Blog 1

 How can we encourage adolescents to follow healthy behaviors?  What ideas do you have for parents, healthcare providers, health educators, media, society, etc? Please provide outside resources as well.

Teaching adolescents healthy behaviors can be a very hard thing to do. Most adolescents are very stubborn and will do "whatever they want" and not think of the consequences. They tend to follow a "trend" so to speak, which involves smoking, practicing unprotected sex, consumption of alcohol and many other malicious behaviors." In 2007, more than half of deaths among young adults aged 15 to 24 in NYC were caused by homicide, unintentional injuries, and suicide, and most diagnosed chlamydia cases were in this age group.Compared to girls in the US as a whole, teenage girls in NYC have a higher pregnancy rate."(City Health Information, 2009) Adolescents can be encouraged to follow healthy behaviors through being educated about the consequences of such unhealthy behaviors. I believe that health care providers should speak to them directly about the risks of such behaviors. Adolescents tend to keep such behaviors to themselves, mostly because they don't want their families to find out, or they don't want to share that kind of information with strangers (such as health care providers). Health care providers, or even parents , should find a way to bond with the adolescents and earn their trust. That way they will have someone they look up to and take the information that is provided to them seriously.

Adolescents should be encouraged to also check out the CDC ( Center for Disease Control and Prevention) website, and educate themselves on sexually transmitted diseases and how they can be prevented, as well as substance abuse and its aftermath. I know most of these are already taught in schools and given a sex education program, but that is the only way to be heard. It is up to them if they actually listen and take that advice. Parents, health educators, media, society can all have an impact on their life and their education but at the end of the day it is their choice and nobody can make their decisions for them. 

References:

City Health Information. (2008, March 1). Retrieved August 31, 2014.

Biography

Hi, my name is Loredana Sasu, I am 23 years old and live in Denton Texas.  I moved to Texas from Romania when I was 14. I am currently working towards my Bachelor's degree in General Studies with concentrations in Business Management and Health Studies.  With this degree I hope to accomplish a career in the health care system as a Health Administrator. I have always been fascinated by health care. My hobbies are: traveling, drawing and taking care of animals.  I love animals with all my heart. I fostered 12 sick cats when I was 5 years old and attempted to take care of them haha :). If I had the money I would definitely open up a shelter. 

My expectations for this class is to learn more about women's health and to put that in perspective when I move on to my career. Women's body are very unique and complex. I look forward for this class and what I will learn out of it. I hope everyone will have a great fall semester!