Category: Health

Introduction

The article The Speculum of Ignorance: The Womens Health Movement and Epistemologies of Ignorance by Nancy Tuana is focused on such aspects as ignorance and why it occurs in society. The author suggests that such issues need to be studied, and they should become a vital part of every theory. She explores the way the health movement in the 70s has highlighted primary causes of ignorance, and it is suggested that resistance may help to identify gaps in knowledge. One of its objectives was to provide females with materials that would explain the functions of their bodies, and it was also focused on the expansion of available knowledge.

The book titled Our Bodies, Ourselves is worth mentioning because it is a result of the movement. It is quite influential and has been republished and expanded over the years. Moreover, such information needs to be studied to ensure that women are much more comfortable with their bodies, and can safely explore their sexuality (Boston Womens Health Book Collective and Norsigian 1). The fact that the style of the book is quite comprehensive also needs to be mentioned.

Therefore, it has helped many women to understand themselves better without being afraid of any sexism because the book was written by females. Nancy Tuana believes that the movement was focused on uncovering the information that was hidden, and it was extremely concerned about ignorance (Tuana 2). Overall, it is possible to state that such knowledge is quite valuable because many women all over the world still do not have access to necessary knowledge about their bodies and it leads to enormous discomfort. Furthermore, it is imperative to study why such problems were introduced and how they may be resolved.

Body Autonomy

The author of the article argues that the requirement to take the vaccine that would help to prevent HPV infections intervenes with the body autonomy of young women (Mara 125). It is understandable that this claim may have some merit, but the overall goal of such procedures is to guarantee the safety and well-being of the population.

Moreover, it has also been approved for boys from 9 to 15 (Printz 1156). Therefore, it is possible to argue with such ideas because pieces of evidence suggest that such an approach is beneficial. Body autonomy is vital for every female because it allows one to feel safe and confident in her actions. Moreover, it helps to make choices without being worried about the reaction of the public and society. I think that my current level of autonomy as a woman is quite sufficient, but I hope that it will be increased in the future because it is evident that several limitations are present, and it is quite problematic.

The Medical Establishment

It is necessary to mention that intersex surgeries are extremely unreasonable most of the time because of outdated ideas (Koyama 4). However, they should be performed if a severe risk is present and it may be prevented, and one chooses to do it. Obesity also needs to be mentioned. It is understandable that people should have full control of their bodies. However, a possible objection that one may have is that health-related risks of obesity have been scientifically proven. Therefore, it is not reasonable to argue with professionals, but they should have developed another approach to resolve this problem because stigmatization is not acceptable.

The introduction of contraceptives only for females is also worthy of a discussion, and it is likely that some of them are promoted to increase the pleasure for men. Results of one of the studies indicate that partners intervene in the selection in 56% of the cases (Kavanaugh, Lindberg, and Frost 83). However, some of them are vital because of their effectiveness. It is possible to state that such medical practices are focused on the improvement of the health and well-being of the populations, but medical establishments frequently do not consider the psychological harm that may be caused. Moreover, society is still not aware of all the issues that women have to deal with, and it is important to find the right balance.

Works Cited

Boston Womens Health Book Collective, and Judy Norsigian. Our Bodies, Ourselves. 9th ed. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster, 2011. Print.

Kavanaugh, Megan L., Laura D. Lindberg, and Jennifer Frost. Factors Influencing Partners Involvement in Womens Contraceptive Services. Contraception 85.1 (2012): 83-90. Print.

Koyama, Emi. Intersex Surgery. Hastings Center Report 34.2 (2004): 4. Print.

Mara, Mariam. Spreading the (Dis)ease: Gardasil and the Gendering of HPV. Feminist Formations 22.2 (2010): 124-143. Print.

Printz, Carrie. FDA Approves Gardasil 9 for More Types of HPV. Cancer 121.8 (2015): 1156-1157. Print.

Tuana, Nancy. The Speculum of Ignorance: The Womens Health Movement and Epistemologies of Ignorance. Hypatia 21.3 (2006): 1-19. Print.

Database search results

The state of any community is a concern that should be given great importance by the government as it impacts the health of the nation and contributes to the improved quality of peoples lives. For this reason, there are numerous programs aimed at the monitoring of the most nagging problems peculiar to society. These are an integral part of the modern healthcare sector as they are preconditioned by the creation of the database that is needed to provide the essential information for the comprehensive assessment of the state of health and creation of a certain set of actions to improve it. The databases of this sort could also be used when analyzing the current state of a community, its topical needs, problems and other essentials. In this regard, the given paper provides the detailed analysis of the most informative databases and their assistance in the evaluation of a community. Bergen beach, Brooklyn is chosen as the background for the research. It might help to describe the practical use of databases and conclude their efficiency.

Yet, Healthy People should be considered one of the most credible and informative sources of this sort as it provides the relevant statistics that is collected by the governmental institutions and agencies all over the state. Additionally, the information about the most topical health programs run by the government is also offered. Healthy People database could be used to investigate the state of substance abuse in Bergen Beach. The database shows that by the year of 2015 the problem remains topical and needs some interventions to mitigate the negative impact of drug abuse (Substance Abuse par. 1). Statistics state that more than 15 percent of residents have tried drugs in their life (Substance Abuse par. 5). Additionally, this very research states that the number of drunk drivers also reduced compared to the previous years.

At the same time, the situation with drugs remains complicated as the number of addicted people remains high. The database also provides a description of the main social determinants of health that impact the quality of peoples life in a certain community. These are defined as the conditions under which we live (Social Determinants of Health par. 4). Moreover, the leading health indicators that are described by this database show that there is a tendency towards the improvement of certain aspects, though there are still no changes in some aspects, which means that the situation is complex throughout the state and community. Center for Disease Control and Prevention also provides credible statistics related to the use of substances and smoking. It shows that the situation in the community remains complex. New York is not the most smoking state; however, from 13 to 17 percent of its residents are addicted (Current Cigarette Smoking Among Adults in the United States par. 5).

New York City Department of Health website offers another portion of data related to smoking. It states that the topicality of the problem and the threat posed by smoking precondition the introduction of prevention programs that will reduce the number of people who have this habit and assist them in the improvement of their health significantly (Tobacco Facts par. 4). New York City department of health and mental hygiene also supports this idea and proves the topicality of the problem. According to the statistics provided by it a significant part of population (18%) uses tobacco cigarettes (Substances Use par. 5). The source offers credible and relevant data that describes the current situation in New York and local communities. King Countys department of health suggests the data that emphasizes the problem with substance abuse in the area.

According to the report, tobacco and drug use are among the most important preventable causes of deaths peculiar to the community (King County Community Health Needs Assessment par. 6). Finally, CMS also tends to provide a viewer with factsheets that prove the above-mentioned problem and emphasize the great necessity of some actions to alter the existing situation. When speaking of the databases explored for the research, one should admit the credibility and relevance of the information provided by them. However, it is also obvious that some of the databases were more helpful due to understandable design and provision of most relevant statistics. Altogether, Healthy People could be considered the most informative one. It provides us with the detailed description of the most nagging problems that exist in New York and in Brooklyn. Moreover, the site has convenient search tools that help to choose the region, showing, aspect, etc. Therefore, New York City department of health and mental hygiene website should be considered the least helpful because of the limited amount of information related to the issue and complicated interface.

The main issue

Besides, the above-mentioned web sites were looked through and analyzed to obtain the relevant information related to the question of substances abuse and smoking. There are several facts that predetermined the choice of this very concern. First of all, the paces of spread of the given problem are dangerous. More and more people use drugs, alcohol, cigarettes, etc. to satisfy their need for substances. It could not but impact their health and result in the decreased quality of life. Furthermore, the increase in the number of people who use various substances contributes to the rise of crime and appearance of other problems.

For instance, passive smokers also suffer from the negative impact of tobacco. Additionally, reproductive system is also affected by the excessive use of substances of this sort. In this regard, society might face significant demographical problems and decrease of the quality of health of the nation. The combination of these facts gives rise to the necessity of the precise investigation of this aspect with the help of databases that could provide relevant and feasible information. Bergen Beach, Brooklyn is used as the area for the investigation. The choice of the community is preconditioned by some personal preferences and the demonstrative character of the majority of problems peculiar to it. Being a part of New York City, the community uncovers the problems peculiar to it.

Patients perspective

Analyzing the above-mentioned databases from the patients point of view, they could hardly be taken as useful. The fact is that they mainly provide the statistics and information about the number of people who use substances. It is obvious that it could help a person who just wants to get to know about the current situation with smoking and its negative impact on the state of the health. However, in case a drug addicted person wants to give up this habit he/she could hardly find information that could help him/her to make steps in the needed direction. Only the New York state department of health website provides the list of projects that are aimed at the assistance to people. For this reason, it could be considered as the helpful one.

Moreover, DrugAbuse.com could also be considered significant for people who tend to give up drugs, smoking, and other substances. It suggests patients a number of Drug Abuse treatment programs in Brooklyn and describes numerous centers that might help people to recover (Brooklyn Drug Abuse Treatment Programs par. 3). The site also tends to educate people to improve their comprehending of the pernicious impact of this habit on their health. Phoenix House website offers to the visitor a list of opportunities and sources that could be used to guarantee his/her recovery and further rehabilitation (Brooklyn Community Recovery Center par. 2). These two sources seem the most efficient from a patients perspective.

Potential social determinants

Furthermore, as stated above, there are certain social determinants that impact the appearance and evolution of certain problems. Healthy People defines them as the conditions under which people live and which impact their habits, health, etc. Speaking about the appearance of the problem of substance abuse and its spread, there are several determinants that should be minded. First of all, it is the exposure to crime, violence, and social disorder. It is a well-known fact that the spread of drugs results from the disregard of laws and complex crime situation. Additionally, access to educational, economic and job opportunities also influences the state of the problem.

In case a person is deprived of an opportunity to find a job or improve the state of his/her finances, he/she could be related to the group risk characterized by an increased probability of substance use. Availability of community-based resources in support of community living and opportunities for recreational and leisure-time activities is another important aspect (Social Determinants of Health par. 7). A person should be provided with an opportunity to spend his/her free time in a meaningful and interesting way that will contribute to the evolution of his/her personal and professional qualities. In case there are no activities to fill in free time, an individual might use drugs or alcohol as an alternative to entertain himself/herself and find joy. These social determinants could be considered the most significant when talking about this very problematic issue.

Measures and solutions

In this regard, the problem is rather topical for Bergen Beach, Brooklyn. There is a tendency towards the further rise of this problematic question as the number of people who are addicted to various substances is high. For this reason, there is a great need for a certain course of actions to mitigate the negative aftermaths of smoking, alcohol, and drug abuse, etc. First, it is crucial to improve the current criminal situation in the area and provide people with an opportunity to spend their free time in the way they need. It will contribute to the significant decrease of the amount of free time that was previously devoted to substances. Additionally, it is crucial to create the monitoring system that will contribute to the collection of the relevant data related to the state of this problem and to the creation of an appropriate solution. The monitoring system will also help to evaluate the efficiency of the applied approach and to state whether it could be considered successful or not. The efficient solution is crucial as it could help to improve the current situation and result in the reconsideration of some approaches used in the healthcare sector.

Works Cited

Brooklyn Community Recovery Center. Phoenix House, n.d., Web.

Brooklyn Drug Abuse Treatment Programs. DrugAbuse.com, n.d., Web.

Current Cigarette Smoking Among Adults in the United States. CDC, n.d., Web.

King County Community Health Needs Assessment. CHI Franciscan Health, 2015. Web.

Social Determinants of Health. Healthy People, n.d., Web.

Substance Abuse. Healthy People, n.d., Web.

Substances Use. NYC Health, n.d., Web.

Tobacco Facts. Department of Health, n.d., Web.

1. Patient information should be held confidential at all times. In order to meet this requirement, Denver Health makes sure that all handling and information storage is done in Denver Healths private cloud. These sun rays require to be upgraded after every eight hours unlike the typical two to three years of PC.

They have also instituted the sign-on procedure that is used by doctors and nurses upon their arrival at work. They sign on a single Sun Ray terminal by inserting smart card and then logging-in the name and password. The doctor or the nurse withdraws the card, which logs off the session at that terminal but still leaves session active for the doctor or nurse.

When entering a patients rooms during the day, they are only required to reactivate the session, which takes 5-10 seconds. 2. Thinidentity can be used by schools to support the technology needs of faculties and as well as those of students. This can be done by instituting private cloud in the faculty to ensure that it runs its activities without unnecessary interferences from other faculties. This will make the coordination the between the departments under one faculty faster.

Use of Thinldentity will boost the quality of services they deliver to the students and other stakeholders. The faculty may carry out research and training to reduce the resistance to new technology. The faculty should redefine its roles to fit with the new technology. This will require some guidance and encouragement to reduce poor faculty retention. Thinldentity can support technology needs of the students.

With the increased varieties of mobile application and ever-expanding cellular network, the school can use mobile technology to achieve this by enabling its students to access some of the services using their phones. School management can encourage students to use laptops in the campus for learning. Increasing electrical outlet access and Ethernet ports will increase the students access to online study materials and frequent recharging for their laptops. The number of printing stations should also be increased.

Flexible and accessible learning to students should be ensured. 3.A public cloud is based on standard cloud computing model where a service provider makes the resources available to the public over the internet. It may be free or payable. As compared to the private cloud which is data center that uses cloud computing technologies, public cloud has certain benefits. Firstly, it has easy and cheap set-up because some costs are catered for by the provider.

For example, application, bandwidth and hardware cost. Secondly, it has scalability to meet the needs of the individual and lastly, there is no waste of resources because someone pays for what he uses. 4.The smart card is used for collecting and storing data related to a particular person.

The smart card serves to protect personal data thus ensuring that users are protected. Some of the features of smart card are secure key and data storage, storing device security, secure communications between the card and card readers and ability to store biometric templates, for example, fingerprints.

The sim card would safeguard the patients private information that he does not want it disclosed. In order to ensure that the patient has access only to his information, the password should be only known to the user. The information security should be strong to eliminate the chances of eavesdropping. The smart card should also support biometric authentication to enhance privacy of personal information.

The strong support for privacy of information is a requirement of a smart card because it can give firewall for an individual thereby giving only needed data and when it is required. 5.Denver Health can extend the Thinldetity beyond its environs by encouraging the patients who cannot be accommodated within their premises to embrace its usage. It would only work with the advancement of technology to those patients.

Doctors and nurses working from home would save many lives of patients and save a lot of time and resources. Use of mobile phones will make it easier and cheaper since no travelling expenses are incurred. 6.Denver Health has some of effectiveness metrics that may be used to justify their use of Thinldentity. Through its use, they have been able to minimize the loss of time incurred by doctors and nurses when entering patients rooms and logging in the computer.

The advantages of implementing Thinldentity are evident. It has reduced the costs incurred by $5.7 million. Denver Health used to lose $4 million per year due to physician loss of time. Costs are also saved in that the upgrading of thin clients needs to be done once in every eight years, which is far better compared to the previous PC that needed to be upgraded in two to three years.

With all those advantages, Denver Health is likely to have created a good name and hence attracting many clients due to faster and efficient service. In conclusion, Thinldentity has improved the status of Denver Health and should continue to be implemented. It has improved the welfare of the patients through better quality services and faster treatment of patients as compared with before.

Introduction

Technological growth has led to the use of social media as a valuable marketing tool. In 2003, companies started to use LinkedIn as a marketing tool. Later, businesses began to market their brands through other social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook, and MySpace. Today, health organizations use social marketing to reach millions of people across the globe. The use of social marketing has not only helped the organizations to reach a broad client base but also cut down on marketing costs. Opponents of social marketing maintain that it is a waste of time and money (Bloom & Novelli 2005).

They claim that the public hardly engages health institutions through social media platforms. Besides, they allege that many institutions abandon social marketing after they realize that it does not yield positive results. The challenges of social marketing overlook its numerous benefits. The benefits include increased visibility, better return on investment, and effective targeting. This paper will evaluate the effectiveness of social marketing in promoting behavioral change among youths and adults. The article will use numerous examples to counter the argument that social marketing is a waste of time and money.

Social marketing refers to the use of social media to translate necessarily complex educational messages and behavior change techniques into concepts and products that will be received and acted upon by a large segment of the population (Bloom & Novelli 2005, p. 81).

Combating HIV/AIDS and Obesity

Social marketing has multiple benefits for an organization if applied effectively. According to Kotler and Zaltman (2007), social marketing is relatively a novel marketing tool. It underlines the reason why some people view it as a waste of time and money. One reason why social marketing is not a waste of time and money is that it is widely visible compared to other methods of marketing. Presently, many people have access to the internet.

Additionally, a majority of citizens use social media platforms to interact and share ideas. The use of social marketing may help a health organization to reach many people. The organization only needs to create an appealing message for it to draw the attention of the target audience. Social marketing has proved to be effective in many spheres. For instance, in India, it is used in health promotion campaigns. Giordano et al. (2012) argue that India uses social marketing to run HIV/AIDS awareness campaigns.

The marketing strategy helps India to reach a high number of target audiences, particularly young people. Indeed, social marketing has contributed to reducing the prevalence of HIV/AIDS in India. Through social marketing, the youths have learned the different behaviors that expose them to the risk of contracting the disease.

The challenges of social marketing argue that it repels the audiences due to blatant promotion and excessive placement of information. The challengers claim that excessive placement of information on social media platforms leads to audiences doubting the authenticity of the communicated information. The challengers fail to appreciate the role of social marketing in encouraging behavioral change. According to Kotler and Zaltman (2007), social marketing encourages behavioral change by enlightening the public on how to overcome barriers to transformation. People are likely to change their behaviors if they realize that the transformation comes with some benefits.

Unlike other forms of promotion, social marketing helps to educate the public. Lefebvre and Flora (2001) hold that social marketing helps in the fight against obesity. Health workers use social marketing to inform the public about the dangers of certain behaviors like the use of elevators and failure to undertake physical exercise. Many people do not understand the negative impacts of being physically inactive.

Therefore, health professionals use social marketing to provide information that motivates the target audience to engage in physical activities. For instance, the professionals post images of people with obesity on social media platforms. Besides, they post pictures of people who engage in physical activities and outline the health benefits that they enjoy. Such images serve as motivation to the public, therefore prompting them to engage in physical exercise.

Encouraging Breastfeeding

Social marketing played a significant role in encouraging women to embrace breastfeeding in Brazil. Health care workers used social marketing to reach diverse stakeholders. According to Brennan and Binney (2010), social marketing enabled health care organizations to formulate different messages for diverse audiences. The organizations utilized social marketing to encourage the government and communities to participate in breastfeeding campaigns.

The organizations leveraged the worldwide agreement on the need to promote breastfeeding. Mothers were taught about the benefits of breastfeeding. Eventually, the campaign changed public opinion regarding breastfeeding. Previously, women could breastfeed their babies for two and a half months only. The campaign led to many women prolonging the breastfeeding period to up to ten months.

One may argue that mothers do not have to visit social media to understand the significance of breastfeeding. They can learn about the importance of breastfeeding as they continue to attend the postnatal clinic. As per Brennan and Binney (2010), men have a responsibility to encourage their wives to breastfeed. Moreover, employers have an obligation to ensure that they offer a mother-friendly working environment.

Unfortunately, not many men and managers accompany their wives to postnatal clinics. How can health care personnel sensitize these people without using social marketing? Evans (2008) argues that social marketing helps health care workers to educate men and organizational leaders on their role in encouraging breastfeeding in Iowa. The workers target African American fathers through videos that discuss the significance of breastfeeding and the role of parents on the same. Without social marketing, it would have been difficult for the American government to promote breastfeeding amid African American women.

In Texas, the government uses social marketing to share ideas on how mothers can overcome breastfeeding challenges. The Texas Department of State Health Services uses social marketing to encourage employers to provide a mother-friendly working environment (Evans 2008). Some people argue that the government has the authority to instruct employers to provide a friendly environment to lactating mothers.

Hence, it does not require using social marketing for such an undertaking. They fail to consider the numerous ramifications that may result from forcing employers to provide such an environment. For instance, the employer may reduce the wages of the breastfeeding mothers for the hours that they are out of their workstations. The government uses social marketing to enlighten employers on the importance of breastfeeding, therefore ensuring that the parents and employers agree on the working conditions to avoid such ramifications.

Fighting Smoking

Individuals who argue that social marketing is a waste of time and money allege that it does not facilitate behavioral change, particularly amid alcoholics and smokers. They claim that social marketing has reversed implications for the target audiences. For instance, there are people who engage in alcoholism or smoking in spite of learning the dangers of such behaviors through social marketing.

Others claim that there are individuals who purchase cigarette cases to hide the upsetting images found on cigarette packets (Lindstorm 2008). Such actions confirm that social marketing is a waste of time and money. The argument that people purchase cigarette cases to hide the upsetting images found on the cigarette packets is unfounded. Many people buy cases as accessories. Supporters of social marketing argue that it can be used to target the most vulnerable people in society by capitalizing on their fears (Manoff 2002). The government can use social marketing to discourage the use of certain products by instilling fear among the public. The use of scary warnings on cigarette packets has discouraged many youths from indulging in smoking in the United States.

According to Manoff (2002), challengers of social marketing claim that the strategy can only help to market commercial products. They argue that it is hard for health institutions to use social marketing to sell health concepts.

They fail to understand that well-organized social marketing can help health care organizations to promote behavior change in society. McGinnis, Williams-Russo, and Knickman (2002) argue that social marketing enables medical institutions to discourage the public from engaging in particular behaviors. For instance, in Australia, health care organizations use social marketing to discourage people from smoking. Some individuals argue that the rate of smoking went down in Australia due to the introduction of laws that prohibited smoking in public areas. They ignore the fact that the prescription of smoking in public places does not amount to reducing the rate of smoking.

People can still smoke as long as they do not do it in restricted areas (McGinnis, Williams-Russo & Knickman 2002). The objective of social marketing is not to discourage people from smoking in public places. It aims at discouraging people from smoking by enlightening them on the dangers of smoking. Australia uses social marketing to discourage people who might be tempted to start smoking. Additionally, the country assists seasoned smokers to adopt characters that might liberate them from smoking.

Source of Educational Contents

Social marketing has a significant contribution to health care education. Presently, many people prefer to interact with medical professionals on social media. As a result, various health care professionals use social marketing to convey educational content to the public. Indeed, over 40% of people in the United States admit that social marketing has made them health-conscious (Evans & McCormack 2008).

For instance, some people use social media to acquire knowledge on how to remain healthy. The health care professionals upload multiple videos that teach the public how to eat healthily. As a result, many Americans have changed their eating habits. The number of people who consume junk food continues to decrease tremendously. Antagonists of social marketing claim that it can only help the millennia and individuals living in wealthy nations. They argue that a majority of the senior citizens do not access social media. Thus, they cannot benefit from health information posted on social media platforms. Further, the antagonists maintain that the use of social marketing in developing nations is a waste of time and money as not many people have access to smartphones.

Individuals who are opposed to the importance of social marketing overlook the fact that senior citizens depend on their family members for health care. They do not have to access the information shared on social marketing. Instead, the family members do it for them. On the other hand, a majority of the households in the developing nations can afford an internet-enabled phone (Evans & McCormack 2008). One does not require a Smartphone to access the internet. Today, numerous health applications are available on any phone as long as it is internet-enabled. Therefore, it is easy for people in developing countries to acquire health care skills through social marketing.

Some opponents of social marketing claim that people can get information regarding health care by visiting health facilities. They argue that there is no need of looking for information from the internet while one can easily access it from a medical official. Additionally, they allege that contacting medical officials offers an opportunity for one to clarify contentious issues. Their arguments are correct. However, they fail to consider the fact that most health personnel do not provide free services.

In developing countries, people are required to pay for medical services (Evans & McCormack 2008). Therefore, not many people can afford medical services, not to mention health care information. Failure to use social marketing would disadvantage thousands of individuals who do not have the means to get medical information from doctors and other health care professionals.

Abating Risky Behaviours amid Adolescents

Challengers of social marketing claim that parents have a duty to make sure that they raise morally upright children. They argue that if children do not acquire morals at an early age, it would be difficult to change them when they grow up. These people disregard the fact that many children adopt risky behaviors in teenagers. Children get exposed to social media at adolescence (Calvert 2008). At teenagers, the kids learn about sex, smoking, and other risky health behaviors.

It would be hard for a community to counter such behaviors without using social marketing. According to McKenzie and Mohr (2000), at teenagers, children are no longer limited to parental influence. Instead, they are subject to media and peer pressure. The society can use social marketing to change the perceptions that teenagers have about particular behaviors. Mostly, youths engage in risky health behaviors because they make them look unique and independent (McKenzie & Mohr 2000).

Besides, teenagers tend to oppose any external intrusion that seems to infringe on their independence. Social marketing can facilitate the creation of alluring images and positive social models that can promote behavioral change among adolescents. In the United States, society uses social marketing to establish programs that assist youths to acquire skills in healthy behaviors and exploit their talents. The programs help teens to espouse positive habits, thus saving them from diseases and other challenges associated with risky health behaviors.

Conclusion

This essay has discussed the significance of social marketing in promoting behavioral change among teenagers and adults. The article has shown that social marketing plays a significant role in the fight against HIV/AIDs and obesity. Additionally, the essay has revealed that social marketing serves as an excellent source of educational content for individuals who take care of the old. Social marketing helps in the fight against smoking. It discourages the youths from indulging in smoking.

From the essay, it is evident that social marketing helps the government and health care professionals to promote the culture of breastfeeding among African Americans. One of the most significant findings that emerged from this essay is that social marketing helps to instill ethical behaviors in youths.

Reference List

Bloom, P & Novelli, W 2005, Problems and challenges of social marketing, Journal of Marketing, vol. 45, no. 3, pp. 79-88.

Brennan, L & Binney, W 2010, Fear, guilt, and shame appears in social marketing, Journal of Business Research, vol. 63, no. 2, pp. 140-141.

Calvert, S 2008, Using media to sell: marketing to children and media campaigns, Future of Children, vol. 18, no. 1, pp. 205234.

Evans, D & McCormack, L 2008, Applying social marketing in health care: communicating evidence to change consumer behavior, Medical Decision Making, vol. 12, no. 1, pp. 12-34.

Evans, W 2008, Social marketing campaigns and childrens media use, Future of Children: Children, Media, and Technology, vol. 18, no. 1, pp. 181204.

Giordano, T, Rodriguez, S, Zhang, H, Kallen, M, Jibaja-Weiss, M, Buscher, A, Arya, M, Suarez-Almazor, M & Ross, M 2012, Effect of a clinic-wide social marketing campaign to improve adherence to antiretroviral therapy for HIV infection, AIDS and Behavior, vol. 17, no. 1, pp. 104-112.

Kotler, P & Zaltman, G 2007, Social marketing: an approach to planned social change, Journal of Marketing, vol 35, no. 1, pp. 3-12.

Lefebvre, C & Flora, J 2001, Social marketing and public health intervention, Health Education Quarterly, vol. 15, no. 3, pp. 299-315.

Lindstorm, M 2008, Buyology: truth and lies about why we buy, Doubleday, New York.

Manoff, R 2002, Social Marketing, Praeger, New York.

McGinnis, M, Williams-Russo, P & Knickman, J 2002, The case for more active policy attention to health promotion, Health Affairs, vol. 21, no. 2, pp. 78-93.

McKenzie, D & Mohr, D 2000, Promoting sustainable behaviors: an introduction to community-based social marketing, Journal of Social Issues, vol. 56, no. 3, pp. 543-554.

Health issues in women have raised a lot of concern in many nations. Women have several health issues that are unique, and that calls for special attention. Although some of these health issues are also similar to men, they affect women differently. For example, both men and women experience heart attacks, but women are more likely to die from heart attacks than men. Some of the health issues that are unique to women include breast and cervical cancer, issues to do with pregnancy and menopause. The health of women is very crucial for any nation that is aspiring to grow. Therefore issues concerning their health and well-being should be put into consideration by the policymakers and addressed accordingly. This research paper aims at exploring womens health issues and how they can be prevented or detected early and treated.

The article by Dodds (2007) explains some of the nutrition-related issues in women. The article states that some of the nutritional health-related issues in women can be attributed to certain factors that put them at risk. One of the main factors that are linked to womens health is the social-cultural values. This factor forms the main source of women nutritional health issues. This factor defines the body size of a woman and her general body health. In many communities, it is the role of a woman to decide what meals to cook. Women are also the ones who do the cooking in many cultures. This factor puts the women in a position where they have to taste and possibly eat a lot of things when they go shopping or when preparing the meals in the kitchen. It is also worth noting that women work less as compared to their male counterparts in many communities. When they eat a lot with little of the energy generated being utilized in the physical activities, then this puts them at very high risks of contaminating nutritional diseases like obesity and some of the heart-related health issues.

The economic status of women is another factor that attributes to their health-related issues. The article points out that, compared to men, women are at a much lower status economically. For single mothers, the situation is even worse. Low economic status does not only limit women in acquiring daily balanced diets, but it also limits their health care services and other resources that are vital for good health. This factor if not addressed, can lead to serious health issues in women. From the article, women are blamed as the source of the nutritional health issues that affect them. However, it is the system of the social structures that should be claimed to be the cause. The argument in this article is that the prevention of these nutritional health-related issues in women lies in their hands. It is an individuals responsibility to change from the nutritional values that put lives at risk.

The article mentions several ways of nutrient changes for bodyweight maintenance. Finally, the article has discussed major issues related to nutrition and some of the measures that should be observed to avoid the abuse of health mineral supplements. The conditions on nutrient consumption are given based on the stage of development of a woman and the role she plays in society. It is the duty of a woman to observe healthy nutritional habits and seek the recommended health care services for a healthy living.

Reference

Dodds, J. (2007). Nutrition and Health: An Individual Responsibility. Public Health Reports, 19749(122), 29-33.

Abstract

In recent years, one of the main challenges facing educators has been providing education programs to help young people to acquire the knowledge, skills and understanding needed to optimise their sexual health. For a long time, sex education dwelled on the human reproductive system and recommended sexual abstinence on young people.

In recent years, the concepts of sexual health and sexual health promotion has began to take the place of this kind of program, and in the UK, schools have become the primary site for programs to advance sexual health for young people.

Sex and HIV education programs that are focused on a written curriculum and that are implemented among groups of youth in schools, clinics, or other community-based organizations are a promising type of involvement to bring down adolescent sexual risk behaviors. This paper examines the effectiveness of sex education in both primary and secondary schools in the UK. The paper will mainly focus on an analysis of the impact of sex education on sexual risk-taking behaviors among young people.

Introduction

In recent years, one of the main challenges facing educators has been providing education programs to help young people to acquire the knowledge, skills and understanding they need to optimise their sexual health. For a long time, sex education dwelled on the human reproductive system and recommended sexual abstinence on young people.

In recent years, the concepts of sexual health and sexual health promotion has began to take the place of this kind of program, and in the UK and many other western countries, schools have become the primary site for programs to advance sexual health for young people (Allen, 2001).

Literature Review

Young People are Sexual Beings

Gourlay (1994) argued that it is necessary for teachers to pragmatically accept that young people are sexual beings, and that their sexuality will certainly find expression, not only in how they act, but also in how they think and feel.

There is sufficient evidence to demonstrate that young people are sexual beings from a very early age, and that increasingly they are becoming sexually active from early in their adolescence. In a national survey of UK secondary school students, by year 10, the majority were found to be sexually active in some way.

Eighty percent participated in deep kissing, 67% had genital contact, 45.5% gave or received oral sex and 25% had experienced vaginal intercourse. By year 12, just over half had experienced vaginal intercourse. In the same survey, it was established that 30% of young men and 26% of young women aged 16 to 19 reported their first heterosexual intercourse occurring before age 16 (Starkman, 2002).

A 2001 study in New Zealand investigated the gap between what young people aged 17  19 learned in sexuality education and what they do in practice. This study reported that the participants gained information about sexuality in two ways, from sexuality education, and from personal sexual experience. The types of sexual knowledge young people were most interested in, and which they identified as lacking in sexuality education, centered on a discourse of erotics (Allen, 2001).

Therefore, a critical factor for the success of any program promoting sexual health is to acknowledge that young people are sexual beings, and that the majority of them will be sexually active in some way. This will help in ensuring that the content of any program is appropriate to the needs and interests of the entire group, including those who are, and those who are not sexually active.

The Learning Environment

While the content of school-based sexual health education is vitally important, the context in which such education is delivered is equally important. Sexual health curriculum content is vastly different from other school subjects and both the environment and the approach of those teaching sexual health programs need special preparation and attention.

Gourlay (1994) suggest that teachers need to be approachable, that students should be able to ask explicit questions, including those about the physical aspects of sex. Furthermore, students should be able to make comments that are not dismissed by the teacher. Gourlay identified four interrelated processes that work to reduce students discomfort in the classroom setting.

These include the teacher as protector and friend, that there should be a climate of trust fostered between students and that the program should be seen as fun. The author argues that students should receive sex education in familiar class groupings, that the teacher should, ideally, attempt to minimise disruptions, and that they should work towards eliminating hurtful humour while maintaining an approachable manner.

Curriculum

Allen (2001) argues that in order to empower young people to be responsible for their own sexual health, sexuality and relationship education programs are needed. This author recommends that such programs focus on providing a forum for discussion of ideas about sexuality, promote respect for differences and the views and values of others, as well as promote a positive view of ones own body and sexuality.

This view of sex education as a forum where respect and positive views are promoted is at variance with the traditional sex education class, which has mainly focused on providing information about reproduction and disease transmission and a number of authors posit that information alone is not sufficient to ensure safe and responsible sexual behaviour.

Gender

Young peoples knowledge, attitudes and behaviour about sexuality is strongly gendered, with different understandings, beliefs and behaviours being ascribed as appropriate for young women and young men. This is highlighted in a report by Starkman (2002) and calls for some sexual health education to be gender specific to ensure that young women and men have the knowledge and understanding necessary to ensure that they can make sound decisions and minimise risk.

Because of this gendering, relations between young men and young women can present challenges in the classroom context when teaching about sexual health. Many young people experience discomfort when asked to discuss sexual matters, and this may be particularly so in a mixed gender environment, where they may be reluctant to ask questions or participate actively in lessons.

Research Methodology

Research Design

For the research, the study used the survey method, which was conducted by use of questionnaires. This method was used for data collection because it enabled the researcher to solicit for information that might not have been available on textbook pages and to bring successful completion of the study.

Target Population

For this research, the program focused on 100 adolescents or young adults aged 9-19 years from various primary and secondary schools in the UK. In order to ensure fair gender representation, 50 of those sampled were boys and the rest were girls.

Sampling Technique

The researcher used simple random sampling technique method in the selection of the sample size from the identified population of the study. This was done to reduce bias. An in-depth interview was also held with various interest parties who in this case were teachers and health representatives.

Research Collection Tool/Instruments

The instrument used for data collection were questionnaires, which included mostly multiple-choice questions of Yes and No. Copies of these questionnaires were administered to the sampled population and collected in the same manner.

Validity of the Research Instrument

Validity as defined by various researchers means something that is effective because it has been done with the right formalities. In order to give validity to the research instrument, the researcher used a set of twenty choice questions to make up a questionnaire that was presented to the respondents. The questionnaire was first submitted to the supervisor for validation and reliability.

Data Collection Procedures

The investigator delivered and collected the questionnaires to and from the respondents. Although using the email would have been a more convenient method of distributing the questionnaires, the researcher opted for personal delivery in order to minimise cases of the questionnaires getting lost on their way back to the researcher. In addition, some respondents could not find time to fill in the questionnaires unless they were encouraged by the researcher to do so.

Data Analysis

After the respondents had returned the questionnaires, the obtained data was edited for accuracy, importance and comprehensiveness. A final descriptive analysis was then carried out using graphic representation and charts.

Data Analysis and Discussion

Table 1: Are you sexually active?

The majority (94%) of the respondents reported that they were sexually active with only a mere 6% indicating that they were not yet sexually active.

Table 2: Do you practice safe sex?

Among participants who indicated that they were sexually active, 54% indicated that they practiced safe sex with the rest (46%) admitting that they did not. In this category, an even larger percentage (72%) indicated that at one time they contracted an STI while only 28% indicated that they had not.

Table 3: Have you ever participated in deep kissing?

In this category, 99% of the participants indicated that they had participated in deep kissing at one point in their life with only 1% answering in the negative. In the category of those who had taken part in deep kissing, a big majority (86%) indicated that they first kissed when they were less than 12 years, 12% indicated that they participated when they were below 18 years while only 2% indicated that they had taken part in deep kissing when they were over 18 years of age.

Table 4: At what age did you participate in deep kissing?

Table 5: Is sex education taught in your school?

When asked if sex education was taught in their school, all the participants (100%) indicated that they had some form of sex education. However, an astonishing 92% indicated that they were dissatisfied with the content of the education with only a mere 8% showing satisfaction with the program.

Table 6: Is sex education taught in single sex or mixed classes?

When asked this question, 60% indicated that they were taught sex education in single sex classes while the remaining 40% indicated that they were taught in mixed classes. Among those who were taught in mixed classes, 98% felt that this was wrong with only 2% agreeing to this approach.

Table 7: Is sex taught in mixed age group classes?

When answering this question, 58% indicated that sex education was taught in mixed age group classes while 42% indicated that they were categorized according to age groups.

Table 8: Do you trust your teacher enough to confide in him/her matters concerning your sexuality?

The majority of the respondents (82%) indicated that they did not trust their teacher enough to share matters regarding their sexuality with only 18% indicating that they did so.

Fig 1: Whom do you trust enough to share matters regarding your sexuality?

When asked this question, 12% indicated that they were comfortable sharing with their parents, 10% indicated that they were comfortable sharing with their teachers, 8% indicated that they would share with a religious leader while an amazing 70% indicated that they were comfortable sharing with their friends.

Fig 2: What is taught about HIV?

In this poll,4% of theparticipants felt that nothing was taught about HIV, 36% felt that little was taught while the larger percentage (60%) felt that enough was taught on the subject.

Table 9: At what age/level should sex education in schools begin?

In this category, the participants unanimously agreed that sex education in schools was supposed to be introduced between 5-10 years.

Discussion

From the above analysis of data, it is obvious that most students become sexually active by the time they are ten years old. While all the schools in the UK teach some form of sex education, it is obvious that the education is not as effective since a large percentage (92%) of respondents indicated dissatisfaction in the education.

This is replicated in the large percentage of respondents who felt that there was no enough trust between them and their teachers to enable them to share matters of their sexuality. The situation is even made worse by the large number of respondents (70%) who indicated that the only person they were comfortable sharing such matters were their peers.

Recommendations

From the interview questions with participants, the following is recommended.

1. In the short term, it is imperative that sex education be offered to all adolescents in the UK.
2. It is important that well-trained, knowledgeable persons execute and instruct sexual health education programs.
3. From a proactive standpoint, creation of a comprehensive sexual health education curriculum is necessary for all UK institutions of learning.
4. Health professionals should consider the viability of a teen clinic, which provides sexual health education and related health care.
5. There should be support to keep the existing programs up and running.

References

Allen, L 2001, Closing Sex Educations Knowledge/ Practice Gap: The Re-conceptualisation of Young Peoples Sexual Knowledge, Sex Education, vol. 1 no. 2, pp. 109-122.

Gourlay, P. 1994, Adolescent Sexuality: A Fact of Life, Youth Studies Australia, vol. 13 no. 2, pp. 56-57.

Starkman, N 2002, The Case for Comprehensive Sex Education, AIDS Patient Care and STDs vol. 16 no. 7, pp. 313  318.

Introduction

The economy plays a significant role in influencing and controlling a big part of healthcare. The US healthcare accounts to an average of $2.5 trillion which is equivalent to almost 18% of the gross domestic profits. The United States of America administration places a lot of emphasis on the healthcare system that it accords its citizens and strives to ensure that majority of the American citizens have access to ample medical care at affordable rates.

They also strive to subsidize the costs by using various methods. This piece will discuss the problems of healthcare, the causes and effects of the economy on healthcare, solutions to the healthcare problem, a comparison with other countries and a brief conclusion on the impact of the economy on healthcare.

Problems that the healthcare sector experiences

Healthcare is very expensive to any entity or government. Many citizens, employees and employers cannot adequately afford healthcare, hence, the need for different means of reducing costs. Healthcare costs have skyrocketed over the past years and this has greatly affected the country. Due to this, more and more patients have been unable to pay their medical bills because it has become unaffordable to them especially after the recession (Why reform healthcare 2009).

Healthcare coverage does not cover all citizens as 25% of Americans have little or no insurance coverage. This translates to a quarter of the population with significant problems when faced with a health problem.

The unemployed are majorly disadvantaged as far as healthcare is concerned. Statistics show that a 1% increase in the unemployment rate leads to a 0.59% increase of the uninsured meaning that their health coverage will be very expensive. Insurance firms have high premium rates that are not affordable to many, and the firms may increase them in case one has a pre-existing condition or disease and in some cases they may even deny people coverage.

Healthcare fraud is also another factor which heavily affects the healthcare industry (Why health cares economic impact matters 2009). Some doctors take advantage of the people by overcharging them or taking them through steps that are irrelevant and not necessary so as to boost their profits.

Almost 51% of small businesses do not give insurance coverage to their employees, leaving their employees with serious problems forcing them to self sponsor themselves.

Effects of the economy on healthcare

It has become hard for employers to cover their employees, forcing some companies to lay off some employees in order to minimize the high costs incurred from the medical coverage (The economic impact of health care reforms 2009). The high healthcare costs have forced some employees to restructure their healthcare plan so as to include the employees in incurring the costs. This is through implementing a cost sharing plan meant to cut costs by sharing the overall healthcare costs between the employer and the employee.

Impact of the economy on healthcare

The economy has led to an improvement in the quality of healthcare as more funds are channeled to this field. This has led to groundbreaking advancements in medicine, research, improved health and cheaper and affordable alternatives to the more expensive procedures. This has also led to the eradication and cure of a lot of diseases.

The economy has also aided and also affected the healthcare industry both positively and negatively. In one way, it has reduced the costs of healthcare significantly due to subsidizing and sharing the rates with the government, but in some cases such as the time of the recession the government was forced to make cuts in health care funding. This led to cases like the firing of employees as healthcare premiums become very expensive.

Impact of healthcare on the economy

Due to the high healthcare costs, a lot of funds are channeled to the health sector hence, putting a strain on other sectors of the economy (Obamacare a major issue 2012). This sector alone accounts for nearly 18% of the gross domestic product. This leads to loss of investment income as the high insurance rates do not favor most people. There is less charity giving as most people do not have enough to give out due to the straining health insurance costs. Layoffs are also common so as to cut costs.

Causes of high costs in healthcare

Healthcare procedures and medicine is expensive. Consequently, the costs of healthcare premiums are higher. Another factor is the first and last 10 days of ones life. This refers to the increased progress in the possibilities of saving pre-mature babies and extending the lives of the elderly, though these factors are positive the costs for catering for these improvements are high.

Lawsuits healthcare facilities face is also another problem. Due to this, many doctors over test their patients in order to avoid law suits for not checking everything in case a complication arises in future. This leads them to order tests like MRIs and colonoscopies for the sake of avoiding such lawsuits.

Less competition from the doctors increase the rates as most patients do not even know the prices on the medical bills. Patients undergo procedures knowing that the bill will be footed by their insurance coverage. They do not compare prices from the different hospitals and doctors. The US budget for the healthcare sector is twice as much compared to the other developed countries.

Solutions to the healthcare problem

Due to the urgency and need for a more convenient healthcare plan, a number of factors, if well implemented, can majorly aid in improving health care in relation to the economy. Reforms should be put in place so as to improve issues pertaining to healthcare as well as minimize and decrease healthcare costs.

The government should aid implementing measures solely aimed at improving healthcare quality (Medicare prescription drug, improvement and modernization act of 2003 2007). This can be achieved through funding various projects aimed at coming up with cheaper and more affordable alternatives to the expensive ones.

This could be in the form of funding organizations and the government with enough funds to help them conduct extensive research geared towards coming up with effective ways of dealing with the various diseases. The funds could also be used to enable the organizations to acquire quality equipment and skilled personal that will provide their professional input which, when combined with the better capabilities of the equipment, will be in a position to achieve good results.

The government can also cut costs on some medical practices by also chipping in on some costs or even reducing taxes so that the commodities become affordable to the people. The government should also come up with laws that cover the employees through a fixed health coverage cost for the employees of some companies especially the multi-billion dollar firms.

Group health insurance is also a very effective way of improving healthcare costs as the employer aids the employee in covering the insurance premiums. This would be more costly if the employee was left to cover these costs on his own, as self-sponsorship is very expensive and costly.

The government should also put more funds into hiring and staffing of the hospitals i.e. the doctors and nurses. Most government medical institutions claim that they are under staffed hence, in order to maintain and cater for the medical services the costs are higher so that they may be able to function.

Subsidized healthcare to those over 65 years will also prove useful. Those over 65 spend a lot of money on healthcare due since advanced age comes along with health complications. Another advantage to this is because due to the fact that those over 65 are retired they may not be in a position to cover some costs if they occur as they may be too costly for them to cover, hence, the need for government intervention to cover such cases.

Measures should be put in place to prevent any citizen from losing healthcare coverage due to the fact that one has a pre-existing condition. This is an important and serious issue as some firms do not cover such cases which make it hard for those concerned to be able to cater for their medical bills or even the high premiums.

The government should offer subsidies to small businesses to enable them to have more capital to cater for their employees medical premiums (The economic effects of health care reform on small businesses and their employees 2011).

This measure is important because small businesses are the ones who are majorly affected when it comes to health care. Due to the small capital that they have, they opt to cut costs by layoffs so that they can manage to continue with business and operate effectively. This will lower unemployment and boost the medical field significantly, below is a table from the small business majority organization.

The SBM-Report

* Cumulative numbers reflect a 10-year period, 2009-2018.

Children below the age of 26 should be able to be put on their parents health plan to enable them to also be covered in case of any medical complications. This could go a long way to cater for those who are not yet financially stable or not yet employed so that they may also be able to effectively cover their medical costs.

Preventive measures should be put in place to avoid or prevent some medical cases that can be avoided. The main strategy here is to reduce the long term costs by treating or preventing cases at an early stage.

This could be inform of giving out vaccines to the people e.g. this can apply to cases that are meant to prevent the outbreak or spread of a disease and also in the case of travelers to prevent the spread of a disease through vaccine administration. This could also include giving out free services and vaccines aimed at cutting long term costs, this could include setting up free institutions where things like tests can be administered to prevent or aid in dealing with medical complications early.

Prescription drug discounts on the costs of the medicine is also effective as they will aid the buyers and citizens in minimizing the costs hence, making them affordable. Some prescription drugs are very expensive and that makes them unaffordable and unattainable to a very big portion of the people who need them.

Spreading the insurance policy to cover a lot of the citizens is also a very important factor. This is mainly because if more people are insured it will mean that the insurance firms will be able to get more profits, and in the long run this will lead to decreased premiums to the general public.

This can be attributed to the fact that due to the spread of insurance cover to the young it will mean more capital to the insurance firms and less spending as a young person hardly requires a lot of medical coverage compared to an aged individual, hence, leading to the cut in costs.

Measures should also be put in place to prevent healthcare frauds as some medical experts are using their field illegally with an aim of getting more profits. This translates to high costs to be met by the insurance companies which force them to raise premiums so as to be able to cater for such services, hence, the need for strict penalties and policies to stop and prevent such cases.

Conclusion

The economy plays a major role in the running of the healthcare sector (Impact of the economy on healthcare 2010). The healthcare funding by the economies budget which is nearly 18% makes it possible for a lot of benefits to be realized.

Healthcare costs become affordable to a lot more people and the quality is improved leading to better medical standards and breakthroughs. This is made possible through government funding for things like research and facilities. Due to this and many other factors the economy impacts the healthcare significantly.

Works Cited

Impact of the economy on healthcare 2010. Web.

Medicare prescription drug, improvement and modernization Act of 2003. Web.

Obamacare a major issue 2012. Web.

The economic effects of health care reform on small businesses and their employees 2011. Web.

The economic impact of health care reforms 2009. Web.

Why health cares economic impact matters 2009. Web.

Why reform healthcare 2009. Web.

Abstract

The process of becoming a health counselor is a complex task that requires compliance with the Florida Statutes and consistent training. In order to become a professional, one must be supervised, undergo internship, obtain a degree and continue education. Thus, one will be able to provide patients with the services of the best quality possible.

Introduction

According to the state laws adopted in Florida, the difference between a licensure, a certification and a credential is rather basic. In order to identify the concepts in question, the 2014 Florida Statutes were considered. According to the latter, licensure can be defined as the strongest form of regulation, which allows for protecting people against unfair and unwarranted practices (The 2014 Florida statutes, 2014).

Certification, in its turn, is interpreted by the Florida Certification Board as the means of marking ones level of proficiency (Certified Addiction Counselor, 2012). This stands in a rather sharp contrast to the definition of licensure provided above. Unlike licensure, certification in Florida does not presuppose granting the person receiving it with the permission to carry out the corresponding practices; instead, it only shows that the person in question is capable to provide the services of admissible quality.

Last, but definitely not least, a credential is referred to according to the Florida law as an earned certificate displaying ones proficiency in counseling and the related services (Certified Addiction Counselor, 2012). The key difference between a credential and the two aforementioned concepts is that the former involves the process of attaining a specific degree, reward or recognition. For example, one may gain a certificate, which will be referred to as a credential, in the course of certification, i.e., the evaluation of ones proficiency, and consider licensure in order to start a counseling business.

Floridas Legal Requirements

Internship

To complete internship in Florida, one must:

• Have at least a Masters Degree in mental health counseling (a CACREP/regionally accredited one);
• Complete a practicum on the subject matter;
• Undergo a CACREP program concerning medical counseling (Licensed mental health counselor, 2015).

For example, a student, who has passed an exam in counseling, will have to undergo internship to be credited and licensed.

Supervision

Supervision is one of the basic steps towards getting a licensure. In order to pass the supervision test in Florida, one will have to:

• Undergo at least 100 hours of supervision;
• Be under supervision in the course of at least two years;
• Have fifteen clients per each hour of supervision (FHMCA blog, 2014).

The analysis of an interns work by the supervisor can be viewed as a prime example of supervision.

Licensing

According to the Florida Statutes, in order to gain a license, one must:

• Have at least a Master Degree granted by the Council for the Accreditation of Counseling;
• Have at least two years of post-master experience;
• Pass the national clinical mental health counseling examination;
• Complete a course on laws and regulations in counseling;
• Complete a course on medical errors prevention;
• Complete a course on HIV/AIDS;
• Complete a course on domestic violence (Licensed mental health counselor, 2015).

Obtaining a license for practicing Planned Parenthood counseling can be considered an example of licensing.

Continuing Education

In order to enjoy the options related to continuing education, a Florida student will need to:

• Complete a three-hour coursework on the related state rules and regulations;
• Carry out a one-hour activity designed by NetCE for the purposes of continuing education (71100: Florida laws and rules for mental health professionals, 2014).

A counselor, who has completed coursework in assisting patients undergoing occupational therapy, can be considered an example of continuing education.

Reference List

71100: Florida laws and rules for mental health professionals. (2014). Web.

Certified Addiction Counselor. (2012). Define yourself as a professional through certification. Web.

FHMCA blog. (2014). Web.

Licensed mental health counselor. (2015). Web.

The 2014 Florida statutes. (2014). Web.

The book Health and Wellness for Life by Human Kinetics outlines powerful insights and ideas that can transform a persons health outcomes. The first chapter is Health Promotion. From the chapter, I have learned that there is a difference between wellness and health. The term wellness focuses on the overall balance of a persons intellectual, environmental, physical, and social wellbeing, while health is the absence of diseases in the physical body. The second lesson is that wellness has six unique dimensions. These include intellectual, emotional, physical, spiritual, social, and environmental. People should consider these dimensions in an attempt to re-pattern their health goals. The third lesson is that people should focus on specific challenges affecting their health in order to make appropriate lifestyle changes. I will, therefore, consider the six dimensions of wellness in an attempt to develop a sustainable health promotion philosophy.

The second chapter is Fitness Basics. From the chapter, I learned that people should engage in a wide range of exercises. For instance, 150 minutes of aerobic activity are needed each week. The second lesson is that there are some health-related factors associated with physical activity. Some of these factors include muscular strength, flexibility, cardio-respiratory endurance, and body composition. Physical activities are relevant because they result in muscle strength and flexibility. The third lesson is that people should divide their exercises into three unique stages. The first one is the beginning phase, followed by the progress stage. The final one is known as the maintenance phase. I did not know anything about these phases before. Warming up is appropriate because it minimizes the chances of body injuries. I will always warm up by stretching and jogging in order to achieve my health goals.

The third chapter is Nutrition. It has educated me about the importance of micronutrients and macronutrients in the body. These nutrients support various body functions and processes. The major macronutrients outlined in the chapter include water, fats, proteins, and carbohydrates. The micronutrients needed in the body include minerals and vitamins. The second lesson is that human beings should consider the right dietary guidelines in order to manage their health outcomes. Young children and adults require different nutrients. The third knowledge obtained from the chapter is that people handle food in a proper manner. This is the case because poor food handling processes will result in diseases or illnesses. That being the case, I will combine these ideas to eat appropriate diets depending on the physical exercises and activities undertaken. I will also handle my food in a hygienic manner.

The name of chapter four is Weight Management. The chapter describes the issue of obesity. I have learned that the problem of obesity is a major epidemic affecting American society. The second lesson is that more people are threatened by the problem of overweight or obesity. This happens to be the case because many citizens in the United States embrace unhealthy eating habits. Fast foods are consumed by more people in the country. The third lesson is that human beings should be ready to design appropriate weight management initiatives. Weight management plans should be supported by healthy diets and effective exercises. I will use this information to manage my weight. I will ensure the right food materials and nutrients are included in my diet. Regular exercises will be used to support my weight management plan. The practice will make it easier for me to have a healthy lifestyle.

Chapter five of the book is called Mental Health. The chapter has equipped me with meaningful lessons that can transform the health experiences of many citizens. To begin with, I have understood that good mental health is essential for supporting a persons wellbeing. Individuals who have this strength will maintain balance, deal with strenuous situations, and adapt to different changes. The second lesson is that people with mental illnesses find it hard to seek appropriate treatment. The third lesson is that many mentally ill persons face numerous challenges, such as discrimination. The malpractice makes it impossible for them to realize their health goals. These new ideas will make it easier for me to support the health needs of many people with mental conditions. I will be on the frontline to monitor the major signs of mental diseases in other people and provide the most appropriate support.

In the sixth chapter Stress Management, the book informs the reader about the best methods to deal with stress. For instance, people can use work-life balances and physical exercises to deal with burnout. The second idea obtained from the chapter is that stress can be caused by a wide range for factors. For example, I have understood that major changes in life, working environments, and family issues can result in stress. When tension occurs, the affected individual finds it hard to realize his or her goals. The third lesson gained from the chapter is that stress is one of risk factors for various diseases such as hypertension and cancer. This means that more people affected by stress can have poor health outcomes. That being the case, I will apply this information and knowledge in my life in order to deal with stress. I will develop powerful stress management techniques. Some of the approaches will include relaxation, exercise, meditation, and work-life balance.

The seventh chapter is Intimacy and Sexuality. The issue of sexuality has been ignored whenever addressing peoples health outcomes. The first lesson gained from chapter seven is that the human body is characterized by several psychological and physical changes. I was not aware of the unique health concerns associated with each of the developmental stage. The second lesson is that peoples behaviors and orientations change throughout the lifespan. When such behaviors change, people should have appropriate health practices in an attempt to prevent various diseases. The third lesson obtained from the chapter is that gender identity affects or influences a persons health outcomes. This happens to be the case because different societies have diverse approaches to both sexuality and health. The main take away from the chapter is that human beings should be comfortable with their bodies and sexual orientations. That being the case, I will always embrace this understanding in order to lead a healthy life.

Chapter eight is called Reproductive Choices. This chapter informs me about the major choices embraced by people to plan their families. Some of these methods include the use of abstinence or condoms. These methods have the potential to protect people from sexually transmitted diseases and unwanted pregnancies. The second lesson is that people can use hormonal methods to plan their families. The main idea here is that people should make the most appropriate decisions whenever analyzing different methods of birth control. The third lesson is that each and every birth control method has both disadvantages and advantages. I will therefore combine the ideas gained from the chapter to engage in health sexual behaviors or practices. I will also use this knowledge to guide my friends and peers.

Chapter nine is Conception, Pregnancy, and Childbirth. The first information gained from chapter nine is that babies are conceived through a complex process. The baby is during conception when a sperm cell penetrates an ovum. The second lesson is that there is a critical stage known as postpartum period. This stage occurs immediately after birth. The third lesson is that there are three stages of labor during pregnancy. The process of birth is divided into early labor, active labor, and transition. During birth, caesarian section can be used as an option for child delivery. This is recommended when the targeted woman cannot give birth in a natural way. I will use the ideas gained from the chapter to guide pregnant women who are in labor pains and after giving birth.

The name of chapter ten is Infectious Diseases. The first lesson from chapter ten is that germs are ubiquitous. That being the case, people should take appropriate precautions in order to prevent such diseases. The second lesson is that the behaviors or lifestyle choices made by an individual will dictate his or her health conditions. The third lesson is that some common infectious diseases are communicable in nature. Simple practices such as handshakes can result in illnesses. When infections occur, people should consider the most appropriate practices in order to treat them. I am planning to use this information throughout my life. I will always wash my hands regularly and live in aerated areas. I will eat healthy food materials to boost my body immunity.

In chapter eleven Chronic Diseases, the problem of chronic diseases is analyzed from a critical perspective. The first lesson from the chapter is that terminal diseases such as cancer and diabetes affect the whole society. I used to believe that such diseases affected the victims only. However, such conditions place burdens on societies that have to support the patients. The resources available in the society should be used to support these patients. The other people find it hard to receive adequate health support. The second lesson is that genetics are risk factors for chronic diseases. This is the case because some terminal diseases have been observed run in different families or populations. The third lesson is that people have the potential to protect themselves from such chronic conditions. I am planning to develop a healthy lifestyle in order to avoid these conditions. This knowledge will encourage me to engage in exercises, avoid alcohol, and live in healthy environments.

Chapter twelve is Health Care Consumerism. The chapter has informed me about the importance of making informed healthcare choices. This approach can make it easier for more people to receive adequate health support. The second idea gained from the chapter is that people can embrace the use of herbal medicine. Such medicines do not have side effects because they are obtained from natural products. Some scholars have indicated that herbal medicine is an alternative to commercial drugs. The other lesson focuses on the importance of massage and acupuncture. These therapies aid in healing and support peoples health goals. I will use the information to make the best choices whenever seeking adequate medical support. The approach will make it easier for me to lead a healthy life.

Chapter thirteen is titled Environmental Health. The first lesson gained from chapter thirteen is that the environment dictates the quality of a persons life. The manner in which people interact with the environment will dictate their lifestyles. The second lesson is that human activities have continued to affect the integrity of the natural environment. Pollution has led to increased toxins and poisonous compounds in the environment. This malpractice has led to numerous health problems. The third lesson is that the concept of going green can transform the situation. People can reduce their wastes and recycle materials. Personally, I will use the knowledge to make a change in the world. I will minimize my wastes and reuse different materials whenever necessary. I will also form a powerful campaign to sensitize my relatives about the importance of going green.

In chapter fourteen Substance Abuse and Dependency, the book identifies the negative impacts of substance abuse. The first information gained from this chapter is that some common compounds such as tobacco and alcohol can cause numerous health problems. For example, tobacco is a risk factor for different illnesses such as lung cancer. The second lesson is that drug abuse can result in numerous health problems. For example, the affected people record unhealthy behaviors. I have never thought of the implications of drug abuse on a persons financial position. The chapter has taught me how the affected persons encounter numerous financial challenges. I will therefore use this knowledge to guide and support the health needs of patients who abuse drugs. I will also use the ideas to avoid addictive drugs such as heroin and cocaine.

The name of chapter fifteen is Healthy Aging. The first lesson gained from this chapter is that the accumulation of different toxic compounds in the body results in aging. The body organs will age depending on the health conditions of an individual. The second lesson is that genetics will play a significant role towards dictating a persons aging process. The third lesson is that a persons lifestyle will dictate his or her aging process. This is a clear indication that a person who eats healthy food materials and engages in exercises will not age very fast. That being the case, it will be appropriate for me to develop better eating habits and lifestyle practices. This action plan will make it easier for me to lead a healthy life.

The last chapter is Wellness Throughout Life. The outstanding lesson from this chapter is that wellness is a lifelong process aimed at promoting a healthy and productive life. Wellness should never be treated as a goal but a lifelong process. The second idea is that all the dimensions of human wellness should be considered in order to have a productive life. The third lesson is that people can change every inappropriate behavior. By so doing, they will embrace the best health practices and eventually realize their goals. The concepts presented in this chapter can guide people to have a happy life. Wellness should therefore be treated as a continuous process. People should transform their behaviors and health practices in order to realize their goals. I will use these ideas to maintain my wellness and health.

The habit of substance abuse during pregnancy has become a controversial and hotly debated topic about whether it should be treated or punished. The dilemma is whether a woman who uses illegal drugs or alcohol during pregnancy should be regarded as a criminal or as a patient who needs help (Hammaker, Knadig, & Tomlinson, 2016). This issue is addressed differently across the various states in the US. Some states regard such women as criminals, and so, they are severely punished. Other states regard them as patients in need of treatment. This diversity in responses demonstrates the lack of appropriate policy to protect the health of unborn children. Mothers who use illegal drugs, smoke, or consume alcohol during pregnancy should be detained in hospitals or incarcerated, to protect the well-being of their unborn babies.

Life begins after conception. Therefore, a fetus should be considered as a human being with rights. It is unethical for a mother to endanger the wellbeing of a fetus by taking drugs or abusing substances (Hammaker et al., 2016). In 2003, a woman was sentenced to prison for 12 years for using cocaine during her pregnancy. Doctors who participated in the trial argued that the baby was stillborn because of the effects of the cocaine the mother consumed during pregnancy. This is an example of the severe consequences of drug abuse during pregnancy. The punishment might have been harsh, but the mother disregarded her babys welfare by exposing the fetus to toxic substances. Science has shown that drugs such as cocaine, marijuana, and methamphetamine are harmful to fetuses (Hammaker et al., 2016). For instance, children that are born of drug-using mothers often exhibit developmental challenges. When a mother takes drugs, they are passed on to the fetus. The fetus feels the impact of drugs when they are ingested by a pregnant woman and it suffers by undergoing harmful developmental alterations.

Taking drugs during pregnancy risks the health of the mother and the baby. For example, the effects of using cocaine include heart attacks, strokes, seizures, and respiratory failure (Walley, Simkin, Keppler, Durham, & Bolding, 2016). These problems can be passed to the fetus and alter the normal process of growth and development. The baby is affected by drug use because drugs increase the likelihood of birth defects. Examples of the common effects of drug use during pregnancy include stillborn births, premature babies, and underweight babies (Hammaker et al., 2016). The exposure of a fetus to drugs such as marijuana and alcohol has been linked to behavior problems among children. Also, prolonged exposure causes other developmental problems that include poor memory and inability to concentrate (Walley et al., 2016). Researchers have also shown that the exposure of a fetus to cocaine, tobacco, and alcohol causes alterations in the proper development of brain structure. These alterations persist into adolescence and negatively affect the development of cognitive abilities.

Children born to women who use cocaine exhibit numerous physical and mental challenges. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, a baby that was exposed to cocaine during pregnancy shows deficits in developmental areas that include information processing, cognitive performance, and attention (Walley et al., 2016). In that regard, the children perform poorly in school and life. Physical deficits include smaller heads and urinary tract defects.

In conclusion, the use of drugs and illegal substances during pregnancy increases the risk of miscarriage, birth defects, underweight babies, and stillborn babies. Therefore, women who use drugs and other substances during pregnancy should be detained in hospitals or incarcerated to protect the well-being of their unborn babies.

References

Hammaker, D. K., Knadig, T. M., & Tomlinson, S. J. (2016). Health care ethics and the law. New York, NY: Jones & Bartlett Publishers.

Walley, J., Simkin, P., Keppler, A., Durham, J., & Bolding, A. (2016). Pregnancy, childbirth, and the newborn: The complete guide. New York, NY: Simon and Schuster.