--- title: Selling Sickness Conference Takes on Disease Mongering This Week in D.C. date: 2013-02-21T23:26:44-05:00 author: OBOS Admin canonical_url: "https://ourbodiesourselves.org/blog/selling-sickness-conference-takes-on-disease-mongering-this-week-in-d-c" section: Blog (Archive) --- [Donate](https://ourbodiesourselves.org/donate) [From the Archives of Our Bodies, Our Blog](/blog)# Selling Sickness Conference Takes on Disease Mongering This Week in D.C. By Rachel Walden • February 21, 2013 Please note: This entry -- originally posted at [Our Bodies, Our Blog](https://ourbodiesourselves.org/blog) -- has not been updated since the publication date listed above. [![selling sickness 2013 people before profits](https://assets.ourbodiesourselves.org/images/blog-archive/525797_434080639944804_1668532005_n.jpg "525797_434080639944804_1668532005_n")](http://sellingsickness.com)The [Selling Sickness 2013](http://sellingsickness.com/) conference is taking place in Washington, D.C. this week, focusing on the idea of "disease mongering," or defining health and disease in a way that promotes the sales of drugs and other treatments that may be unnecessary. Discussion topics include a number of subjects related to women's health, including increased or inappropriate use of drugs for conditions such as osteopenia (NPR did an [excellent story](http://www.npr.org/2009/12/21/121609815/how-a-bone-disease-grew-to-fit-the-prescription "How A Bone Disease Grew To Fit The Prescription") a few years back on the creation of osteopenia as a disease and the drugs marketed to treat it); the problems with routine screening, such as using mammograms to detect breast cancer; and a workshop on unanswered questions on HPV vaccinations. The conference is attracting academics, health journalists, consumer advocates, and others. Today's line-up includes a roundtable on the women's health movement chaired by Harriet Rosenberg of York University. From the description: > The women’s health movement that began in the 1960s challenged the status quo of medicine and heathcare across the board: clinical research, clinical practice, treatment approvals, trial conduct, pt-dr relations, patient education, disease funding, patient rights ... it was a revolution. this roundtable will bring the Whm up to date and discuss what it has to offer current issues. Participants include Colleen Fuller, Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives; Anne Rochon Ford, Canadian Women’s Health Network; Cynthia Pearson, National Women's Health Network; Gail Hornstein PhD, Mount Holyoke College; and Kay Dickersin, Consumers United for Evidence-Based Healthcare. On Friday, Pearson will be joined by NWHN staff members Amy Allina and Kate Ryan to lead a symposium on “Fighting Disease-Mongering with Evidence to Protect Women's Health.” You can check in with the conference from afar by following [@sellingsickness](https://twitter.com/Sellingsickness) and the hashtag [\#sellingsickness](https://twitter.com/search?q=%23SellingSickness&src=hash) on Twitter. Updates are also being posted on the [conference Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/pages/Selling-Sickness-2013/186277721391765). --- #### 0 Response Our Bodies Ourselves is no longer able to accept comments. ![](/assets/img/monogram.webp)Topics - [Activism & Resources](https://ourbodiesourselves.org/blog/topic/activism-resources) - [Events](https://ourbodiesourselves.org/blog/topic/events) ![](/assets/img/monogram.webp)### *Why You Can* **Trust Us** - We rigorously evaluate all content - We embrace a reproductive justice framework - We don’t accept ads or sell products - We reject funding from the pharmaceutical industry - We counter misinformation and disinformation - We address the social, political, and economic factors that affect health and sexuality [read more](https://ourbodiesourselves.org/why-you-can-trust-us) Share [](javascript:void();)[](javascript:void();)[](javascript:void();)[](javascript:void();)