Assaults

Many factors come into play when it comes to assault. Realizing and knowing what to do in order to prevent such cases, can help to decrease these problems. There are so many things a woman can do to reduce her risk for assault. One thing that I think is important is knowing your environment. Time and location play a huge part when it comes to assault. Many assaults occur at night, especially when a women is by herself. For this reason it is important for a woman to always have a safety plan in mind, especially if she knows that she will be out alone.It is always good to have a friend around, especially in cases that it is late at night. Assaults almost always happen to women that are alone or in isolated areas. Having a friend cuts down tremendously on assaults. Defense mechanisms can also help in assault cases. These are some of the few things that can be done to preventing/ cutting down on assault.

Drug/Alcohol Abuse & More

It is a sign of personal weakness and strength when a women suffering from drug/alchohol admits that she has problems. The fact that the woman has enough preserverence to tell others of her addiction shows that she has much strength and endurance to seek help for her personal weakness.

There are many people who engage in substance abuse. Cigarette smoking is one very addictive form of substance abuse.Smoking is often seen as a means of coping with stress, trauma, and weight loss. This has many affects one's health and other's around them. Although many people attempt to quit cigarette smoking, through smoking kits and chewing gums, often times these do not work, causing the person to go back to regular smoking routines. Unfitunatly,many lives are lost due to excessive smoking.

Knowing the Future...

If everyone lived knowing what their future would hold, I think they would definitely live it differently. There are so many people who could have lived longer, but because of health complications, they lost their life early on. By knowing what the future holds, many people would probably live healthier lives, in knowing that they can prolong their life. Knowing that one can take preventative measures to prevent or prolong a health issue, would certainly make all the difference in the world. This would also allow people to get treated early on, before the disease worstens. Knowing what the future holds would also cause people to live and lead better lives. As the saying goes,"you never know what tomorrow holds". By knowing the future people will learn to cherish others and to live each day as though it were their last. On the other hand, knowing the future could cause the disease to worsten. It would probably cause people to question their life, in hopes of an answer.Factors such as Depression, scuicide, drug overdoses,etc, could cause an end to one's life, due to stress or death issues. In all knowing the furture to ones health can have many positive and negative factors.

Heart Disease

When looking at my family history of heart disease, I can honestly say that overall everyone seems to be of good health. Although this is so, my mother has been having heart problems. It wasn't until two years ago that she was diagnosed as having diabetes. Since then, she has encountered slight heart problems and dramatic weight loss, due to her being a diabetic. She is now taking two types of insulin, and is currently undergoing more testing. Although I'm in good health, I am taking it upon myself to try to remain healthy, because I could also be at risk for heart disease. Culture also has a lot to do with heart disease.Heart disease and Diabetes is very common in the African American culture. This has a lot to do with the foods that "we" eat. Environment also plays a great role. Some countries eat healthier foods than other countries. Many foods grow better in different types of environments. For this reason, it is not a surprise that citizens in countries such as Europe,are healthy people, in general.Exercising for at least thirty minutes a day can also help to reduce heart disease. Although heart disease is can be based on genetics, there are other factors that come into play. Knowing the things that one can do to improve their health, is very important.

Blog #9 My struggle with healthy weight

Since I have been in college, I have struggled to maintain a constant diet. Although it has improved, my freshmen year is when i struggled with weight the most. At the time, I was an on-campus student. I guess you could say I gained the "freshmen 15". Being that I was away from home I grew accustomed to my meal plan.I even changed my plan from receiving 12 meals a week, to the $1000 meal plan bucks. This was probably a bad idea. All I did was snack and eat. The food was absolutely delicious! Chick-fa-lae, pizza, burgers, cakes, and smoothies, soon became my friends, and slowly but surely I began to gain weight. In an attempt to lose the excess weight, I attempted to exercise on a regular basis, but continued with the same eating habits.Of course, I got no where. My exercise routine only lasted for a good week.Now that i have my own apartment I seem to eat less. However, I cannot help but to snack when I am doing work. I now buy my own groceries. Cooking has now become my best friend. Three years later I have lost my excess weight!
My social influences,environment and budget caused me to overeat during my freshmen year. One's budget also comes into play when dieting. Healthier foods cost more than non-healthy foods. Being that I had no job, I veered toward cheaper, more fattening foods. Although weight loss can be a success with exercise, eating healthier foods also helps. When one does not have the finances to do so, this makes it a struggle.
Fitting exercise into my schedule is a struggle because school work and being a full-time parent to a 5-month old still seems to get in the way. I think that once my son gets older, it will probably be easier for me to exercise, because he will be able to walk and play in the park, while "mommy" takes a jog around the park;)
In all i think that time management, money, and self-motivation makes all the difference in the world when it comes to health- management.

Chp 9 & Supplemental Reading

From cosmetic surgeries to weight loss, women have found many new ways to become “beautiful” in one sense. Competition amongst women soon becomes the driving force of beauty.I found the reading, "One Size Definitely Does Not Fit All" by Mary Duenwald to be very interesting. Duenwald speaks about the competitiveness that some women seek in order to fit the "normal" body image. While some women are accepting of their body image and weight, others will do just about anything to fit soceital standards.Modeling is one of the many careers that focuses on nutrition and body image. In doing so, many models go through eating disorders in hopes of mantaining the body weight needed to keep their career. Unfortunately, some of these models become underweight, which puts their lives at risk. All women should take pride in their body image.Everyone was created differently. Is this not beauty? The uniqueness in which every woman has should define her beauty. Unfortunately, some women so not see this as so. One must look within themselves to realize that we were born of natural beauty.


Mary Duenwald. The New York Times. June 22, 2003 p1 col 01 (40 col in).

Full Text: COPYRIGHT 2003 The New York Times Company


This photo is not meant to offend anyone.It is an overexaggerated picture of what some women go through in order to gain societal acceptance. Sadly, some women see this size as being a healthy weight.

STDs

Noone has the right to place judgement on a person based on an STD. For one must realize that STDs are not always based on endorsing in promiscous behaviors.One who is faithful to his/her spouse may recieve an STD from their mate, due to the other partner being unfaithful. Therefore, the faithful partner will unknowingly contract the STD during sexual intercourse. One should also know that STDs can also be contracted through oral sex. Lets not forget about Herpes 1, a common STD in which children and adults can get. Some children contract this STD during a mother's pregnancy, while others, get them as cold sores or fever blisters. Does this mean that the child is of low economic status or is sexually active? Of course not. Oral herpes is very common amongst children, especaily during times of illness.
Having sexual intercourse during menustration increases the risk for an STD. The transmission on blood from one person to another increases the risk of an STD. This does not neccesarily mean that the women does not study good hygiene. One must realize that blood plays a great role ion contracting an STD and HIV, due to bacteria found in blood.Although STDs can come from being promiscous, there are many other things that come into play when receiving an STD. STDs are like viruses that spread from one person to the other, when protection is not used.It is important that everyone get tested on a regular basis even if they feel that they can trust their partner.

Testing for Pregnant Woman #6

While pregnancies bring about many exciting moments, mothers must also look to receiving the proper health. Getting tested periodically, for STDs and other infectious diseases is one of the many important health factors during pregnancy. Although this is so, many women do not get tested on a regular basis during pregnancy. In fact, many doctors conduct certain test during different trimesters of a woman's pregnancy. Some doctors even go as far as to only conduct test on certain women, depending on age, and other factors in which women may be at high risk for. Examples of these are seen in older women. Often times, it is these women whose babies are at a higher risk of having birth defects and other complications. In doing so, many younger and middle- aged woman are not always tested for every infectious disease. This leaves younger and middle-aged woman and their unborn vulnerable to many diseases. While some older women discover the health of their unborn during pregnancies, it is not until the baby is born that many younger and middle-aged woman discover that their child has contracted a disease or has a dis formality, due to the lack of testing. However, many doctors do conduct STD testing on a regular basis. This is very important, since the transmission of an STD or infectious disease can have a huge effect on the babies health. By staying informed with the health status of the mother and child, pregnant women learn the different health measures that they can take in order to better the health of themselves and the baby. Although doctors, conduct "basic" test on pregnant women, every women deserves to be tested on a monthly basis for "every" infectious disease and STD no matter the age or health status of the individual. Yes, this may seem like a long and strenuous project, but better to be safe than sorry.

Blog #5 My own topic

After reading the supplemental readings and powerpoint, many things began to run through my mind. Although I have never experienced a miscarriage or abortion, I have a close cousin who has experienced several abortions. Unfortunately many women do not realize the damage and long-term effects that abortions can cause to one's body. The body is extra sensitive and requires great care in order to remain in good health. Abrortions and miscarriages put a strain on the body, due to physical,mental, and emotional changes that one undergoes. While some women are able to concieve no matter how many abortions or miscarriages they undergo, others struggle to become pregnant. After undergoing many abortions, my cousin is one of the many who is unable to concieve. This has changed her life signifigantly.Being that she is a newlywed, she has endured the many ongoing reiminders of the effects that her and her husband will have to deal with. In doing so, I am proud to say that they are currently in the proccess of adopting two twin girls. I know that these two little angels will serve as a bundle of joy to these two love birds!

Blog #4 Puberty Experience

It was not until my freshman year in high school, that I experienced my first menstrual cycle. As sharp menstrual cramps slowly began to creep up on me, I encountered the worst stomach pains ever. Skeptical as to why I was having these pains, I slowly eased to the restroom. As I quickly screamed, "Mom come here", the thought of womanhood began to overwhelm me. Just the thought of thinking that I could have kids, grossed me out. My mother explained to me what it meant to be of "womanhood". From there, came the "boy talk". She also gave a prep talk about having good hygiene, abstinence, contraceptions, and the risk associated with sex.
Although, I felt very akward and a bit embarrassed, my mother saw it as another transitioning phase of her daughter's life! So it was of no surprise when my mother called my aunts to tell them about my first puberty experience. Hearing my aunts scream with great enthusiam "Welcome to Womanhood!" brought about a different reality to life. I actually began to feel like I was somewhat of a "woman". And Although I knew that I had not endured anywhere near as much as a "woman", I knew that this was just the beginning of that road.

Making Way for Teens

It is important that we as parents show for being good role models for our kids. When it comes to living a healthy life, we as parents must stand up and take initiative if we expect our children to live a healthy life. We often forget that teens continue to look to us for advice and help. Instead, we assume that our kids know the facts about health issues involving nutrition, smoking, sex,etc. While some teens feel comfortable with talking to parents about issues such as these, others keep their ideas enclosed within themselves. This often leads to teens exploring new things and endorsing in deviant behaviors, which puts their lives at risk. Every child deserves to have at least one parent that they feel they can talk to about personal situations. Not only will this better relationships between children and parents, but it will also provide a "safe haven", for the child. When a child feels as though they cannot speak to parents about situations,they put themselves at risk and in liability. We as parents should question our children,and give prep talks so that when teens are put in situations, they will know how to react and be aware of the risk associated.

Access to Healthcare?!?

It is always said that "everyone deserves to live a long and healthy life". Yet, when people are limited to receiving no or very little health care, how can this be?When it comes to maintaining a healthy lifestyle, having access to health care becomes one of the underlying factors in countries worldwide. Although, some countries put forth an effort in supplying health care to every citizen, others are unable to supply proper health care, due to economic status/crisis.For this reason,health care is considered both a right and privilege.
No matter how rich or poor a person may be,health care is considered a privilege in any case or circumstance. One may say how is this so? Although it is assumed that upper and middle class citizens can afford health care, there is still a price that must be paid, because as we all know, health care is not free.Often times, middle-class citizens do not qualify for health care assistance, because of income.Nonetheless, the government considers citizens who do not qualify for assistance stable enough, to afford health insurance. However,with increasing rates in health care,it is becoming unaffordable, leaving people in great disarray.No one is automatically entitled to receive "free" health care. Although Medicaid may often be viewed as "free" health care, it is still "limited care". Some Medicaid plans require a minimum payment for medications.Dental care is also one of the many things that Medicaid does not cover. Therefore, people who qualify for Medicaid must pay out of pocket to receive dental care.
Many countries are very limited to health care access. In comparison, the U.S has done a fair job in trying to provide health care access to each and every citizen.Many sources and technological advances are made available to insure that everyone's health is in good standing. Every U.S. citizen has the right and privilege to be seen at any ER, whether insured or uninsured. In many developing countries, this is not so. Clinics are also made available to each citizen. However, money and finance has become one of the biggest issues when it comes to health care. Having insurance helps to take a load off the bills, but does it really help to take a load off of our health care finances?Paying for surgeries and pregnancies are some of the many health issues that citizens struggle to pay for.
In all, health care is a privilege.Premium health care, requires paying a higher price, while standard health care requires paying a lower price."You get what you pay for" is the first thought that comes to mind. But should "we" citizens have to suffer and risk our health just because of income? I think not.Even though, everyone has a right to health care,it is as though one is treated based on money and socio-economic status.

Health Concerns

Throughout my lifetime, health has become one of the many issues in which society has posed a desperate need. In doing so, I have developed a great interest in substance/drug abuse,especially amongst women. It is not too often that we as society hear about women and substance abuse. Instead, men are often put on the front pedestal as the subjects at fault. For this reason, I believe that it is important that one also look at the many areas of substance/drug abuse amongst women, in conjunction to how it affects and brings about many underlying health factors.

Infectious disease, such as HIV/AIDS is also one of my many health concerns, which continues to increase, especially within the African American society. Women have become my primary focus and concern in this field, because this epidemic has become more prevalent in African American women. Increasing an awareness of HIV/AIDS and finding a cure, has become very important to me, due to the unawareness and increasing death rates within this particular community. I believe that change is soon to come if we continue to work together!
It is amazing to see the many health concerns that lie within the community. Many factors contribute to the health choices that each individual makes, when it comes to the important issues of health. I interviewed a 20-year old Caucasian female, who stated that her health concern was Nutrition. She happened to be involved in gymnastics and expressed how critical exercise and healthy eating was of importance to her. I then interviewed a 17-year old African American female, who stated that her health concern was obesity. She expressed her feelings about obesity and explained the many health issues her family has endured when dealing with obesity. Her mother recently underwent Gastric Bypass surgery. Although this is so, she is beginning to gain weight. Being that this young lady has a family history of diabetes, she continues to struggle with weight control. When it comes to the concerns in which women pose about health, one may often look at the issues that women in their ethical groups are often faced with. One must also consider the traditions, ethical background, and age of the individual to know the importance that they hold about a particular health issue.