How many times over the past few years have you heard those phrases? What started out as a fun cheer at girls' sporting events has now become an international anthem of feminine support. Recent research in women's health has revealed that communication and encouragement between women is actually GOOD MEDICINE!

It's no secret that women are generally good communicators. Observe any group of women, whether involved in a serious project at work or knitting together at leisure, and you will hear the steady ebb and flow of conversation. Women are hard-wired for sound from the very beginning. By 20months of age, girls have double to triple the vocabulary of boys and by late adolescence young women are using up to 20,000 words per day compared to the 7,000 daily words of their male counterparts. In the brain centers for language and hearing, women have11% more neurons than men and an innate capacity for reading faces and tones of voice. One may wonder (especially boyfriends, spouses, brothers and fathers) what is the use of all that talking - when a one or two word phrase would suffice for the male half of the population?

Two word answer - biological comfort. Women literally thrive on communication. When women spend time with each other, studies show that their cortisol levels (stress hormones) decrease and their oxytocin, estrogen, and serotonin levels (feel-good hormones and neurotransmitters) increase.This helps to explain why most girls and women of all ages naturally seek each other's company in times of difficulty or stress. It also tells us why women often prefer to travel or function in groups - even when making a seemingly straight forward visit to the ladies' room.

Sewing circles, quilting bees, knitting groups, beading parties, cooking classes, coffee klatches, tea parties, baby showers, book clubs, exercise and walking buddies represent a few of the many ways that women have traditionally found comfort in social discourse. It seems that our foremothers and grandmothers knew instinctively what current research tells us. A woman's growth and development occurs partially through her connectedness with other women. Girls and women need female friends. In fact, our emotional and physical health often depends on it. Friendship is, indeed, good medicine.

So, as we honor our mothers, let's also honor our sisters, aunts, cousins and all the other wonderful girls and women we have known who have improved our lives immeasurably just by being our friends.

Anne Morgan
Family Nurse Practitioner
Bay Area Hospital
Member of the Coos County
Women's Health Coalition