Blog #5- To have or not to have

The decision to have children or go childless is a decision all couples must make. One of my close friends, let's call her Maddy, has decided to place the decision in God's hands.  Maddy and her husband have chosen to abstain from intercourse on days of peak fertility.  Every morning she wakes up and takes her temperature to check her basal body temperature to determine if she is ovulating. It is only a slight change, therefore only certain thermometers can be used (thermometers that read to the hundredth degree).  Maddy, and her husband, is Catholic and due to religious beliefs have decided to not use contraceptives. 

The both want children, lots of children in fact, but the timing is not right for them.  She is just beginning in her career and he is still in graduate school. They have only been married a short period of time.  However, if they were to get pregnant tomorrow, they believe it is what God has chosen for them and they will make it work. It takes a lot of commitment for Maddy to wake up every morning and check her temperature. She jokes that on Saturday mornings it is very difficult for her to wake up and take her temperature (you must take it at the same time every day, much like the pill). One Saturday she said she would skip the day and fell back asleep and woke up with the thermometer in her mouth from her husband getting up to take it! It is great for Maddy to have such support from her husband in keeping up with their choice for planned parenthood.

I have another friend, let's call her Grace, does not want to have children at all. She is single, owns her own home and is happy. She wants to get married some day, but does not want to have children.  She has made her decision and has never waivered.  She will not date a man with children and utilizes birth control and condoms to avoid pregnancy.

No matter how temporary or permanent our decisions for having children or going childless, we are so blessed to have the options to chose.

Blog #4- Sex Education

Sex education and what should be included has been an issue for many years.  In my opinion, it is an essential element in school education.  In high school, we were offered Health as a course. Except, this health course was a complete joke.  We learned a few diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, etc. but nothing with regards to health issues the majority of us faced as high school students.  Sex education, no matter how uncomfortable to teach, would have been more relevant to our age.  My sex education came from my friends. Later I learned my mother had "the talk" with one of my sisters but only when she came to her with questions. It is a very uncomfortable subject for many people to discuss, but how can we expect this young generation to know and understand sexuality if we are too uncomfortable to speak about our own. 

Personally, my sex education was just don't do it until you're married.  That is great, BUT it does not teach safe sex for those young adults who will do it regardless.  My teaching centered around not getting pregnant.  Teaching youth to use condoms is not just to prevent pregancy but also disease. It is my opinion, teaching safe practices (wearing a condom and oral contraceptives) is the only way to prevent unwanted pregnancies and disease for younger adults/youth. Having a teacher teach these issues gives students someone they feel comfortable talking to, other than their parents, about these issues. Not all parents are open to discussion and not all kids have parents who are present in their lives to even begin to have discussions about life and sex.  Teaching them ways to handle sexual encounters safely and how to deal with sexual violence is very important. 

Sexual violence is another subject that needs to be covered in sex education.  Again, it gives students someone they feel comfortable speaking to if, God forbid, they are a victim.  I only hope my kids (when I have them) have someone they feel comfortable confiding in, even if it is not me. 

Blog #3- Preventive Practices

Completing the self-assessment of my preventive practices only reinforced what I already knew about myself. I do not utilize enough preventive practices. The basic primary preventions such as nutrition and physical activity (Alexander, LaRosa, Bader, Garfield, & Alexander, 2010) are some of the most difficult to manage. Time management is a huge contributor to these practices. As many in the class can probably attest too, it is difficult with school, work, and life to find time for exercises and cooking a nutritious meal.  There are too many things to accomplish in one day.

I find it odd that the last question, of 10 total, dealt with regular check-ups.  It is crucial, in my opinion, for us to maintain that basic level of care with our healthcare team.  Yes, it is hard to get yearly gynecological check ups and even teeth cleanings, but they are vital in early detection of cancers.  I work in a cancer institution.  The importances of these check-ups become forefront in your mind when you see everyday the benefits and consequences of participating or not participating in check-ups.

On a positive note, I currently implement SOME practices!  I use laughter as stress relief.  I believe in teaching mature conflict resolution.  I am constantly attempting to teach my nephews other ways in which to hand conflict.  With regards to prevention of accidents, I am sure most of us practice these because it is law! We have to wear our seatbelts. With motorcycles, I do not own one and have never ridden in one.  I cannot believe all of the motorcycle drivers I have seen since I moved to Texas without helmets on!! It is a law in Mississippi (where I am from). Motorcyclists must wear helmets. Working as a therapist I have seen too many accidents involving brain injuries that could have been prevented with the use of a helmet.  But, I guess we all have areas in which we could decrease our risky behaviors.

Alexander, L. L., LaRosa, J.H., Bader, H., Garfield, S., & Alexander, W. J. (2010). New Dimensions in Women’s Health. Sudbury, MA: Jones and Bartlett Publishers.

Blog #2

Health care: Right or Privilege

In my opinion, health care is a basic right. However, in believing it is a right, I believe the government should not control or mandate people to have health coverage. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 47 million Americans do not have health insurance (2009). My question is, how many of those 47 million Americans want insurance? Some Americans without insurance are in college or young and working and prefer to keep their money rather than pay for insurance. Is it the government's job to force someone into purchasing insurance if they chose to keep their money rather than pay for insurance? America was created to allow people to make their own decisions. I know that our system is flawed. I see it every day when I have a patient that needs 24 hour supervision and isn't safe to discharge home by themselves and their entire family works and they cannot afford a nursing home and insurance won't cover it. It is frustrating, but I do not believe our government should force anything on us. If there was no longer competition in the health market, would we have as many great drugs (even with the high costs) and the treatments available all discovered through profit driven research? Again, I know the system if flawed, but maybe we should adjust the system rather than force a new one.

(2009, April 2). FASTSTATS- Health Insurance Coverage. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/hinsure.htm

Blog #1

My main health concern centers on nutrition and exercise. I only know a handful of people who truly exercises regularly and eat correctly. Americans, myself included, do not know proper nutrition. We have no idea proper portion control or how many vegetables we are really supposed to eat a day. The kids get French fries and pizza for lunch at schools and if we did give them healthier options, would they eat it? Probably not since most wouldn't know a vegetable if they saw one because we aren't giving providing them in the home. And please understanding, I am including myself. With the preventable disease that are running rampant in the country, I still can't seem to muster up the willpower to put the television remote down and exercise. Maybe this course will help motivate me!

I interviewed a friend whose family is from Pakistan. Her main health concern was diabetes and heart disease. These two diseases are found in very close relatives of her (i.e. father and sister). She voiced concern that she, too, might one day develop one or both of these issues.

The second friend I interviewed is from India. Her main concern deals with an irregular menstrual cycle. Her desire, and her familial expectations, is for her to marry and have children. With her menstrual issues, her concern is not being able to provide her future husband with children, especially as she is in her early 30s and not yet married.


The two friends interviewed are healthy, young women. Who, in spite of their great health, are still, true to our nature as women, worried/concerned with their health.