ARC Health Links

Links

How to Evaluate Online Advice

Check the creator.
Websites ending with ".gov" (for government) or ".edu" (for an educational institution) are the most reliable. Non-profit sites ending with ".org" are usually reliable depending on their sponsorship.
Look for credentials.
Make sure the author or the site's medical advisory board has the appropriate medical or health credentials.
Read the references.
Web documents should include references for data and advice. Check for a date to make sure the information is recent.
Watch out for bias.
Many "health" Web sites are merely disguised advertisements. Read headings carefully to distinguish between facts and hype. Be aware of what companies are sponsoring the research to use it to promote their products.

Alcoholic's Anonymous. This is the Sacramento area site for information about local AA meetings, etc.

Center for Disease Control. This site offers information on various health topics as well as information on necessary immunizations and precautions when traveling in areas outside of the United States.

Drug Free Driving. Find out what steps you can take to prevent impaired driving and what you can do to actually make a positive difference in your community.

Eat Right. This site also offers information on nutrition topics as well as links to other nutrition information sites.

Emergency Contraception Website. This site offers information about emergency contraception; what it is, references, frequently asked questions and other helpful topics.

Family Doctor. This site offers information of many topics provided by the American Academy of Family Practice.

Gambling Problem? Gambling addiction is a fast growing health problem starting at younger ages. Pathological gambling is associated with high rates of depression and suicide. Learn more by linking to this public service site.

Healthfinder. This site has been developed by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. You may use it to find non-profit and authoritative government groups concerned with specific conditions and diseases.

Health Monitor. Newsletters that report the latest information from various areas of medicine.

Health Tips. Offered by United Health Foundation to provide support so people's health decisions are more informed and more evidence-based.

Kids Health. Great resource for information on childhood illness and more.

Mayo Health O@sis.. Health information provided by practitioners at the Mayo Clinic. Updated daily.

MedScape.. Covers a wide variety of health topics. Links to CBSHealthWatch.com.

Menopause Society. Provides health and resource information on Menopause. Geared to improve the health of women in mid-life and beyond.

Mercy Sacramento Family Health. Provides health information, as well as a calendar of local health events on a wide variety of topic.

My Lifepath.. Up to date news and information on a wide variety of issues provided by Blue Shield of California.

National Library of Medicine.. Collection of medical information from all over the world on a variety of topics.

Nutrition. A website sponsored by Tufts University which lists and evaluates various nutritional sites available on the World Wide Web.

Nutrition Coach for Students. College of the Canyons Health and Wellness Center has their own nutrition coach. This is site is full of accurate, up-to-date information about food, nutrition, and fitness and suggestions on how to deal with the unique challenges students face to eating well, being active, and feeling good about their bodies in college.

Oncolink.. A site devoted to information on cancer, therapies, clinical trials and support. Sponsored by the University of Pennsylvania.

On Health.. Health tips and articles on a wide variety of topics.

On Health Daily.. Up to date news and information on a wide variety of issues.

Body Piercing and your Health. Stay healthy and get informed about making safe decisions about body piercing.

Quackwatch, Inc. is a nonprofit corporation whose purpose is to combat health-related frauds, myths, fads, and fallacies. Its primary focus is on quack-related information that is difficult or impossible to get elsewhere.

Quitnet. Quit Smoking All Together - A very helpful resource for smoking cessation support and encouragement.

Rumors About Health. This Center for Disease Control site is a good source for clarifying health hoaxes and rumors.

Smarter Sex. Sexual health information for college and university students. Learn new information and get the latest facts about sexual health.

Sexually Transmitted Infections. Good link for information on all types of sexually transmitted infections. Also includes available clinics in the Sacramento area that can assist persons who may need diagnosis and treatment.

Smokers' Helpline. Want to quit smoking or chewing? California Smokers' Helpline also known as 1-800-NO-BUTTS in English, 1-800-45-NO-FUME in Spanish, 1-800-400-0866 in Mandarin & Cantonese, 1-800-778-8440 in Vietnamese, 1-800-556-5564 in Korean, 1-800-933-4TDD for TDD/TTY, and 1-800-844-CHEW for Chewing Tobacco.

Tobacco free U. The premier site on tobacco information for college and university students. Click to learn new information and get the latest facts about tobacco.

Support Groups. Do you have or know someone with a health condition that a support group would be helpful to cope with it? This National Library of Medicine site is a good source for off and online support groups.

Web MD Health. Provides information on a wide variety of topics. Latest health tips and information. Search for any number of health topics and the site also provides links to many other sites.

Women's Health. Provides information on a wide variety of topics related to women. Latest health tips and information.