Prenatal Testing - Blog 6

I could go either way on this issue. I personally do not think that I would have the strength or courage to raise a special needs child. I have an extended family member who is severely mentally and physically handicaped and has major medical problems. I know that my aunt and uncle have a constant up hill battle with this everyday of their lives. I admire their ability to take care of him (with help from nurses and other family) but I do not think I could do what they are doing! I am very happy that prenatal testing is available and I feel that I will utilize a lot of what technology has to offer me when I decide to have a child. However, I can see where too much infomation could lead to the need to make unpleasant decisions. As far as making it mandatory (or routine), I don't think that is possible. Many people do not even have regular prenatal visits when they are pregnant let alone testing. I would hope that every doctor would encourage regular visits and general testing to insure that there is nothing life threatening for mom or baby going on, but beyond that I feel like it is a personal choice to go farther with more advanced tests.

Contraception and Child Bearing

This is a big subject for me right now...My husband and I are at a point where having a baby is a realistic thing. When I was in my teens and early twenties, I remember saying, "I want four kids!" That was when I was in fantasy land! Now as I am approaching the point in my life where we will actually stop preventing and start trying to have a baby I am darn scared! I have been on the pill, which is by far my method of choice, for many years. It has helped me emotionally and physically and has been great for preventing pregnancy. I started taking the pill to help lighten my periods and reduce cramps which was a blessing! I have tried the Depo shot, that was the WORST 3 months of my life! I had a spotty period the whole time and was a crazy psycho chick (and I gained 10 pounds!!!!)!

I feel that people need to be more responsible with their bodies. Teen pregnancy and unplanned pregnancy for those in a bad financial, emotional or physical situation is really inexcusable. There are so many methods of contraception (especially abstinence when we are talking about teens!) that there should not be an issue. Unfortunately, I think that many women are uneducated or misinformed about all of the means of prevention out there. I also feel that many women do not want to "insult" there guy buy telling him he needs to were a condom (especially young teen girls). I know when I was a teen I surely was not ready to have a child so I did what was necessary to prevent that and for me that was abstinence. I also know that until I KNOW I can provide for another human being in every way necessary, I will continue to take the appropriate precautions.

I do want to touch on the religious/cultural aspect of contraceptives. Having gone to Catholic school my entire life, I am very aware of their position on the use of contraceptives. HOWEVER, I certainly do not agree with their ideology. I find it so hard to understand how a religion can impose on a people in this manner. They certainly aren't paying for diapers and formula so they should not be telling me to use the "natural family planning" method of prevention that has a fail rate of up to 25%! That is a one in four chance! This figure is also with good monitoring - which most people do not keep up with.

Sex Education

I feel that a comprehensive sex ed course should be included in high school. I went to a Catholic high school and they felt it necessary to include contraception in our Morality course....Taught by a NUN! In the Catholic religion, contraception is not condoned however, the Diocese sees the need for pregnancy and disease prevention due to the increases in statistics of both issues. I remember the teacher of my course and one of the stories she told....A young man and woman came to her with an unplanned pregnancy and were confused as to how it could have happened. The method of prevention they used was a rubber band tightly wrapped around the base of his penis. They actually believed that this would work. This type of ignorance is why we need to provide information. By teaching abstinence only education, students like them continue to be uninformed about the appropriate use of contraceptives.

I also believe that a mock child rearing exercise should be included in this course. There are lifelike simulators that act and require care like real babies. This experience shows young people just how difficult being a parent can be and hopefully encourages them to practice abstinence (or at least safer sex practices.)

Health Promotion for Adolecents - Blog #3

As a dental healthcare provider I am afforded the opportunity to educate my patients on good health practices. The role of a hygienist in overall health is tremendous. We are extensively educated in nutrition, systemic disease and disease prevention. I think there are so many avenues to take where education can be incorporated into care as well as outside the care/treatment arena.

In my private practice experience with adolescents, I discuss things such as good eating habits and smoking in addition to oral hygiene. This is the easy part! Outside of practice is where it is tough! I participate in a school program where I present information to Junior High and High school students and provide them with handouts and information to take home to share with parents/family. But how many people do I reach? Not enough! Here are a few suggestions for others to get involved:

Medical community - So often, doctors will prescribe a medication or complicated treatments to alleviate a problem when a simple old fashion remedy may do just as well or better. Recommend good eating habits, exercise, good sleep habits, non-smoking, no drugs, safe sex practices. Use your authority and the "respect" factor to capture their attention!

Media - I have noticed the PSA's from the cigarette companies, why is McDonalds (etc.) not required to do the same? When heart disease is one of the number one killers in America and we KNOW that it is linked to obesity (usually caused by excessive fat intake) why are they allowed to advertise on TV, billboards, buses, mail, etc.? Those rights were taken away from the cigarette companies, lets see our government collaborate with the media and get some good information that could educate people out there!