Blog#14 Reducing risk of assault

What can a woman do to reduce her risk of assault?

A woman can do many things to reduce her risk of assault. The first thing is to be aware of your surroundings, as most of my classmates have already said, because this way you can avoid getting into dangerous situations. Next, when you go out have your keys ready when you get to your car and always check your backseat. Third, get some mace, pepper spray, gun, or bats to protect yourself and your belongings. Lastly, take a self defense class to give yourself a boost of confidence and some training on what to do when and if you are put in a dangerous situation. As long as we as women protect ourselves and pay attention we can stop a lot of the abductions and kidnappings if we just pay more attention.

Shenita Jolivette

Blog#13 Weakness or Strength

Is it a sign of personal weakness or strength for a woman to admit that she has a problem with alcohol or drugs?


I think that is a personal sign of strength if a woman admits that she has a problem. I believe this because it takes strength and the realization to know and understand that you have a problem and to come to the conclusion that you want to change and become healthier for yourself. This takes time and admitting that you have a problem is only the first step, but it is the hardest. Once you have admitted it then you can continue in the positive direction and continue to get better and overcome your problem. The path won't be easy, but if you have a support system whether it be through God, your family, or friends then this can help you in your journey to becoming a better and healthy you.

Blog#12 Mental Illness

What can be done to reduce the stigma and shame that still surround mental illness?

Mental Illness to some may not be as life threatening as cancer or heart disease, but for some it could mean life or death. Illnesses such as: OCD, certain phobias, bulimia, and depression all take a toll on your body its not just mental its physical too. That is what society does not understand, they crack jokes and think that these types of illnesses are funny and don't take the repercussions of what could happen to someone with these kinds of illnesses. I can use myself as an example, I have hydrophobia, which is the fear of water. Now, its not as bad as others, but it makes me nervous enough that when put in a situation where I think I might drown I can have a minor panic attack. I believe I have this phobia because first I can't swim so drowning because I won't be able to save myself frightens me more than anything else in the world other then being buried alive. When you have a phobia an overwhelming fear overcomes you and you can't control it. We as students and future educators should help people understand the seriousness of these illnesses by having seminars about these disorders and bring people in that have these certain illnesses so that they can explain how they live with their illnesses and what they are doing to keep them under control.

Blog #11 Our future in mind?

If everyone lived "with our future in mind," do you think that we would live different? (different habits, behaviors,etc)

If everyone lived with our future in mind we would all be millionaires and in perfect health. That would be great, but the truth is you can only hope for the best and take the necessary steps to take care of yourself and your family. Tomorrow is not guaranteed and we need to understand that and focus on the present with future goals in mind. It is always goods to be over prepared for what might come up but you can't prevent anything from happening in the future nor make sure that everything will go according to plan because that almost never happens and when it does the end result is not always good. So, focus on the right now and think what future goals could come out of it.

Shenita Jolivette.

Roles of Academic Institutions for prevention of heart disease

How can academic institutions take a more active role in disease prevention for women?

Academic institutions can hold seminars with inspirational speakers, medical experts, and surviors. This would help by allowing students and facility to get all their questions and concerns answered and provide a better understanding of what our bodies go through as a woman with CDV and what to expect. These seminars can also provide information on how to better help prevent the disease and how to deal with it if we are going through it. The institution should also designate a group to deliver this message to other groups/schools outside the institution that way the information that we are receiving spreads to those who have not been formally educated on these disease. Information can make a world of difference why not share it.

Blog#9 Our bodies

What role does the media play in how we feel about our bodies? How can health educators help to prepare effective messages that counter some of the negative images and ideas generated in the media? Do you think that the media is embracing more diversity in body shape, size and color than what was acceptable years ago?


This is always a touchy subject, but media does play a major role in how we think we should look. Bottom line is every one's body is shaped differently and I can really elaborate on both sides of this where as I weighed 138lbs not to long ago and I now way 230lbs(just lost 5lbs by the way). The media leads us to believe that being thinner makes you more desirable and more attractive its not right to say that, but it is true. When I was 138lbs I received more attention from members of the opposite sex and everything was just easier as far as my job and me just having more energy to do things and having more confidence in myself. Now, that I am heavier I don't really get the same type of attention, but I am still confident in myself and that is all that matters. Health educators can counter the negative images and ideas by focusing on the positives like promoting confidence and building that up instead of tearing it down like the media does. Also Health Educators can provide information to those who want to learn about the benefits of losing weight if they chose to and  for those who are overweight help them and let them know what they can do to get healthy and stay healthy. I think the media is starting to become more diverse as far as body shape, size, and color is concerned because now curves are in every size, shape, and form and that is how it should be because I stated before we are all shaped differently. Even though curves are in the media always goes back to thinner being a winner and that should not always be the case.

Blog#8 A cultural perspective of menopause

Menopause is said to effect everyone in the same way, but this not the case. All women are not the same and do not incur the same symptoms as others. According to everydayhealth.com different cultures of women experience different symptoms when they are going thought the "change." For example, Caucasian women reported that they have difficulty sleeping, more muscle aches, and are more irritable then African American women who experience night sweats and hot flashes. Women in Nigeria and Japan experience frozen shoulder, which is limited and painful shoulder mobility. Then there are the culture of Mayan Indian women who little to no symptoms at all with menopause and they see menopause as freedom. I can understand that because when you hit puberty your body changes and it is working overtime to keep up with you at your younger age, but once you get older it doesn't have to work as hard and can actually relax and slow down. Menopause is a positive change and I like that the Mayan Indian women look at it as freedom because in a way it is and as you can see menopause is not a size fits.

Shenita Jolivette

Reference:
http://www.everydayhealth.com/menopause/menopause-and-culture.aspx