I am most definitely an advocate for sex education to be taught within the public school system. Much like everything else in life, this is a topic that I also believe should be an ongoing discussion at home once the subject has been introduced by either the child or the parent. Let's remember though that the teenager's timing doesn't always align with the parent's. So, in that case, we have our trusty school system to rely on....hopefully.
Morals, values, religious influences etc. all are first intoduced in the home. That is where abstinence is first talked about too and it's usually based off of those above listed influences. It's a different story, however, when you bring that teenager into the public schools where there is a vast mix of morals, values, and influences. Abstinence isn't always taught at home and neither is safe sex for that matter. Parents shy away from this topic out of denial or faith in someone else talking about it or whatever, who knows why. The point I am making is that influences among peers combined with the teenagers own growth and development, thoughts and opinions tend to hold a lot of value when it comes to decision-making. It's a wonderful thing when a teenager is able to remain abstinent due to strong morals and opinions etc. especially when coupled with all of the curiosity and pressure of the teenage years. But what about the teens that choose differently? What about the teens who are being raised in a home where the subject is taboo or that parents are ill-informed themselves? If for no other reason than pure education, it should be taught. At the end of the day, the teen is going to decide when the time is right to engage in sexual activity and once the decision is made, it will happen. No doubt about it. Instead of letting them be another negative statistic for us let's help them out with pamphlets, education, condoms, and resouces. Sex is a part of life and can be a beautiful thing when engaged in appropriately.
It's vital for the education to be presented in a healthy and attention-grabbing way to all teens, especially if it's the only way one will hear about it. Learning about STDs, pregnancy, and safe sex may help to confirm the decision of the teen who has decided to be abstinent and remain that way until later in life anyway. I had never heard of "abstinence-PLUS" education and after researching it a bit, I suppose that is what I lean towards. It means to promote abstinence in the schools but to also provide information about contraceptives, STDs, HIV, and pregnancy ("Abstinence Only vs. Comprehensive Sex Education"). That sounds reasonable enough to me. The article I just mentioned, "Abstinence Only vs. Comprehensive Sex Education" is a very thorough one discussing the controversy and provides arguments, statistics, research, and disadvantages/advantages for both sides. Hopefully by the time my kids are school age and into their teen years this argument will be settled and give peace of mind to everyone across the board-parents, teachers, teens, and the rest of society that the subject is alive and being recognized and discussed.
Reference
"Abstinence Only vs. Comprehensive Sex Education". Retrieved: September 21, 2010 from
http://ari.ucsf.edu/science/reports/abstinence.pdf.
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
blog 3- Promoting Overall Health
In general, I like to think of myself as a pretty healthy person. I do my best to keep health on my mind and prevent unnecessary issues with me that are within my control. Some of the questions in the self-assessment I looked at are a "yes" on some days/weeks/months and a "no" on others. I think it is difficult to incorporate every little thing into our daily lives to promote and prevent our own health. Personally, I do try to eat a healthy diet..I cheat and slip here and there though because I know I will work it off at the gym...In eating well and exercising I also am trying to set a good example for my kids. Obesity in children is a scary thing and I feel it's manageable and the responsibility of the parents. I know I have never seen a 5 yr old grocery shopping on their own or driving the car thru the drive-thru at fast food chains! Sleep is now an issue. Majority of my studies take place at night and then we have early wake up calls in my house. As for the rest of the assessment, I did pretty well. I don't smoke or do drugs, my alcohol intake is very occassional and usually with my girlfriends, and I definitely wear my seatbelt and find my downtime.
Modeling healthy behaviors for adolescents is a key way to teach them about living a healthy life. It starts at home much like everything else (i.e. morals, values, relationship, habits, learned behaviors, etc). Parents need to be willing to be disciplined and strong enough to set important boundaries for their teenagers. Limit the inactivity and TV time daily and force more active choices. One hour of TV after school is enough when there is homework, dinner, extra curriculars, and a decent time to go to bed to be considered. Parents should cook healthy meals and provide healthy options. I do think it is fine to have "junk" in the pantry but in that case, teaching about moderation needs to be going on all the time. I think just by providing easy to read and appealing material to read from educators and doctors is a good way to continue getting the message across. Media is the problem. Highlighting the trendy diets and promoting skinny, photo-shopped images of beautiful people and celebrities encourages teens in a negative way. It's called instant gratification. Don't eat, take pills, run like crazy and maybe I will look like her and that's what the world sees as beautiful. How sad is that? I'm sure I was caught up in that at one point, but thank goodness it wasn't extreme.
I found an article online talking specifically about women around the world: The Importance of Women's Health (http://www.globalhealth.org/womens_health/). It's a great article just pointing out the fact that women are the anchor for the health of their immediate families and communities. Therefore, if the health of women deteriortate then the health of their families deteriorates too. There are so many preventable health issues going on in the developing world, one being, maternal health. If those women just had the access to prenatal care, obstetric services, and education, so many deaths wouldn't happen as a result of pregnancy. I thank my lucky stars that I am not in the position of those women in developing countries and I have the option and education for prenatal care and when to begin (before pregnancy, mind you). It's overwhelmingly disturbing to scroll through the hundreds of articles and statistics of life-altering situations for women in less fortunate countries knowing that I am scrolling from my laptop at home, with a light on, a clean glass of water, and an insurance card in my wallet.
“Healthy Women, Healthy World”
a slogan from the article discussed: "The Importance of Women'sHealth"
(http://www.globalhealth.org/womens_health/).
Modeling healthy behaviors for adolescents is a key way to teach them about living a healthy life. It starts at home much like everything else (i.e. morals, values, relationship, habits, learned behaviors, etc). Parents need to be willing to be disciplined and strong enough to set important boundaries for their teenagers. Limit the inactivity and TV time daily and force more active choices. One hour of TV after school is enough when there is homework, dinner, extra curriculars, and a decent time to go to bed to be considered. Parents should cook healthy meals and provide healthy options. I do think it is fine to have "junk" in the pantry but in that case, teaching about moderation needs to be going on all the time. I think just by providing easy to read and appealing material to read from educators and doctors is a good way to continue getting the message across. Media is the problem. Highlighting the trendy diets and promoting skinny, photo-shopped images of beautiful people and celebrities encourages teens in a negative way. It's called instant gratification. Don't eat, take pills, run like crazy and maybe I will look like her and that's what the world sees as beautiful. How sad is that? I'm sure I was caught up in that at one point, but thank goodness it wasn't extreme.
I found an article online talking specifically about women around the world: The Importance of Women's Health (http://www.globalhealth.org/womens_health/). It's a great article just pointing out the fact that women are the anchor for the health of their immediate families and communities. Therefore, if the health of women deteriortate then the health of their families deteriorates too. There are so many preventable health issues going on in the developing world, one being, maternal health. If those women just had the access to prenatal care, obstetric services, and education, so many deaths wouldn't happen as a result of pregnancy. I thank my lucky stars that I am not in the position of those women in developing countries and I have the option and education for prenatal care and when to begin (before pregnancy, mind you). It's overwhelmingly disturbing to scroll through the hundreds of articles and statistics of life-altering situations for women in less fortunate countries knowing that I am scrolling from my laptop at home, with a light on, a clean glass of water, and an insurance card in my wallet.
“Healthy Women, Healthy World”
a slogan from the article discussed: "The Importance of Women'sHealth"
(http://www.globalhealth.org/womens_health/).
Monday, September 6, 2010
Healthcare Is A Right, NOT A Privilege!
I, without a doubt, believe that healthcare is a right. By definition, the word privilege means: a right or immunity granted as a peculiar benefit, advantage, or favor (http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary). What was a little ironic after reading this definition was the example used that followed it: "Good health care should be a right and not a privilege" (http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary). I smiled when I read that. Since when is a person's health "granted" to them? That sounds insane to me! People have the right to speech in order to say what they want and have the right to bear arms, but yet the ability to have healthcare is in question? At what point did this country get so backwards that "the right to individual healthcare" need to be added to the Bill of Rights?
Nobody has a crystal ball to predict whether or not the person who has a license to carry a weapon is going to kill someone else yet it is their right to be able to carry that weapon. Similarily, nobody can predict whether or not the person that was just born is going to be blessed with good or bad health thus potentially needing thousands of dollars in coverage. People who live the healthiest lifestyle they know how, also, are diagnosed with an array of illnesses. Lung cancer doesn't just affect the population that makes a poor decision to smoke. It's just something that is a part of life and nobody is excluded from the chance of it happening to them. Dr. Davis Liu makes an excellent point in his article "Is Healthcare A Right Or A Privilege" (http://getbetterhealth.com/is-healthcare-a-right-or-a-privilege/2010.03.31) when he said:
"Children who haven’t had time to abuse their bodies do develop cancers, type 1 diabetes requiring insulin, or are born with genetic problems, like cystic fibrosis, that require expensive medical therapies that potentially are lifelong. Once diagnosed, these children are now plagued with the “pre-existing” label and unable to get health insurance. Over the past many years, the leading cause of personal bankruptcy for individuals and families is due to medical expenses. As a parent with an ill child could you simply walk away?"
It's sad to think that a baby or young child who hasn't had much opportunity to really live and experience life yet, in an instant, can be considered to have a pre-existing condition and be denied necessary coverage to nurse them back to health and give them that shot at life. How is that just? I think it's a little embarrassing that the United States is among the wealthiest countries in the world and our healthcare system seems very contradictory, therefore, not doing a good enough job to take care of its citizens. One must have a clean bill of health in order to pass the application process and become insured. Even then, depending on employment and a few other things, it might not be affordable. People selling their homes and possessions, divorcing, or relocating just to have their healthcare needs met is unacceptable. I have great hope that the healthcare reform will "grant" that right to everyone to have healthcare coverage no matter what the age or situation of the individual.
Nobody has a crystal ball to predict whether or not the person who has a license to carry a weapon is going to kill someone else yet it is their right to be able to carry that weapon. Similarily, nobody can predict whether or not the person that was just born is going to be blessed with good or bad health thus potentially needing thousands of dollars in coverage. People who live the healthiest lifestyle they know how, also, are diagnosed with an array of illnesses. Lung cancer doesn't just affect the population that makes a poor decision to smoke. It's just something that is a part of life and nobody is excluded from the chance of it happening to them. Dr. Davis Liu makes an excellent point in his article "Is Healthcare A Right Or A Privilege" (http://getbetterhealth.com/is-healthcare-a-right-or-a-privilege/2010.03.31) when he said:
"Children who haven’t had time to abuse their bodies do develop cancers, type 1 diabetes requiring insulin, or are born with genetic problems, like cystic fibrosis, that require expensive medical therapies that potentially are lifelong. Once diagnosed, these children are now plagued with the “pre-existing” label and unable to get health insurance. Over the past many years, the leading cause of personal bankruptcy for individuals and families is due to medical expenses. As a parent with an ill child could you simply walk away?"
It's sad to think that a baby or young child who hasn't had much opportunity to really live and experience life yet, in an instant, can be considered to have a pre-existing condition and be denied necessary coverage to nurse them back to health and give them that shot at life. How is that just? I think it's a little embarrassing that the United States is among the wealthiest countries in the world and our healthcare system seems very contradictory, therefore, not doing a good enough job to take care of its citizens. One must have a clean bill of health in order to pass the application process and become insured. Even then, depending on employment and a few other things, it might not be affordable. People selling their homes and possessions, divorcing, or relocating just to have their healthcare needs met is unacceptable. I have great hope that the healthcare reform will "grant" that right to everyone to have healthcare coverage no matter what the age or situation of the individual.
Here is a great link to a video with President Obama discussing the healthcare plan. Take a moment to watch, it's only 4 minutes!
Friday, September 3, 2010
Concerning health issues
I have always been one of those women who basically just paid attention to my immediate surroundings. I catch the news here and there via television or the net or by word of mouth but never really have dove into what my views, thoughts, and opinions really are regarding the hundreds of thousands of topics out there. Today's blog is specific to my concern, and a couple other women's concern, on a particular health issue weighing on them.
One of two major concerns for me is infertility. As a mother of two little blessings myself, I have the good fortune of having many great and wonderful women and mothers in my life. I have friends who struggle with infertility and it's a heartbreaking situation to watch someone close to you go through. There are so many internal "goings on" within a woman's body that factor into this sad problem. Proper hormonal balance, all the working parts need to be in tact and functioning, as well as the age of the tiny fragile eggs. I am not a professional, but I know that there are so many more factors involved other than what I mentioned. Much like we would all love to see a cure to cancer, I would love to see a cure to infertility.
The second concern would be the importance of exercise to bring health and wellness to a woman's body both inside and out. Obesity in women is out of control to say the least. Not only does exercise help us to look great on the outside but it helps bring balance, decrease cholesterol levels, increase serotonin levels (helping with mood), and increase our strength, endurance, and stamina. Heart disease is the #1 leading killer for women (http://www.americanheart.org/). Just by learning a way to incorporate some type of exercise into our lives daily, not only are we helping our outside appearance, we are helping to hopefully prevent more serious health issues like heart disease.
After speaking with one woman, age 54, I learned she had some similar and some different concerns than me. Heart disease was also a concern of hers. There is a misconception out there that breast cancer is the leading cause of death among women. It's not, it's actually heart disease. So the overall concern here is just being aware and knowledgeable of the different misconceptions regarding certain issues. Another major concern for her that I haven't given much thought to is healthcare for the elderly. Being that I am only 29, this issue seems to be in the distant future for me and not a "right now" worry. I'm slowly changing that! The questions on her mind include the following: What are the costs of coverage going to be? Prescription costs? What doctors will accept medicare because not all do? What about pre-existing condition coverage? In speaking with a woman at age 50 and hearing about preventative health screenings and tests etc., and also health insurance concerns I am encouraged to give more thought to these topics and follow the news in these issues. Afterall, one day, I will be 54 and facing these same things.
An African American woman discussed with me her concerns specifically pertaining to diabetes and reproductive system type cancers. Diabetes and high blood pressure both run in her family and she is aware of the problems with both health matters. Proper nutrition, exercise, and knowledge are helping her to control the development of diabetes and to decrease her blood pressure. She has known women over the years that have had to fight breast cancer and other types of cancer that metastacized to the uterus. As a woman it scares her to think of cancer attacking those particular organs. Globally, she has given thought to the AIDS epidemic in Africa and she is of the opinion that education to those people is the key. If there were more effective and resourceful ways for the people of Africa to be knowledgeable about the disease than maybe that would help control the spread of it.
After looking into concerning health issues for myself and others I realize that I am more curious about them just in general and on a personal level. It is important to be educated about current topics in health both locally and globally.
Think of an economy where people could be an artist or a photographer or a writer without worrying about keeping their day job in order to have health insurance.
Nancy Pelosi
One of two major concerns for me is infertility. As a mother of two little blessings myself, I have the good fortune of having many great and wonderful women and mothers in my life. I have friends who struggle with infertility and it's a heartbreaking situation to watch someone close to you go through. There are so many internal "goings on" within a woman's body that factor into this sad problem. Proper hormonal balance, all the working parts need to be in tact and functioning, as well as the age of the tiny fragile eggs. I am not a professional, but I know that there are so many more factors involved other than what I mentioned. Much like we would all love to see a cure to cancer, I would love to see a cure to infertility.
The second concern would be the importance of exercise to bring health and wellness to a woman's body both inside and out. Obesity in women is out of control to say the least. Not only does exercise help us to look great on the outside but it helps bring balance, decrease cholesterol levels, increase serotonin levels (helping with mood), and increase our strength, endurance, and stamina. Heart disease is the #1 leading killer for women (http://www.americanheart.org/). Just by learning a way to incorporate some type of exercise into our lives daily, not only are we helping our outside appearance, we are helping to hopefully prevent more serious health issues like heart disease.
After speaking with one woman, age 54, I learned she had some similar and some different concerns than me. Heart disease was also a concern of hers. There is a misconception out there that breast cancer is the leading cause of death among women. It's not, it's actually heart disease. So the overall concern here is just being aware and knowledgeable of the different misconceptions regarding certain issues. Another major concern for her that I haven't given much thought to is healthcare for the elderly. Being that I am only 29, this issue seems to be in the distant future for me and not a "right now" worry. I'm slowly changing that! The questions on her mind include the following: What are the costs of coverage going to be? Prescription costs? What doctors will accept medicare because not all do? What about pre-existing condition coverage? In speaking with a woman at age 50 and hearing about preventative health screenings and tests etc., and also health insurance concerns I am encouraged to give more thought to these topics and follow the news in these issues. Afterall, one day, I will be 54 and facing these same things.
An African American woman discussed with me her concerns specifically pertaining to diabetes and reproductive system type cancers. Diabetes and high blood pressure both run in her family and she is aware of the problems with both health matters. Proper nutrition, exercise, and knowledge are helping her to control the development of diabetes and to decrease her blood pressure. She has known women over the years that have had to fight breast cancer and other types of cancer that metastacized to the uterus. As a woman it scares her to think of cancer attacking those particular organs. Globally, she has given thought to the AIDS epidemic in Africa and she is of the opinion that education to those people is the key. If there were more effective and resourceful ways for the people of Africa to be knowledgeable about the disease than maybe that would help control the spread of it.
After looking into concerning health issues for myself and others I realize that I am more curious about them just in general and on a personal level. It is important to be educated about current topics in health both locally and globally.
Think of an economy where people could be an artist or a photographer or a writer without worrying about keeping their day job in order to have health insurance.
Nancy Pelosi
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