Blog # 15

Blog your reaction to the video clips or article within this Module about the working conditions for women around the world .

I was very disturbed by the information presented in the video clip "Maquilaopolis". I find it to be a violation against all human rights for factories/corporations to have such little value for their workers. It should never be acceptable to compromise the health/safety of workers just to decrease the costs of production. I think it is good that women, even those living and working in such inadequate conditions are starting to come together and demand change. If these factories are run by industries of the US or other developed countries they should have to follow the same rules and guidelines of factories within that country. If the United State buys from specific countries/corporations, our government should be allowed to investigate where such products and goods are coming from. It is not OK to turn a blind eye to this issue just because it is happening outside of our borders. I would be much more likely to buy a product from a company that supports equal and fair treatment of its workers even if the cost was slightly higher. Something must be done to correct this horrible issue.

Blog # 14

Blog your reaction to the Eve Eisler video talk that is posted in the Supplemental Readings.

I enjoyed listening to Eve Eisler's video talk on her experiences while creating the Vagina Monologues. It is very sad to see that their is such a vast difference between the treatment of women in developed countries, like the United States and the treatment of women in low income/developing countries. It is also very heart breaking to know that even in the developed countries, women still experience horrible violence and mistreatment. Good for Eve Eisler for helping these women in talking about their experiences so that they may help other women.

Blog #13

Read one of the articles OR videos within the supplemental readings/video folders and respond to it in a blog. (There are some very interesting articles and videos this week!)

I watched the video "Faces of Meth" from this weeks supplemental videos and was very disturbed by what I saw. It's very disheartening that a drug with such negative physical and psychological effects has gained such popularity in a high income/well educated country like the United States. Unlike with other drugs it appeared from this video that these drastic physical effects can occur, even when one has used the drug only for a short period of time. Most of the people appeared much thinner than in the previous photo, unkempt (long beards, long/messy hair, dirty faces, worn out clothing), many had the signature meth sores and several appeared to have a dazed look in their eye.

It's easy to see that many of these individuals have chosen to use this drug because it is fairly easy to make, making it a relatively inexpensive drug and the long lasting effects of it's high. The weight loss and increased energy has also made this drug desirable to many women, especially those that have children making it's use not only harmful for them but also for the children that are around it or cared for by a person using this drug. I think meth is a horrible drug and I can't imagine why anyone would want to do this to themselves. I hope more will be done to prevent the use of this drug and help those that are currently using, stop.

Blog # 12

Have you ever known someone with a mental illness? How did/does the illness impact his/her life? What have you learned about this mental illness just from knowing them?

My fiancee' experienced Post traumatic stress disorder after serving in Iraq in 2003. Although his instance of nightmares and anxious behavior has decreased significantly, he continues to occasionally have nightmares of his war experience. Because he was given the appropriate care after returning home this has never had a negative impact on his daily life. Although I will occasionally notice his nervousness when there is an unexpected firework or over crowded place his symptoms are have always been very minimal.

From knowing him I have learned a lot about PTSD and the difficulties soldiers that have been in combat zones face when they come home. In the instances when he does wake up from a nightmare I try to reassure him of where he is, what's going on and that if he needs to talk about it I am there. I have never found it my place to start questioning what he was having a nightmare over, if he wants to tell me he does and if he doesn't, then that is OK too. I truly believe this response to stress is appropriate for anyone and dislike when mental health uses the term illness for PTSD and other related topics.

Blog # 11

If everyone lived "with our future in mind", do you think that we would live differently? (different habits, behaviors, etc)

This is a difficult question to answer because I truly feel it is dependent upon the person. I think it also depends a lot on age, gender, culture and beliefs. I do however believe that most of us would live differently if we were keeping the future close in mind. I think that being diagnosed with a chronic disease, especially one that is known to be fatal at some point really changes a persons point of view on how they should live their life. It is often only when we are aware of our own mortality that we appreciate life to the fullest. I think as we each examine our plans, goals, hopes, dreams and aspirations for the future we realize where our priorities are and what we value most and alter our lifestyle according. I encourage each of you to sit down and really think about what things you find most important in your life and whether or not you are living your life in a manner that reflects those priorities or not?

Blog # 10

Is heart disease common in your family? What are some of the environmental, physical, cultural, socioeconomic, and educational factors that impact the prevalence of this disease?

Heart disease is very common on both sides of my family. We have had several grandparents dies from heart attacks between age 38 and 60. And several others who have experienced high blood pressure and cholesterol since their late 20's. Knowing of this family medical history makes good heart health a very important priority for me.

Heart disease can often be influenced by many factors that are either environmental, physical, cultural, socioeconomic and educational. For my family particularly I believe heart disease has been influenced the most by physical and cultural factors. Each of the family members that has experienced heart disease have been smokers which has likely increased their risks. Of these members they have also been been raised in small town families with "traditional" eating/cooking habits. Meals often consisted of meat and potatoes, with everyone adding an ample amount of salt before eating.

It is important to me to maintain a healthy diet, proper exercise, avoid exposure to smoke and see a physician regularly to decrease my risks of developing similar heart diseases.

Blog # 9

What are the biggest challenges to regular exercise and a healthy diet that you face?

How are these challenges going to change for you over the next five years?



The biggest challenge I face when it comes to regular exercise and healthy diet is TIME. Working full time, seeing patients independently, attending school full time and planning a wedding does not leave much other time. Because I am a Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant (COTA) and I work with children 4 days a week I get the added benefit of having exercise built into my job. This is an excellent bonus for a job that I already love, however because I am very active all day long the last thing I usually want to do is exercise when I get home. Despite having an active career I still probably need more exercise. An excellent way to ensure I get more exercise would be to use the equipment at my job during my lunch breaks and breaks between patients and include more exercise on my days off.



Because I have always been very active and have never struggled with my weight, a healthy diet has not always been my main priority. Since my career is in health care I am very aware of the importance for a healthy diet. Although I try hard to plan healthy meals and take healthy packed lunches to work, I find that a healthy diet often gets pushed aside when I get very busy. Today's society has made it so easy to get pick up because of it's convenience. As we all know convenient doesn't mean healthy. Although I try to make smart choices with my selections by substituting fries for fruit or a salad, water for a coke etc. I can't claim that I always do that. I think that bringing a healthy lunch from home to work and eating breakfast are 2 of the best steps toward eating healthier a person can do.

I will be getting married in May. Within the next 5 years I plan to take some time off of work to finish my master's degree and start a family. I think that having more time will improve my eating and exercise habits. I also think that when I have kids I will try even harder in these areas to keep them healthy and set a good example.

Blog # 8

For this blog I chose to read the article, " Effects of media coverage of Women's Health Initiative study on attitudes and behavior of women receiving hormone replacement therapy". I also chose to complete option 1 of assignment 7, so I was already familiar with the Women's Health Initiative study. For those of you that did not do that assignment, this study basically looked at the risks/benefits of postmenopausal women taking either estrogen-only hormone replacement or estrogen plus progestin hormone replacement. These results were then compared with the control group that was taking placebo pills. The main focus of this study was to see if these hormone replacement therapies decreased a women's risk for heart disease, stroke, breast and colon cancer. The risks for the estrogen plus progestin product were much higher than the benefits which actually resulted in early termination of the study. The results of the estrogen only product showed no difference in risk for heart disease or cancer, but increased risk for stroke and blood clot.

In the article several women who were currently taking hormone replacement therapy were surveyed and asked if they knew of this study and if it effected their decision to take hormone replacement therapies. The study showed that all of the women in the study had heard of the Women's Health Initiative study and that it indeed had an influence on their decision to take HRT. Although most reported that they trusted their physicians some made changed without their consultation. The problem that this study mainly addressed was the lack of difference between women taking estrogen-only and estrogen plus progestin medication. This lack of difference suggests that the media was not differentiating to two and that women were misinformed on the true findings of the study.

I enjoyed this article and I felt it was easy to identify the point it was making. In today's society we have so much access to information that it can sometimes be more hurtful than helpful when it comes to our health. It is so important to find a physician you trust and if you do research on your own make sure it is credible information. After all your health is not something you want to take a chance on because some new Internet study sounded like a good idea.

Reference:

Blalock, S.J. & McIntosh, J. (2005, January 1) Effects of media coverage of Women's Health
Initiative study on attitudes and behaviors of women receiving hormone replacement
therapy. American Journal of Health-System Pharmacy (Vol 62).

Blog # 7

1) Many people equate STDs with immorality, promiscuous behavior and low social status. What are your thoughts on this statement?

As we discussed in earlier chapters sex is a part of life. Depending on an individuals ethnic or religious beliefs they may believe that STD's are closely related to immorality and promiscuous behaviors. I have to agree that to some extent STD's can be related to immorality and promiscuous behavior however, I don't believe this is ALWAYS the case. I believe much of the spread of such STD's comes from the lack of information/education on the topic. Perhaps taking Sex Ed. out of schools. If adolescents are not educated on the dangers of STD's and ways to prevent themselves, they are less likely to protect themselves against contracting them. Usually the thought of getting pregnant over shadows the thought of getting an STD. Although most STD's are curable I think it is very important to educate young people on the dangers of contracting an STD and the lifelong effects they can cause. I think if girls in their teens knew that leaving an STD untreated could cause them to be unable to have children later in life, they would probably rethink the decisions they are making.

I have to question the idea that those of low social status are more likely to contract STD's. I do believe it is likely that these individuals often are less likely to be treated for STD's due to limited access to health care. I also believe that in this category are often less educated and less likely to know how to protect themselves. I do know that STD's can happen to any person of any social or economic group. I also think we would be surprised looking at college campuses of high social economic status and the incidence of STD's. Even those that are educated and have access to great health care can make poor choices when influenced by drugs, alcohol or peers.

I think it is important that information on the implications of STD's are readily available to educate persons having or considering having sex.

Blog # 6

View any of the video clips posted in the Supplemental Readings area and reflect on these clips in your blog.

I viewed the video clip, " Why do surrogate mothers do what they do?". Overall I found this clip to be very touching and I admire the surrogate mother for being so selfless and helping an infertile couple she barely knew to have 2 babies. As well as other couples since she had been a surrogate several times.

I would first like to provide the definitions for the two common types of surrogacy; Traditional surrogacy is when the surrogate is pregnant with her own biological child, but this child was conceived with the intention of relinquishing the child to be raised by others such as the biological father and possibly his spouse or partner, either male or female.
Gestational surrogacy is when the surrogate becomes pregnant via embryo transfer with a child of which she is not the biological mother.(1)

As surrogacy has become more and more common the controversy surrounding this issue has grown amongst members of different religious and political groups. It is very easy for people that have never experienced the inability to have children to form opinions on this issue. I find this to be a very gray area, one in which a person's opinion may change if they were to find out they were unable to have a child themselves.

If proper health and psychological screenings are completed on a surrogate and a couple wishes to participate in a gestational surrogacy, I find no reason they should not be allowed to. There are so many couples out there that would make wonderful parents but wait until they are educated and financially ready to have children that later find out, they are unable to because of age, infertility, etc. Surrogacy provides these people with hope to have a family of their own and provides an option along with adoption to make a decision in how they want to go about having a family.

Traditional surrogacy is a little more controversial because the child is often that of the surrogate carrying it. Although sometimes it is that of persons (through egg/sperm donations) other than the couple that will be caring for the baby after birth. This has raised many questions like, "why would this surrogate give up a child of her own, that she has created and carried for 9 months to people she barely knows?" Isn't that what people who chose to give their babies up for adoptions also do? Is it possible for a women to emotionally detach herself from the child she is carrying, knowing it is being born to be the child of someone else?? I am not sure of the answers to any of these questions, I have never used a surrogate, I have never been a surrogate, I have never adopted a child or given a child up for adoption. My opinion is that people react to situations when they are put into them and if all parties involved are on board and have agreed to such an arrangement, then it is OK.

Many people think you can not love a child that is not your blood as much. I disagree with this, look at step parents who have adopted children of their spouse and love them no different than their own. Look at parents who have adopted children from foreign countries that make them a part of their family and love them just the same. It really is no different than surrogacy and with surrogacy the parents are often a part of the conception, pregnancy and birth process from the start, which leads me to believe an even stronger love and bond is formed.

Reference:
(1) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surrogate_pregnancy retrieved October 10, 2009

Blog # 5

Interview a woman on her decision to have children or be "childless" (may be temporary). Summarize her response and your thoughts regarding your interviewee's response. Note: you may discuss your own thoughts on having children instead of conducting an interview.

For as long as I can remember I have wanted to have children. When asked to write this blog I sat down and tried to think of the reasons in which I felt so strongly on this topic. To be completely honest I had a some what difficult time determining why I have always felt this way. I suppose part of this decision has been based merely on the fact of being a woman. I believe that we as women, whether we like it or not are wired at some point or another to want to have children. Although this decision is very personal to each individual and includes a wide variety of variables, age, health, relationship status, religion, career, etc I think all women question themselves about having children at some point. I can honestly say I have never even thought about a future without children.

A second reason for wanting to have children is that I have always loved being around children, I find their innocence and zest for the simple things in life to be very refreshing. Much different from the demands and stresses of everyday life. As a pediatric occupational therapy assistant I work with children for several hours each and everyday. Often times the kids I work with come from lower economic families. I see a lot of broken homes, kids with multiple siblings and parents that don't really take an interest in their children. This has been very motivating to me to be a positive, adult influence for these kids, as well as my own children in the future.

Blog # 4

Should sex education be taught in the nation's public schools, and if so, what kind of education should be provided? (Abstinence-only? Abstinence-plus?)

It should be required that an 'Abstinence-plus' sex education program be included in the curriculum of ALL public schools in the US. Abstinence should be encouraged on the forefront of this program amongst teenagers, while presenting the information regarding sexually transmitted diseases and pregnancy. I think it is then important to address the reality that not all teenagers will choose to abstain from having sex. This would be a great time to present information on various methods of contraception and the need (especially for women) to receive regular check ups including testing for STD's and HIV. Such programs should also present the long term effects of STD's if left untreated, since most teens having sex are too embarrassed to seek medical attention for symptoms associated with STD's. These programs should also encourage open communication with parents and possibly have a supplemental parent "class" to explain what is being taught to the students, why and how they can address it at home.

Due to cultural and religious differences such programs are often very controversial. I think that in developing these programs these differences should be carefully taken into account and such programs should only address the facts. This leaves the religious/cultural beliefs on the topic up to the families to address at home.

I also think such programs should not be passing out condoms (those can be bought at any drug store or gas station) or providing birth control pills. The program should instill all of the facts on the teenagers but should not be providing such means that often times look like a "free pass" to start having sex. I think providing information on ways to get check ups/testing, birth control, abortions or pre-natal care without the consent of the parents should be carefully addressed. This information should carefully take into consideration the age group being taught and the long term effects that doing these things without the support of your family could cause. I think access to such information is more relevant to a college age population than high school. I find it kind of 'messed up' that a 14 years old girl could go to a clinic and receive HIV testing, a pap test including STD screenings,pregnancy testing and care, birth control pills, condoms or in a lot of cases an abortion, by herself without her parents knowing, yet that same girl would need her mom to go to the doctor with her were she to have a runny nose, since people under the age of 18 can't be treatment without the consent of a present parent.

Blog #3

How would you rate your "preventive practices?" What are some ways in which you can improve your health? What preventative practices do you already implement?

I found the preventive practice assessment to be very interesting. As a professional working in the health care field I try to implement all of these preventative practices. As a Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant at a pediatric clinic I get a great deal of exercise daily at work, in addition to working out 3-5 days per week at home. My career is very rewarding and involves limited stress which is helpful in maintaining overall mental wellness. Because of the field I work in I am also a big advocate of practicing safe behaviors such as wearing seat belts and bike helmets.

At work I try to eat healthy lunches and snacks, as well as drinking plenty of water. I do this not only for my own health but also to set a positive example for co-workers and any impressionable patients that may be around during this time. At home I could do a better job making more balanced meals and not eating out a restaurants as much. As our lives get busier I think healthy eating is one of the first things that gets pushed to the side.

The two areas where I think I could improve my health the most are; getting enough sleep and receiving preventative care from a health care provider. Although I try to go to bed at a reasonable hour and get enough rest I often find myself staying up late or getting up early to complete school work, house work or wedding planning. I am very good about going in for preventative care but often put off doctors appointments when I am sick. I usually wait until I am so sick I can't function before going to the doctor. Although I know this is a bad habit to get into I have found it very hard to break because I really dislike going to the doctor when I am sick!

Blog # 2

What are your feelings about the present state of health care in the US?



My feelings on the present state of health care in the US is that we are very blessed and very fortunate to live in a country that provides such great health care. Health Care in this country is very good, it is the coverage of health care services and health insurance that is the issue. I am in total agreement that there is a huge need for reform. We must come up with a way to hold insurance companies responsible when they deny claims that should be covered or refuse insurance coverage because of pre-existing conditions. There defiantly needs to be legislation that can stop insurance companies from providing Erisa plans that are not governed by the department of insurance or any governing body. Erisa plans look like health care coverage and often cost the same as health care coverage, but much to the surprise of those that they cover, they are NOT health care coverage. Erisa plans are the majority of the problem when denials for services occur and because of the wording in these contracts there is no room for negotiation once a claim is denied. Most people are completely unaware of this type of plan that a lot of employers provide to decrease costs. I do not agree that we adopt universal health care and trust our health, the MOST important thing, to the government.

For those of you that have health insurance I would like for you to think about your last doctors visit. Did you have to wait 30 minutes or longer just to make an appointment to be seen? When you got to your appointment did you have to wait 30 minutes or longer to be seen? Did you have confidence in the physician that was seeing you? Did you trust their opinion? Did you leave feeling more knowledgeable about the current state of your health?


These questions were probably pretty easy to answer because for most of us that have insurance we can make an appointment in 5 minutes or less. Although we have all had times in which we have had to wait a long time to be seen by the doctor, that is not the case EVERY time we see a doctor. If it was, most of us would choose a different doctor to go to. Most of us do have confidence in the physicians we see, if we don't once again we would have the freedom to choose a different doctor to see.

These examples come from Government run health care. Surprised??? You haven't even heard the best part of it yet. Not only is this what happens when government controls aspects of health care, this is the coverage we provide for those who fight to make this country free. Yes, this is the Veterans Administration. Did I read this in some study or an article? Not quite, I have seen it first hand from the man I live with and soon will be married to. After serving 8 years in the Army, 1 1/2 of those years spent at War in Iraq. He gets treated as a number when going to the VA hospitals and doctors offices. Although there is documented proof of his back injury, related to events that happened during his service in Iraq, no VA doctor will recommend surgery because the government would have to pay for it and cost control is #1. We have gotten 3 other opinions from doctors outside of the VA, all have recommend surgery and physical therapy within 6 months. The VA writes a prescription for Advil.

I have no doubt that trusting our health care to the government will decrease the quality of care we receive as consumers. For those of you that work in the health care field as I do, do you really want the government dictating to you what services you can provide to your patients. I know I sure don't. I encourage all of you to get all of the facts on the reality of universal health care before promoting it. I think you will be surprised by what you find out about the regulations of the government run Medicare, Medicaid and VA programs we already have. I think you will also be surprised that countries, such as Germany, that offer these programs tax pay checks close to 50% to provide health care and retirement.

Let's work to make a change in a way that still allows us the freedom and high quality health care we deserve.

Blog #1

What health issues are you most concerned about? Why?



Interview 2-3 women (different ages, ethnicities and/or cultures if possible) and ask them the same question.



Are your concerns similar or different? Explain.



The health issue I am currently most concerned with is health care coverage. Although access to health care coverage is another major concern, I would rather focus on the coverage itself for the purposes of this blog. In my career I am often dealing with people who are fortunate enough to have healthcare coverage through a private insurance company or a government run program. Unfortunatly, I am often seeing that these individuals are not educated consumers and often end up disappointed with the coverage their plan provides for certain services. Although I agree insurance companies should not be able to deny claims so easily, it is also our responsibilty as consumers to know what we are "buying". Would you buy a home or car without reviewing the contract/loan very carefully?? Probably not, why should health coverage be any different?? I strongly urge all of you to review your health care plans when deciding between employers or individual plans. By asking questions and getting clarification on coverage up front, you decrease the risk that you will end up responsible for payments that could be several thousands of dollars were you to need treatment for something not covered by your plan.

I was able to interview 2 women and both expressed similar concerns with healthcare coverage. The woman in her 20's said she did a lot of research on healthcare coverage when looking for employment after college. She had a family member who became ill and went into high medical debt because most of the medications and specialists she was using were not covered by her insurance plan. The woman in her 40's expressed some uncertainty as to what she would do about healthcare upon retiring. She noted that she is very happy with the coverage her employer provides but she didn't really review or understand all of the details of the plan prior to starting her job.

Both of these women also made note of concerns regarding diseases such as heart disease and breast cancer that are common in their families.