Blog 2

Jade, a woman in her late 30’s, wants to give her preteen daughter, Michelle, an informative talk about having sex.  Jade was originally concerned to give a sex talk because she did not want to seem as if she were encouraging her daughter to engage in sexual activity.  However, she did some of her own research and found a study that showed that sexual education programs geared towards teens have helped delay sexual activity, decrease the number of sexual partners, and an increase use of condoms and contraceptives (What the Research Tells Us, 2008).  Jade decides to have the sex conversation at a fast-food restaurant after she picks Michelle up from school.

Jade takes one last sip of her soft drink before having one of the most important conversations she would ever have with her daughter.  Jade tries to make sure that the information she is about to share is straightforward to avoid any misunderstandings.  Michelle continues eating her French fries without any idea that her mother has something important to tell her.  Jade casually starts the conversation by asking Michelle about her day. Michelle rambles on about soccer practice, her hysterical teacher, and then about a boy named Troy she had met a couple of weeks ago. Jade ceases the moment and asks Michelle what she thought relationships were all about.  Michelle, baffled by the question, hesitates before answering Jade.  Michelle tells her mother that a relationship only happens when two people are in love.  Jade then asks her daughter about what made a relationship strong and healthy.  Michelle responds that in a relationship, as long as the two people were in love, everything should be fine.  Jade finally asks her daughter about the meaning of sex.  Although Michelle feels a little awkward discussing the topic, Jade takes initiative of the conversation before they both shy away.  Jade begins explaining to Michelle the structure of the female genitals.  Jade uses the proper terminology such as vagina and penis.  She explains to Michelle the procedure that allows the sperm to reach the egg.  Jade also explains the importance of the using a condom such as preventing unplanned pregnancies and different sexually transmitted diseases.  She explains to Michelle that there are different types of contraceptives that help prevent a pregnancy.  Jade lets Michelle know the best way to avoid a pregnancy is by not being sexually involved at all.  Jade ends the conversation by stating that having sexual intercourse may be one of the most beautiful things a human being may experience.  However, having sexual intercourse is something that should always be done responsibly because the negative consequences outweigh the positive consequences.

 

What the Research Tells Us. (2008). SIECUS. Retrieved from http://www.communityactionkit.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=page.viewPage&pageId=887

Blog 1

(Pseudo names have been used to protect identity)

I interviewed three women with different ethnic backgrounds. The first woman I interviewed was Mary, a Caucasian woman in her mid 30’s. When I asked Mary what health issue most concerned her, she responded that it would be the development of breast cancer and obesity. She mentioned that she had had a family member diagnosed with breast cancer. She also mentioned that obesity was a major health issue because it could lead to other serious health complications such as diabetes and heart disease. The second woman I interviewed was a Black female in her late 40’s named Veronica. When I asked Veronica what health issue most concerned her, she responded that all cancers in general and the development of heart disease. She was in disbelief of the many cancers being diagnosed today that were not heard of as much 20 years ago. She was also concerned to develop heart disease because her grandfather had suffered from a heart attack at a young age. The third person I interviewed was a Hispanic woman in her late 40’s named Teresa. Her biggest health concern was also breast cancer because it had been diagnosed among two different women in her family. She is aware that breast cancer is hereditary therefore she checks herself regularly.

My biggest health concern would be heart disease because it is a preventable disease. I believe that devoting time to stay physically active and eating healthier foods, may lower cases of heart disease and other health issues like diabetes and prevalence of having a stroke. However, I am now even more concerned about breast cancer after interviewing these women. Quite honestly, I feel as though at times I do have the naïve mentality of “It can’t happen to me.” It was like a reality check because even though I was aware of the susceptibility for women to develop breast cancer, I did not feel so much at risk only because I do not know many women who have been diagnosed. It was shocking that out of the three women I had interviewed, two had breast cancer indirectly affect them. It made me realize the importance of speaking about any health issue outside the circle of people I am always with. Having these interviews allowed me broaden my perception of the diseases affecting people today.

My Bio!

Hello everybody,

As you all can see, my name is Liliana Garcia. I am a health studies major in high hopes to someday become an occupational therapist. I have a passion to help others because I truly believe one of our purposes in life is to look out for one another. My hobbies include listening to music, singing, spending time with my family and friends, going to church, traveling, trying new foods, shopping, and sleeping because I hardly get to do so.

I am interested in women’s health and heart disease. As a woman, I think it is important for me to be aware of the health issues geared towards women so I can prevent them from happening. I am interested in heart disease because it is a disease that may be prevented, yet it’s one of the most common diseases seen today. My expectation for this class is to gain a better understanding of what goes on in my body. I would also like to learn about diseases that affect one race more than they affect another. I find it fascinating how the composition of our genes can determine what diseases we are more susceptible to!

Finally, something unique about me…

I would say something unique about me would be my obsession with turtles. I love turtles! I’ve had 2 pet turtles, but I recently had to set one free.L However, I still have my other baby turtle; her name is Stephanie!

I look forward to meeting and working with everyone!

-Liliana Garcia