blog #15

Out of all the topics that we discussed this semester, the most interesting was how culture, beliefs and practices influence contraceptive decision making. It made me think about my own situation at home. I grew up in a very religious household and we never talked about contraceptives. We were just always taught not to have sex until we get married. I think that families should have open conversation about sex and contraceptives. Another interesting topic was how women can find ways to balance their professional, educational and personal lives. I will be graduating in may and getting married in late 2011 and it is important for me and all of the ladies to be able to find some balance in our lives despite a busy schedule.

blog # 14

There is no easy way to balance a professional, educational and personal life but many of us have to do it. I think it is important to have a daily planner so your life can have some organization. We  have to work and go to school but I think that is good to find time for your friends and family to take your mind off of the daily grind. Also we should find time to have fun and release stress. Working out when you can is also a way to release stress and also it gives you more energy to handle a fast pace lifestyle.  

blog #13

I believe that it is better to send drug addicts to mandatory drug treatment as opposed to jail. I think that addicts will have a better chance of rehabilitating in drug treatment. The atmosphere in jail can cause a person to come out in worse shape than when they went in. In drug treatment, they will have a chance to better understand their disease and learn ways to control it. The treatment is used for the purpose of helping people recover and jail is just to get bad people off the street. Some people deserve a second chance and don’t deserve to be put in jail with killers, rapists, and thieves. If someone proves that they cannot be rehabilitated, then maybe they belong in jail.

blog # 12

I have a nephew that has autism. He is 8 years old and he has to attend special classes. I don’t think that it is a bad case of autism because he is pretty smart. My brother did tell me that when there is a change in the daily routine or something suddenly happens, that can cause him to react in strange ways. I have learned that people can live healthy and successful lives with mild cases of autism. I don’t know a lot about it, but I can see my nephew getting better and learning more. I think that it is sometimes stressful for my brother and his wife. They have to have a great deal of patience and keep a positive attitude.

blog # 11

If everyone lived with our future in mind people would probably live different. Maybe there would be less smoking and drinking, things that can destroy the human body. Maybe there would be less unprotected sex and people would think about the consequences. Many young people don’t consider many things until they get older. Many youngsters just want to have fun despite what their parents might tell them. If everybody thought about the future then everyone would be working together to make the world healthier and a better place to live. I think that it would be a lot less selfishness and maybe the fortunate would help the less fortunate. Charity is good for the soul when it comes from the heart.

blog # 10

If cancer or cardiovascular disease runs in a person’s family, that can cause a person to adopt a healthier lifestyle. A visit to the doctor can also influence a lifestyle change. The doctor is there to do their job. It is up to the patients to listen or not. Talking with people who have been sick can also help. Having conversations with people who have been through it can maybe inspire someone else to engage in preventative behavior. Simply being educated is also a factor that can influence change. Many people just don’t know about the risks that exist and how to help prevent them.

blog#9

The biggest challenges to exercising regularly and keeping a healthy diet are just staying consistent. We are all busy these days and sometimes it seems hard to find time to work out. As far as the diet goes, fast food is the worst food for you but at times you just want to go through the drive through. Sometimes it’s hard to find energy to work out or cook after a long day. I think that in the future, the challenges will only grow greater. Starting a career, getting married, having children any and all of those things are time consuming but is still very important to find time to exercise and eat healthy because you feel so much better and also relieve stress.

blog # 8

Society might have a bad image about menopause, and aging and older women but I think that can be change by talking about the positive more than the negative about menopause, like not having menstruation anymore, also more time for you and wisdom and confidence. I would love to take it all in with a good attitude and be excited about aging and other women would be to if there was a good image about it not just all about been 20. Is a lot about been 45and up you will be even more of a women. And is natural and everyone should take life with wisdom and confidence is a great life experience.

blog #7

STDs is everywhere and anybody can get them. In Africa where I am from, STDs is a very bad problem. Many women are virgins when they get married but they end up catching something from their husbands. I have heard of so many of these cases. Sometimes, STDs are caused from immoral and promiscuous behavior. They can be passed to someone who has morals and is not promiscuous. You can completely trust someone but they can be lying. Sometimes, STDs can be more prevalent in a place where they not as educated about the subject and in places where the medicine is not as good. STD’s affect all races, sexes, social classes, the rich and the poor.

blog # 7

blog # 6

Yes I think that prenatal testing should be routine for all pregnant women. I don’t understand why every woman would not want to get prenatal testing. If a mother has the opportunity to find out whether or not her baby is healthy or not, I think she should take it. If parents-to-be do find out that their baby will have a health issue, they can prepare themselves to deal with it. It would not be a total surprise if their baby is born with a problem. Since the technology exists to perform these tests, women should take advantage of it.

blog # 5

Being born and raised in Sudan, I have experienced a much different culture. Where I lived the population was mostly Muslim. In Muslim culture, abstinence is the only method that is taught. You are taught to save yourself for marriage. There are no condom or birth control pill commercials so I think that many people in Sudan don’t really know about the all of the contraceptives.  In The United States, sex is a much more open topic therefore a person will know a lot more. Some religions don’t believe in contraceptives at all and as a result couples could have many children. I was born and raised Muslim and I taught to not have sex until I got married. There is nothing wrong with using birth control after you get married if a couple is not ready to get pregnant.

blog # 4

I think that sex education is an important topic right now. Many people are sexually active today starting at young ages. Sure parents have to try to teach their children about sex and everything that comes along with it but I don’t think that it is a bad idea to teach sex education in schools. Professional teachers could help young people better understand about sex. We know that abstinence is the only certain way to avoid pregnancy and diseases. Realistically speaking though, young people are going to have sex and the more they know the better.  Ultimately it is  to parents to keep up with what their kids are up to.

Blog # 3

Overall I have remained pretty active throughout my life so I would say that my preventive practices are pretty good. I played tennis in high school and have continued to work out and try to eat fruits and vegetables. Cutting down on sugar and salt is something that I need to work on. I think that I should do more cardio when I go to the gym to burn more calories.

We can start at a young age teaching children the importance of a healthy lifestyle. Encourage sports and other activities that will benefit overall wellness. Try to make it fun for the kids but at the same time informative. I personally believe that it is the parent’s responsibility to teach their children how to eat healthy and be active. A lot of young people just sit in front of computers all day.

http://www.who.int/topics/womens_health/en/

I read an article from the World Health Organization (WHO) website about the challenges that women face around the world getting proper care and treatment. I am glad that I live in America. Things are not perfect but I have been to other countries and things could be much worst. Women’s healthcare in this country is pretty great compared to some of these very poor countries. It makes you feel bad for those less fortunate but also blessed to live somewhere where you can get what you need as a woman.

blog # 2

I believe that healthcare is a right and those people that have healthcare are fortunate and should feel blessed to be able to afford it. I was born in Sudan and I lived there until I was fourteen. In Sudan, no one can be treated by a doctor unless they have the money at the time. Many very sick people never have the opportunity to be helped. I believe that it is a good thing for the United States to try to make healthcare more accessible to more people. Everyone is not fortunate enough to be able to afford medical expenses. This does not mean that they do not deserve a chance to live a healthy life.