Pharmacy students will be helping women take charge of their own health tomorrow while being informed of their options.

The Sixth Annual Women’s Health Expo, sponsored by the College of Pharmacy, will include one-on-one talks with health care professionals, as well as educational information about breast cancer, said event coordinator Ilan Chao, a pharmacy doctoral student.

Running from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Roy P. Drachman Hall, the event will allow visitors to get free screenings for a variety of diseases and hear guest speakers address topics from throughout the female lifespan.

“”This is especially important for young women,”” said Jessica Zavala, a women’s program coordinator for the Arizona Health Sciences Center. “”If you take care of yourself, it will reflect, and if you don’t, people will see that too.””

The screenings, which last five to 10 minutes, give an opportunity for participants to engage in necessary precautions without spending the time and money sometimes needed, Chao said.

The screenings will not make or break a diagnosis, said Dave Apgar, a clinical assistant professor in the College of Pharmacy.

Still, if a cause for concern emerges during a screening, the participant will be referred to medical health providers, he said.

Of the 300 people who attended last year’s event, about 50 were referred to medical providers following screenings, he said.

Apgar is among several guest speakers for the event. He will conduct a segment entitled “”Menopause and Manopause: Ever the Twain Shall Meet,”” in which he will address ways men can help deal with their partners’ issues resulting from menopause, he said.

“”This is about helping women through a difficult time in their life,”” he said. “”It’s an offer for everyone, not just women, to learn things about health care.””

Zavala will be giving a speech in Spanish, “”My Reflection, My Well-Being,”” in which she will address the importance of taking care of your health and how that process translates into self-esteem issues, she said.

Zavala drew inspiration for her speech from a conference concerning the need for Latina women to step out from the shadows and take care of themselves, she said.

“”This is self-esteem building,”” she said. “”It goes across the board to all women.””

The wide range of issues being addressed in the event gives the expo a valuable status both men and women should take advantage of, Apgar said.

“”Anyone can just drop in, and they don’t have to stay the whole time,”” he said. “”There’s a little bit of something for everybody.””