(Last update on 3/24/2009)
The North American Menopause Society (NAMS) and the NAMS Foundation are participants in the TRUSTe Privacy Seal Program, and are using the TRUSTe Mark under license and in conformity with the requirements of the TRUSTe Program. All rights in the TRUSTe Mark belong to TRUSTe. TRUSTe's certification only covers the information gathered and disseminated on www.menopause.org.
TRUSTe is an independent organization whose mission is to build trust and confidence in the Internet by promoting the use of fair information practices. Because the NAMS Society and Foundation want to demonstrate commitment to your privacy, they have agreed to disclose its information practices and have its privacy practices reviewed for compliance by TRUSTe. By displaying the TRUSTe Mark, they have agreed to notify you of the following:
- What personally identifiable information is collected from you
through the Web site.
- Which organization is collecting the information.
- How the information is used.
- With whom the information may be shared.
- What choices are available to you regarding collection, use,
and distribution of the information.
- The kind of security procedures that are in place to protect the
loss, misuse, or alteration of information under NAMS’s control.
- How you can correct inaccuracies in the information.
If you have questions regarding this Privacy Statement, first contact NAMS (info@menopause.org). If you do not receive acknowledgment of your inquiry or your inquiry has not been satisfactorily addressed, you can then contact TRUSTe by visiting the TRUSTe Web site (http://www.truste.org/consumers/watchdog_complaint.php). TRUSTe will serve as a liaison with NAMS to resolve your concerns.
This section outlines NAMS's policies and practices regarding the collection and use of your personal information from your visit to our Web site (www.menopause.org) and your use of our other Internet services (eg, broadcast e-mail alerts).
NAMS has created this privacy statement to demonstrate our commitment to maintaining the privacy of visitors to our Web site and users of our Internet services, and includes our policies for Society members and nonmembers.
Both NAMS and the NAMS Foundation are 501(c)(3) nonprofit scientific organizations. This Web site is totally funded by The North American Menopause Society. No commercial advertisements are accepted.
Please note that the information contained on this Web site cannot replace a health professional-patient relationship. Consumers should always consult with a professional for diagnosis and treatment for specific health problems.
To monitor site usage and improve the quality of our Web site, we gather general information about the use of our site. We use Web server logs and industry-standard Web site statistics software to count the number of users who visit our Web site and to count the number of views of particular pages, as well as to track other general statistics about our Web site. This information, referred to as “aggregate information,” is kept on the server and compiled by the statistical program. It does not contain any personal information, such as names and e-mail addresses. We do not track individual users’ visits to our Web site.
At times, NAMS may share with third parties the aggregate, anonymous information about overall usage of our Web site and other Internet services that we collect, in order to provide general information about our Internet services or obtain educational grant funding that supports the development of the site. We do not share any information, including your e-mail address, about specific users.
NAMS uses "cookies" in its Web Store. Cookies are small data files that are sent by a Web site and stored on your computer. Cookies are used by most Web sites (often without the visitor’s knowledge), but NAMS wants its Web site to provide the highest degree of privacy. Therefore, its Web Store uses only temporary session-based cookies for tracking and processing your order, then the cookie disappears when your browser window is closed. You can learn more about cookies by visiting CookieCentral.com.
We do not use tracking technologies in our e-mail communications.
When visitors to our Web site or users of other Internet services apply for or renew membership, order products, register for events, make a donation, participate in a CME activity, or sign up for services, we will collect information necessary to process the transaction. This may include your name, address, telephone and fax numbers, e-mail address, and credit card number or other payment information.
This information is encrypted and sent to us using a secure method, in order to assure that your private information, including your e-mail address, is securely and safely transmitted. However, please understand that no one can give an absolute assurance that information intended to be maintained as private, whether transmitted via the Internet or otherwise, cannot be accessed inappropriately or unlawfully by third parties. We have taken and will continue to take reasonable steps to ensure the secure and safe transmission of this kind of information.
If a user’s personally identifiable information changes (such as zip code, telephone, e-mail or postal address), or if a user no longer desires our service, we provide a way to correct, update or delete/deactivate user’s personally identifiable information. This can usually be done by e-mailing info@menopause.org or contact us by telephone or postal mail at the contact information listed below.
Please see the section “Members Only” for details of how we may use members’ personal information, including your e-mail address, collected during membership application or renewal.
Payment information is collected only to process a transaction; this information is kept only to comply with state sales tax laws. While being used to process the transaction, your payment information is stored in an encrypted format and reasonable measures are taken to ensure your payment information is not vulnerable to theft or interception. We will not store your payment information in a manner that is not necessary for processing a transaction.
We employ third parties to assist us in fulfilling orders and other requests involving payment, and these third parties will have access to certain personal information, including your e-mail address, in order to perform their services for us. We limit the use of all such personal information by these third parties to performance of such services.
When a transaction is submitted on the NAMS Web site, the user's personal information – including the credit card number – is sent directly to the bank for processing. NAMS does not receive this personal account information.
NAMS does not offer or sell products or services for purchase by children.
When contacting NAMS at any of the e-mail addresses used for member and nonmember customer assistance (such as info@menopause.org), we may ask for certain information such as your member ID number, name, e-mail address, telephone number, or fax number. When collected for this purpose, the information is used solely to identify and to provide the requested assistance.
Messages that you send to NAMS by e-mail may not be secure. We recommend that you do not send any confidential information to us by e-mail. If you choose to forward confidential information by e-mail, you accept the risk that a third party may intercept this information.
Please see the section “Members Only” for details of how we may use members’ e-mail addresses.
NAMS will not distribute or sell the e-mail addresses of members or nonmember customers to any third party.
NAMS offers members certain features and services through the restricted-access “Members Section” of our Web site.
The NAMS membership identification (ID) number is needed to access the Members Section of the site. These 5-digit numbers are provided to NAMS members on their NAMS Membership Card. This ID number should be entered in the box called "User Name." As the password, members should enter their first name, exactly as it appears on the Membership Card. A member's password cannot be changed by the member nor by the NAMS Central Office.
NAMS members receive as part of their membership a complimentary subscription of the print and online versions of the journal Menopause. To gain access to the online version at the publisher's Web site (www.menopausejournal.org), subscribers enter their 12-digit customer number, which appears above the address on the print version's mailing label. The user name and password are established when the online subscription is activated.
No cookies are used on this site to allow the Members Section to remember login information. When logging in, if a member chooses the option "save this password in your password list," the password will be saved by Windows Explorer in an encrypted file on the member's hard drive, allowing the member access without further login at the next visit. The password is not saved by the NAMS site.
Member profiles are maintained for every active member of the Society in our main membership database. This profile includes information such as member ID number, name, institution/firm, postal address, telephone and fax numbers, and e-mail address.
NAMS collects and uses the e-mail addresses of member subscribers to various programs (eg, First-to-Know®, Flashes®, and Menopause e-Consult® e-newsletters) for the purposes of sending the e-mail messages that comprise these services. We may occasionally send e-mail messages with surveys regarding these services.
The personal information, including your e-mail address, in the member profiles is occasionally used by NAMS to distribute marketing materials by mail, fax, or e-mail. Members can elect not to receive from NAMS certain printed mailings, faxes, or certain e-mail notices. However, electing not to receive any of these communications may mean that you will not receive important notices about your membership or materials, events, or services that may be useful to you.
NAMS occasionally rents the names and postal addresses of its members to third parties for promotional mailings when contents are approved by the NAMS Board of Trustees, but restricts such third parties from otherwise using or retaining such information. Members can elect not to be included in these list rentals.
If you are a member and wish to elect not be to included in any of these communications, please contact NAMS using the methods listed in paragraph 11.
Currently, the NAMS Web site does not collect information to process registrations to attend the NAMS Annual Meeting and other large NAMS events. NAMS provides a link from its Web site to the Web site of the trusted contracted meeting registration company that processes all online registrations. This company mails all registration reports, including the name of the participant and payment details, to the NAMS Central Office. Registrants’ member status within the Society is confirmed. Member and nonmember registrants are recorded in the NAMS database to allow for certificate processing and verification of continuing education credit hours. Individuals who have attended NAMS meetings in the past are mailed information about future NAMS meetings and events. If you do not want to receive these mailings, contact NAMS as indicated in paragraph 11.
In the event that NAMS goes through a business transition, such as a merger, being acquired by another organization, or selling a portion of its assets, users’ personal information, including your e-mail address, will, in most instances, be part of the assets transferred. Users will be notified via prominent notice on our Web site for 30 days prior to a change of ownership or control of their personal information. If as a result of the business transition, the users’ personally identifiable information will be used in a manner different from that stated at the time of collection, they will be given a choice consistent with our notification of changes policy as indicated in paragraph 10.
The NAMS Web site and many of the NAMS print publications contain many links to other Web sites. NAMS is not responsible for the privacy practices or the content of these other Web sites. Please check with the other sites to determine their privacy policies.
NAMS will disclose your personal information, including your e-mail address, without notice, only if required to do so by law or in the good faith belief that such action is necessary to: (a) conform to the edicts of the law or comply with legal process served on NAMS or the site; (b) protect and defend the rights of property of NAMS; and (c) act under exigent circumstances to protect the personal safety of the NAMS membership and staff, its Web site, or the public.
This privacy statement will occasionally be updated to reflect new features and services or new privacy practices. The latest version will always be posted on our Web site.
NAMS will prominently post a notice on this Web site 30 days prior to implementation of material changes to its privacy policy. Additionally, if there are any changes in the way in which NAMS will be using personally identifiable information, including your e-mail address, users will be given a choice regarding that new usage.
We welcome your comments, suggestions, and questions about our privacy statement and our privacy practices. If you elect not to receive certain forms of communication from NAMS and third parties, please contact us:
- By e-mail at info@menopause.org
- By phone at 440/442-7550
- By fax at 440/442-2660
- By postal mail at:
The North American Menopause Society
ATTN: Web Site Privacy
5900 Landerbrook Drive, Suite 390
Mayfield Heights, Ohio 44124, USA