Blog 5

Blog 5-Impact of Women's Health Class

 

 

     I believe the most influential topic covered this semester has been the importance of education to women and children around the world in order to improve their quality of life and to empower them to get out of abusive life styles.  We are truly blessed to live in a country where we have access to healthcare, education, and freedom to make choices on how we live our lives.  Women are terrorized for attending schools and trying to better their lives.  War and poverty have destroyed the access to education, healthcare, and employment for many women worldwide.  It is up to people who are more fortunate to help these people out.  We can make a difference by providing education to people and organizations encouraging them to reach out to those less fortunate.  Education is the key to helping people become aware of the issues faced worldwide, and education is the key to helping people become self sufficient.  With knowledge the possibilities are endless. 

    Boko Haram, "Western education is forbidden," is an organization that has killed thousands of people in the past year and kidnapped over 500 school girls because they understand the impact that education has on these girls.  The do not want the advancement of women, and continue to strive to prevent and intimidate girls from getting an education especially in Nigeria.  In providing more access to schools, we have endangered these girls.  There will always be people who do not welcome change which is why is more critical now more than ever that we become informed and do our part in helping out those less fortunate.  This class has given me access to many charitable organizations that are making a difference in the lives of many.  Education is essential for the success of our world. 



Blog 4

      

Preventing Assault

             Almost every time I turn on the news I see a story about a woman getting raped, abducted, or murdered.  Women are easy prey for predators because they can easily be overpowered by men.  I spent many of my years traveling alone as part of my employment.  I was fortunate to have worked with  women who shared their tips on traveling alone and staying safe.  Perhaps the safest advice I could give is to get your concealed hand guns license, take shooting lessons, and procure a handgun.  In Texas it is simple to get a concealed hand gun license and usually only takes a few hours of your time.  The costs is minimal and well worth the added security.  Another good tip I learned was to never stay in a hotel that has an outdoor entry to your room.  This prevents predators from seeing what room you are staying in from the outside of the hotel, and/or gaining access to your room.  I also believe that is important to always be aware of your surroundings.  Stay aware from poorly lit areas, and try not to walk to your car alone at night.  When walking alone, I would carry my can of pepper spray in one hand and my car keys in the other hand so I could quickly get entry into my car.  I would also check my car before I got into it to make sure no one could be hiding in my car.  I would quickly lock the car door as soon as I could get the door shut.
         Another thing a woman can do is take a self-defense course.  I am not fortunate enough to have any of these offered in my area, but they are fairly easy to find in bigger cities.  I fortunately live in a town where crime is minimal, and not aware of any assaults on any women in the last 20 years.  Living in a safe town is also important in preventing assaults.    

Blog 3

Hello Classmates,
       I would like to share my personal experience with weight challenges I face as an adult.  I feel that your behaviors when it comes to diet and food are learned as a child.  I grew up in a large German-Catholic family.  Almost every memory I have as a child was focused around food.  My family believed in having at least one large meal per day where everyone was in attendance that consisted of several courses including dessert.  The women in the family would spend hours preparing a large meal while the boys worked on the farm and milked the cows. 
         My parents were very strict when it came to leaving food on your plate.  I was not allowed to  leave the table until I ate everything on my plate.  I can remember sitting at the table long after everyone left trying to force myself to eat.  My parents tried to guilt me into eating always referencing the "starving kids of Africa."  I fought my parents for several years until I finally gave in and forced myself to eat to avoid conflict with my parents.  I could maintain my weight because I was physically active, and I played a lot of sports.
     My weight never became an issue until after I started having children and my metabolism began to slow down.  Before I knew it, I had three children while maintaining a full-time job.  The sports and activities that I loved became a thing of the past.  I rarely had time to exercise, and when I did, I was too tired to complete.  Each year I started gaining weight.  The past two years I have not gained weight, but I have not been successful in losing weight either.  I still have difficulty leaving food on my plate, and restaurant servings in Texas just keep getting and bigger.  Fortunately, I learned not to raise my children on guilt, and I also learned that children would not starve if they did not clean their plate.  I am trying to schedule time for exercise even when I  am tired.  I am making an effort to change my eating habits for a safe and healthy weight loss and I hope that I can maintain these life changes.  My sisters have joined me with my efforts and hopefully, together we can achieve our goals. 

Blog 2

Let's talk Sex

 

     Perhaps one of the hardest thing to do as a parent is having "the Talk" with your child.  Often parents place this burden on educational institutions to teach their children about sexuality.  The problem with this is that schools focus on birth control, sexually transmitted diseases, and the physiological changes of the body and reproductive systems.  It is up to the parents to teach abstinence and the importance of respecting your body.  As a parent, I think it is a topic that should be taught from the time a child is old enough to understand the difference between a boy and a girl.  I think it is vital that children know and understand their body and understanding the difference between "good touch" and "bad touch".  Being comfortable talking about your body and the changes your body will be going through as you grow can be a positive and natural experience for both the parent and your child. 

     I think the most importance thing we can teach our children is about self respect and understanding the responsibilities you take when you choose to be sexually active.  Children today are influenced by social media, television, and liberal politicians that desensitize our children on morals and what they feel should be the  "norm."  According to SIECUS, the Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States, in 2005, 34% of ninth grade students reported being sexually active while 63% of twelfth grade students were sexually active.  I am sure that today the numbers are significantly higher.  Another startling statistic from the same survey, showed that of those sexually active students, almost 18% reported having more than four different sexual partners and only 68% of those used condoms.  Coming from a small town, if a girl had sexual relations with four boys, she would be judged harshly.  Unfortunately, boys seek out these girls for temporary gratification, and really do not have feelings for those girls.  Once their reputations are ruined, it is often impossible to regain their dignity and respect.  It is up to parents to teach boys the importance of respecting girls, and not taking advantage of girls if your intentions are not sincere.  It is also important to teach girls about self respect and the damage to your reputation of having sexual relations without the love and respect of your partner.  With social media today, it is more important than ever that all children understand the importance of abstinence, dignity, and coveting your body until the emotional maturity is there to understand the consequence associated with being sexually active.  I feel the earlier you speak to your child, the better.  Do not wait until you feel the time is right.  Keep the dialogue open throughout your child's life.  I am always looking for opportunities to talk to my teens.  I strive to be open, understanding, and  as realistic as possible.   I can not stop my child from being sexually active, but I can educate them and provide them with the resources they need to be responsible.

     For information and publications on talking to your children on sexuality, I recommend the SIECUS website on www.siecus.org.

 

  Amy Haverkamp

 

Centers for Disease Control. (2005) Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance.

      retrieved from www.sexedlibrary.org/index.cfm?pageID=815



 





Blog 1

Topic 3.

Adolescence is a tough time for many people. It is a time where you are trying to figure out things for yourself. You take into account how you were raised or what you have learned from society and teachers, to form your identity. In this blog, you are going to see how I believe we can encourage adolescents to be healthy and the roles of the people surrounding adolescents play.

Parents, healthcare providers, health educators, media, and society play significant roles in encouraging adolescents to follow health behaviors. First and foremost, the parents should serve as the first line of defense against unhealthy behaviors. Parents need to be a role model for the adolescents. For example, if the parent wants the child to eat healthy, the parents need to prepare nutritional meals in the home. In addition to eating right at the home, parents should educate their adolescents on the reasons why we eat healthy, how to cook healthy, serving sizes, etc. Another way parents can encourage a healthy lifestyle, is by planning fun activities outdoors to get exercise. Growing up, my parents encouraged us to play sports recreationally or competitively. Also, we took trips where we went exploring or hiking. These events should be based around your adolescent's interests to make exercise more enjoyable for your child. If it is more enjoyable, your child is more likely to continue that behavior into adulthood. In addition to encouraging diet and exercise, I believe the most important way to promote health behaviors is open communication between you and your child. It is important to educate your child, but it is also important that the child knows they can come to you for advice or questions. I am a firm believer that your child should hear about the dangers of drug use, alcohol use, safe sex practices, or other risky behaviors from the parent first. This will help prepare your child for situations where the right decision is crucial.   If the child does feel comfortable talking to their parent, it is crucial that the child knows where to go to fort these questions or concerns.  This is where the healthcare provider comes in.  Healthcare providers role in encouraging health behaviors in adolescents is offering advice and education in a private and confidential manner. When reading the online journal written by the  New York City  Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, it really hit on the importance of confidentiality between the healthcare provider and the adolescent.  When an adolescent feels like their questions are being asked in private, they are more likely to open up to that provider. The other way around is true as well; the adolescent is more likely to give more accurate information to that provider when that adolescent is being evaluated. Confidentiality could make the difference between seeking help or not. Health educators, media, and society play a unique role in promoting healthy behaviors. Health educators look at the media and society to better promote healthy lifestyles. One example of this is the smoking prevention commercials we see on television.   These commercials are aimed at adolescents, and the main goal is to change what they believe is the norm placed by society or the media. The health educators use the media to present facts to prove that not every teenager smokes, and the actual number is only around 9% as shown as the Truth.com.This is important because adolescence is a time period when they start looking at what their peers and society are doing. Health educators need to continue to prove that being healthy is the "cool" thing to do.

Sources:

 Eliscu A, Cooperman D, Michener J, Nucci-Sack A, Diaz A. Promoting healthy behaviors in adolescents. City Health Information. 2009;28(2):9-20.
http://www.nyc.gov/html/doh/downloads/pdf/chi/chi28-2.pdf


http://www.thetruth.com/

My Biography

Hey Friends,
Welcome to my personal biography.  I am 46 years old and returning to school after 20 years.  I am working on my Bachelor's Degree in Applied Science so I can apply for the Master's bridge program for Occupational Therapy.  I have been a Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant for over 20 years, and thought it was time to further my education.   I have worked my entire career in the health care industry, and plan to continue working in this field until I retire, or win the lottery.  I expect this class will be a challenge, but I look forward to learning about women's health around the world and the challenges faced by women today.
I have been married 25 years.  My oldest daughter recently graduated from University of Arkansas with her degree in Community Health.  GO HOGS!  My middle daughter is in the Navy and is a Navy Nuclear Specialist, and my son is a Senior in High School.  I love restoring old furniture, but rarely have time between work and school.  I look forward to meeting new people, and hope to be hearing from you all soon! 
Good Luck!
Amy