Blog #5 My thoughts on Having Children

I absolutely love children but have found myself going back and forth on the idea of wanting to have children or not. I am only 22 and realize that I am young and have plenty of time to decide if I want children or not but I have never felt the desire to have children. I am very career oriented and have high expectations for myself whether or not they are realistic or not. I realize that women can fulfill both a career and raising a family but I guarantee it's not easy. I have always felt that if I do have children that I would want to stop working and stay at home and raise my children until they reach the age to go to school, but that's easier said than done. Women really have to weigh their options and find which is more important to them and their partner as well as if you and your partner can financially live off one pay check. Being in a healthy, loving, and committed relationship definitely helps raising a child or children. I am very fortunate that I am in a very loving and healthy relationship with a man that is very supportive, easy to talk to, and who of course feels the same about children as I do. My boyfriend and I have been together for over two years and have discussed having children together and have both decided that we would love to start a family in a few years but that were also okay with deciding to not to have children. For right now we have decided that we will just remain childless for the next few years and spend this time growing and learning more about one another. There is a lot to think about when deciding to have children and believe me I have thought about it all. If I do decide to have children I will not be looking forward to being pregnant for nine months, and watching my body going through so many changes in such a short amount of time, as well as the birthing process which just scares me to tears. But I will love holding my baby, and trying to be the best mother that I can be for my child/children. I have always found it interesting how much easier it is to tell someone about their experience of giving birth, but not every woman has the same birthing experience. Some women have complications with their pregnancies, and some women have a very easy pregnancy. I may too have my own story and experience to share possibly one day but for now listening to other women's stories will have to do and hopefully not scare me out of having a child.

-Brittany LeBron

Blog #4 "Should Sex Education be Taught in the Nation's Public Schools?"

It's difficult to decide what should and should not be discussed in public schools throughout the nation especially when so many people’s ideas and feelings on sex are different from one another. It is the parent’s job to discuss and provide information to their children but it’s difficult to decide what they want to teach their children and what they want their children’s school to teach their children.  Every parent wants abstinence for their child but unfortunately we cannot make that decision for them. Culture diversity, morals, and religion play a huge factor on abstinence but teens will be teens and do what they want when it comes to the decision of having sex. Communities cannot stop premarital sex however; we can educate our children of the risks, dangers, and consequences of having sex. Teaching about only abstinence only accomplishes what the parents and society wants to accomplish and what they find to be morally acceptable but it does not identify the teen’s needs. Teens need to learn about STI’s, becoming pregnant, HIV/AIDS, etc. and how real these health risks and decisions really are as well as how they will impact their lives when they do decide to have sex. Society scorns young girls for becoming pregnant, but who else is to blame? Perhaps the parents and educators are to also blame for not providing adequate information to their child and student since they only provide information on abstinence only education. Every parent wants the best for their children but the best thing we can do for our children and our community is listen to them and give them proper education and advice. Unfortunately, not all children have families that they can turn to and learn about prevention and abstinence which is just another reason why public schools should incorporate sex education classes and provide resources for students to turn to when they need help or advice. Condoms should be handed out to every student, and to any additional student who asks for them upon request. We as society cannot keep our children from having sex but we can teach them about protecting themselves and their partners. I do not have children so I cannot say that I would feel differently if it was my own child, but if my child were to come to me and tell me that they wanted to or were having sex I can guarantee you that I would make sure that they were using condoms and other preventative contraceptives as well as being well aware of the consequences and health risks of having unprotected sex. We all have to realize that sex is a natural response and process among everyone; however when people and teens decide to have sex is each individuals own personal decision as well as when the time is right for them to have sex. Teens should be able to make that decision confidently without self doubt and scrutiny. With this in mind, we should make it are priority as a community and as families to implement healthy decisions when it results to teens having sex through school health education classes and family talks.

-Brittany LeBron

Improve, Prevent & Implement

As I continue to grow and learn more about myself and the habits that tend to make up who I am I realize that their is always room for me to improve, prevent, and implement healthier behaviors. I took the self assessment practice in chapter 3 and noticed that I could be doing more to improve my over all health. My preventative practices are over all good, however, I do need to be better at receiving preventative care. I remember as a child my parents made sure I got all of my routine check ups, shots, etc. however, now is not so much the case. I need to get back into the routine of getting my yearly physicals, going to the gynecologist, etc. I have health insurance so their is no excuse for this behavior besides the fear I face with going to the doctor. After I turned eighteen I found myself avoiding going to the doctor. I know prevention is key, but I am so terrified of going into my doctors office and being told I am diagnosed with cancer, or something equally as serious. In my mind if I avoid it then it can not happen to me,which I know is ridiculous, but as I get older and frequent the doctors office less, I know this is the worst thing I could be doing to myself and to my family. I tend to only go to the doctor's when I have to, but now I want to change this behavior, and feel healthier knowing that I am doing absolutely everything I can to prevent disease.
Emphasising implementing better health prevention practices, I could also be exercising more regularly which is what I aim to work on this semester, as well as going to be bed an hour or two earlier, and managing my stress better. These are three target areas that I need to be working on in order to improve my health. I enjoy exercising but I have the hardest time fitting it into my daily schedule which I plan to change, and if I could start going to bed at least an hour earlier that would be a great , because I am so tired of being tired during the day, and I try and handle my stress by managing my time better, but lets be honest with ourselves, we can always do better at managing stress in our lives.
Besides talking about what all it is I need to improve and work on, the good things that I do implement a lot of in my life are eating healthy, avoiding tobacco products and drugs, consume alcohol in moderation, and I resolve conflict in a positive manner. I eat plenty of fruits and vegetables, nuts, meat, wheat, etc. I am addicted to apples, almonds, yogurt, salads, and grapes, so I don't find it hard to incorporate those foods into my meals. I used to smoke, I have been cigarette free for over two years now, and have never been happier, it was the best decision of my life. When I do drink, I try and drink in moderation, and I also try to not to make it a habit. Also, I am a very open person so when I am faced with conflict I talk about it in a calm manner, and  try to resolve the issue as quickly as possible because I dislike lingering conflict.
Overall I am very glad that I took the self assessment practice in chapter 3 because it really helped focus and look over which behaviors I do well at, and which behaviors I need to improve in order to improve my health, and prevent disease.

-Brittany LeBron

Health Care: Right or Privelage?

Health care in my eyes is a right in which every person is entitled to. I say this because I believe everyone in the world deserves the right to be able to seek help when it is needed. For me and most of us in the class who probably do have health insurance either through our parents, through are employers, or even our spouses do not know first hand what it's like to become sick, or wounded, and in which are trying to seek aid with out insurance. Even the few in the class that may not have health insurance probably would be able to pay out of pocket for health services. However, for the millions in the world, including those living in the United States, and the few students in our class who may not health insurance at all do not get to see a physician for check ups for preventative care, or get treatment for when they become ill because for the pure fact that they can not afford it. This is alarming to me because I think of the last time I became ill,and can not fathom what it would be like to be sick without no means of medicine or treatment. I don't tend to get sick often but when I do, it stops me in my tracks, and I feel as though as I can not function, and I am not my lively self. This does not inlcude the work, or class that is missed due to illness, in which many of us can not afford to miss. Now, think of the last time you became ill, can you imagine what it would be like to have no access or coverage to a physician, or any way of paying for medications? This too, does not include other health problems people suffer from on a daily basis, such as diabetes, asthma, HIV/AIDS, etc. These health issues require health insurance because most if not all of us would not be able to pay full price out of our own pocket if we had to deal with these health problems. No one asks to become ill, and no one deserves to not be able to access or seek a physician for help when they do. People in povrished and low income countries do not choose to live poor, but instead learn to stay alive and function with what they have. Why should people suffer the consequences of which they have no choice over? They shouldn't, and with this in mind we need to find a happy medium for everyone to be able to access health care with out limitations and high expenses, but instead make it feasible for everyone including poor and low income families both in the United States and in the rest of the world.

-Brittany LeBron

Womens Health Concerns

Do you pick what health issues your worried about or does it pick you? That is the question that I have been spending the last half hour wondering about. Some health issues come into place due to the pure fact that you get diagnosed with certain illnesses or diseases, and some health concerns stem from fear of the unknown. I spoke to my sister and she enlightened me that her health concerns was her gluten allergy that she was diagnosed with less than a year ago. The proper name for it is "celiac disease". With this in mind, Lauren has to read all of the labels of the foods, sauces, etc. she digests in order to prevent herself form becoming severely sick. More than likely Lauren would never have been concerned with "celiac disease" if she wasn't diagnosed with it. She also informed me that another health issue that concerns her is being diagnosed with osteoporosis. Although she is only twenty-three, which just seems a little too young to be worrying about getting osteoporosis, this is a real concern to her. One that I hope she begins to take proper precautionary actions to.
However, In order to get a better idea to solve my stumbling question I asked my mother what her health concerns were and she enlightened me that hers were being over weight and having heart problems. Although my mother is only forty- five years old it seems to me too young to be worried about heart issues. I know that the element of getting older is a little unsettling but to my mother it concerns her, even though heart disease does not run in my family. The part of being over weight, who isn't a few pounds over their expected weight? I understand every woman wants to be thin, but to feel healthy and feel good about your self is what my mother's goal is which is to be expected and understood.
Although, both my sister, and my mother presented perfectly normal health issues both of their health concerns posed both a "it picked you" and a "fear" factor" which is why I compared it to my health concerns which are being diagnosed with breast cancer and ovarian cancer. Those two health concerns for me are based on the fact that breast cancer runs on my mom's side of the family, however, ovarian cancer does not, but ovarian cancer kills one woman too many every year, just as breast cancer does and that concerns me greatly because that affects my well being. With not only my concerns but the concerns of my sister's and my mom's I would say that collectively all of are health concerns are different from one another. None of are health concerns are any less or more important but perhaps they are just what we are faced with and/or are worried about which is why I just answered my own question.
The answer to my question is that women's health concerns are both stemmed from fear and from health issues we are diagnosed with. For example, no woman has to be diagnosed with breast cancer in order to be concerned with it, but the most important part is that all women even those including my sister and mother are concerned about different health concerns and are being proactive and honest with themselves that such diseases exist which is the most important thing and if women are not then they are only hurting themsevles.

-Brittany LeBron