Resources

(This guide, published by American University's Washington College of Law, provides resources for women regarding their legal rights concerning their health, how to navigate legal challenges that may arise, and how to advocate for better care for themselves and all women. The guide also includes a glossary of common women's health legal terms.)

Women's Health Interactive

(Resources for dealing with varied women's health issues, including the possibility of online consultation with health professionals.)

Women's Health Matters

(An extensive, high-quality Canadian site sponsored by the Women's College Hospital and the Centre for Research in Women's Health in Toronto. It offers women's health news, interviews with women's health professionals, information about a wide variety of women's health issues, and well-organized print and online resources, with particular emphasis on Canadian resources.)

Women's Health (Orchid Recovery Center)

(This site provides links to much useful information about women's health issues. Scroll down the page to find links to sections on topics such as Reproductive Technology, Sexual Assault, Alcohol and Addiction, PTSD, Women's Mental Health, and more. Please note that inclusion of this site does not imply an endorsement of the site's sponsor, the Orchid Recovery Center.)

Women's Health (Public Health and Social Justice)

(Dr. Martin Donohoe has developed a Public Health and Social Justice website that includes an extensive section devoted to Women's Health. It includes articles, slide shows, and a syllabus covering violence against women, reproductive rights, access to contraception and abortion, sex education, teen pregnancy, and rape. Some of the other sections of the larger site may also be of interest.)

Women's Health Queensland Wide

(Australian site offering information on an extensive array of issues such as sexually transmitted infections, menopause, hormone replacement, endometriosis, urinary incontinence, hysterectomy, infertility, ovarian and breast cancer, eating disorders, sexual violence, substance abuse, and more.)

Women's Health Topics: MEDLINE Plus

(This well-organized, searchable site offers very extensive, authoritative information on a vast number of women's health topics from the National Library of Medicine. It includes a section on hormone replacement therapy with current information from international sources.)

Women's Health (WebMD)

(This site offers news, videos, and information from a variety of sources about a wide range of women's health issues. One sectiion highlights different topics depending on age range entered.)

Women's Law Initiative

(A "nationwide online resource for women and girls living with or escaping domestic violence." The site provides clear instructions on laws pertaining to, and procedures necessary to obtain, restraining orders in all 50 states. It also offers definitions of domestic violence and related terms, news items, guidelines for personal safety and for leaving an abusive relationship, an "Am I Being Abused?" checklist, and links to other resources.)

Women's Pavillion (OBGYN.net)

(Site offers extensive resources on women's health issues, including columns by health professionals, a women's health forum, well-organized links, and more. Physicians and other health professionals advise and participate. See also OBGYN.net Clinical Links, above.)