Blog 12

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

There are many things that can be done to reduce some form of specific mental illnesses. In the text book Women's Health it says that "Biological, psychosocial, and environmental factors, and even the food a person eats all influence mental health." (Alexander LaRose, p.335) One way for sure to reduce shame on mental health is eatting properly. Nutrition is a good way to help people with mental disorders to calm them down. Eating properly and having regular meals help people have a more positive personality. Foods that have caffeine, sugars, and alcohol play a toll on the stressors of a persons mental health.

Blog 11

Someone very dear to me my Aunt was diagnosed with lupus about 5 years ago. It scared us all because we had never heard of it and we thought that would effect her life. Her life she is living right now is every so often really bad pain and as well as swelling over her hands and body. I asked her if she has been doing any better on her steroids or perscription medication and she said it helps a few hours with the level of pain but in the end she constantly aches. She is trying to eat healthy and exercise despite her tolerance but overall still effects her every day life.

Blog 9

The biggest challenge for exercise and a healthy diet is time and also determination. Looking back over three years makes a big difference as well because I was 145 pounds in high school and I am 180 now. I know how to eat and be healthy but it also comes from who is around you as well. All my friends love to eat out and even my fiancée who doesn’t gain any weight at all. Over the past three years stress and depression made a big impact on how I eat and what I do for exercise. Changing my life around is difficult but not impossible. It will change over the next five years because I do have ambition to get married, finish college, and have a steady job.

Blog 8

My aunt is going through menopause and she is currently taking hormone pills. She talked about the reasons for taking hormones and her answer was because it keeps her energy level and emotions at a level people around her can stand. She agreed that is was better for her health and it helps her be more active instead of being a "lame" person. My aunt does work at a hospital and if she thought it was dangerous or a risk factor for her health she would not be taking them at all. So far she has been doing really good and so far there are no side effects with her either.

Blog 7

For the statement about how STD’s come about from people who are immoral and have low status, I think it is absurd. Some people are just curious and you don’t know if your partner has it or not unless they get tested and tell the truth. There are many different views about sex and people shouldn’t be brought down for how they feel sexually about their partners. And having multiple partners is not always the case. A person may have STD’s from a previous partner and not even know it because of trust. It is in human nature that we crave and have urges for someone we do care about and it’s not just low class or being promiscuous either.

Blog 6

Prenatal testing is important because it gives mother and children a higher safety for survival. Mothers get worried that something would go wrong during the pregnancy. Prenatal testing can help mothers expect some of the challenges or no challenges at all. I believe that mothers should test regularly so they know what is going on with their child and their own bodies as well. The parents should be aware that some babies can get abnormalities and it is very important to make sure the child is in the right positions as well when growing normally in the womb.

Contraceptives Blog 5

Some cultures, beliefs, and practices influence contraceptive decision making either they will use them or have strong beliefs not to take/or use them. If a person is sexually active there are numerous ways to protect yourself and partner whether it is birth control, condoms, or even abstinence. In Catholic belief, the contraceptive that is given would be abstinence. I went to a Catholic school in elementary school and the teachers would talk about that in 6^th to 8^th grade. When growing up in a conserved Filipino family and which was also Catholic we believed in abstinence. I remember Sister Elizabeth Ann telling the whole class, “wait until your married”. My sister became sexually active in high school; my mother found out and took her to the doctor. The doctor convinced my mother to give her a depo shot. That changed my mother’s mind despite her being Catholic.