Blog - #15

One of the topics that interested me the most was the eating disorder blog. When I was younger, we had a family friend that had to be admitted for her eating habits. She became extremely thin and her health began to deteriorate. Her family made her check in to one of those eating rehab centers to help her gain her wait back and break her of her poor eating habits. I'm happy to say that it worked and she was able to leave and go back home, but the process of getting to the end result was long and hard. Because of her, I have seen first hand what a low self esteem can do to an individual and that has helped me to try and show others the positive side of themselves instead of the negative.

Blog #14 - Reduce Risk of Assault

I think one of the most important things a woman can do to help prevent the risk of assault is to know your surroundings, never be alone in dark places and at night surround yourself with a few friends. These three things will a help a woman to protect herself from strangers that may attack. Another thing that will help a woman with strangers and with people she knows is self defense classes. Women that know how to protect themselves and know what to do in a dangerous situation not only can run off an attacker, but just by the look of confidence she has in herself may even prevent someone from wanting to attack.

Blog #13 - Jail or Drug Treatment

Personally, I believe that a drug treatment facility is much better than jail. One, because inmates still can get drugs when they are in jail; this is no secret to anyone. Two, because if they are going to be forced out of society for a little while they may as well do their best to try to get sober before they are let out. I have a friend whose husband was forced into a drug program and he will tell you himself that it was the best thing the system could have done for him.

Blog 12 - Mental Health

Unless you know someone or have a family member with a mental illness, the only way anyone will be able to understand this illness would be to educate yourself and others around you. This is the only way I can think of for people to truly understand mental illness and to break the stigma and shame around the illness. People that have mental illnesses did not ask for it and they should not be treated differently because they are sick.

Healthier Future - Blog #11

As I age, I want to maintain a healthy weight and take care of my skin. I enjoy being outside with my family but now you have the worry of skin cancer from being outside too much and not protecting your skin. This is one area that I can begin to work on now so that when I am older, my skin will still be healthy and maybe I will even look younger! I also want to begin a life change and start to eat healthier so I can pass healthy eating habits on to my children. This alone can help to prevent many diseases and illnesses. I know that it has to start with me if my children are going to pick it up and since I am the one that fixes the meals in my house, I can make my family healthier in the process of me bettering myself.

Blog #10 - Academic Institutions and Women

I believe that academic institutions can be more active in the health of women by holding more information sessions about health issues for women. If it is brought to their attention over and over again, then more women will start to pay attention to what is being said to them. Especially if the health issue is one that hits close to home, like a mother or friend that is having health problems. Schools could pass out flyers on different subjects or different meetings and women will attend.

Blog #9 - Eating Disorder

Having a friend with an eating disorder is very difficult to find a way to deal with. You don't want to push them away by confronting them, but you also do not want to watch them die because that is what will eventually happen if someone does not step up and say something. So what I would do is find a way to confront that person. Not in a mean way but as a concerned friend. Maybe gather some information to have some facts right there in front of both of us. Maybe talk them into attending a group session that I would attend also as support. I would try my best to let them know that it is their well being I am concerned about and let them know that my door is always open if they need me for anything.

Blog #8

I guess the biggest problem I have with getting old is knowing that one day I will lose my parents and that I am also getting closer to death. Age doesn't really bother me; it's the thought of losing those around me that I love as I age. I also thought when I was younger that I would be set in life by now. I sure didn't think that I would still be in school! The things that don't bother me about aging is having the chance to watch my kids grow and having more time to spend with them and my husband. I love my kids being young now and I know I will always see them that way, but I can't wait to see what they make of themselves as adults.

Blog #7 - Friend with a STD

I actually had a friend that thought she had a STD and did not want to get tested. I found out afterwards, so I was not able to talk to her about it but I do know what I would have told her. If you feel like you have a STD, it is extremely important to get tested as soon as possible. This will prevent the disease from becoming worse and causing more problems, and women have a lot more at risk from STDs. A STD untreated could cause a women to lose their fertility and it could cause them to have their uterus removed. This is why it is so important to be tested right away. Not to mention to stop the spreading of the disease. You have to think of other people besides yourself!

Blog #6 -Prenatal Testing

Prenatal testing should be routine for all pregnant women. All the tests are going to do is to help the mother have a healthy pregnancy and a healthy baby. If there are any problems discovered in the tests, the doctor can either prescribe a medicine for you or tell you what you need to do in order to help fix the problem. There are a lot of sicknesses that can be detected with prenatal test and also a lot of ways to cure the sickness while the baby is still in the womb with these test. They also can help prepare the parents and the medical staff of what they need to have ready for when the baby is born in case the problem cannot be fixed in the womb. The prenatal tests has nothing but benefits for the parents, the baby and the medical staff.

Contraceptive Influences

Some cultures have believed since the beginning of time that using contraceptives is taboo, and they have passed this down from generation to generation and this way of thinking still weighs in on people using or not using contraceptives. Even though most people know the importance of using contraceptives, there are still those who value their family's belief and will choose that over the safe way.
Some religions do not believe in using contraceptives. They believe that if you use contraceptives, you are not allowing God to do his work in allowing you to become pregnant or they think that this will help girls to practice abstinence. Same goes for the religions as does for cultures, some people take what their religions says to heart and will not use contraceptives because of what their religion says.
With the way STD's are spreading, people need to look into their safety and well being first. If everyone would practice abstinence, then we wouldn't have to worry about safety and then maybe we could think by what are cultures and beliefs want us to think.

Should Sex Education be Taught in the Nation's Public Schools

I think that sex education should be taught in all schools. I realize that some people may think this would just encourage some kids to want to experience sex, but in the big picture I believe knowledge of what could happen is better than going out there totally blind. Kids learn early these days about sex so it really does not matter if it is taught in school or not, they are still going to hear about it, talk about it and see it on the television or movies. Learning about it in school would give them the correct information and facts opposed to learning about it from other kids that most likely have no idea what they are talking about. STDs are being passed around like candy these days and maybe the more kids know about them the less likely they will be to have sex, and if they do have sex hopefully they will use protection. Being taught about the dangers of sex and how to protect yourself should not be first heard about at school anyway. The talk should be done at home and the parents should be the ones that decide if they want to teach abstinence or to use protection. The school should be just a back up plan.

Encouraging Adolescents to Follow Healthy Behaviors

I believe that being up front and honest with our younger generations will provide guidance for them to choose healthy behaviors. Start talking to them before they become adolescents will also help to provide them guidance and keep reminding them of health issues regularly until it becomes drilled into their heads. Parents should lead by example. It is easier for a kid to understand the benefits of living a healthy life if they can see the benefits and not just hear about them.

Access to health care - a right or privilege?

I believe that as long you are a citizen of whatever country you live in and you make an actual effort to provide a living for you and your family, then access to health care is a right. This way the government or state would be able to use the money we shell out on health care to improve the health care system, especially for our elderly. I understand that some have a hard time making ends meet and can't afford health care, but if everyone that worked would pay their health care taxes then the other citizens of the country would be able to be taken care of better. Cheating the system just makes for more problems and headaches, and if our ultimate goal is to take care of the countries citizens be providing good quality health care then everyone should be made to comply. Not just the ones that have to.

Health Issues

The health issues I am most concerned about are heart disease, diabetes and high blood pressure. All of these health concerns run in my family, which makes me a likely candidate for them, and I want to do what I can now to avoid encountering these health problems. I know what I need to do it is just finding the time, energy and motivation to get it started. I have decided that after I have my baby, it is go time for a healthier lifestyle for me and my family.
I talked with one of my co-workers, which she is in her late forties, regarding her health concerns and I found out that she has heart problems. I have learned that there are a lot of women that have heart problems and women are more likely to develop heart issues if they do not take care of themselves better. She is also concerned about her health and would like to make an effort to better herself for her family also.
My other interview was with a black lady that is a co-worker of my husband and she has gone through treatment for cancer. Although she is doing better now, she is concerned for her health and the well being of her family. She has very high spirits and you would never know she had a serious health issue because of the way she carries herself. Both of these women want to do what it best for themselves and improve their health.