END OF SEMESTER!!

In this class I have not only learned so much, but have opened my eyes to many more perspectives of sex in general.  It was really good to hear other people's opinions and stories.  I was brought up to think one way and have never really taken a class that revolved around sex.  I just wanted to pick the subject that really impacted me the most to share more about.

So in this class we talked about Missouri law and how sex ed is taught and how early children first recieve the infromation.  There was also a blog that I read about schools having classes that about teenage pregnancies and why it shouldnt happen.  I didnt really get to share my opinions in class because I sort of just get so caught up on everyone elses stories.  I was brought up in a (very small) Catholic school and traditional (huge) Catholic family.  I went to church everyday and was brought up very strict.  I have basically been a "goody goody" child all of my life.  Never went against my parents wishes until college.  Sex ed was never really taught in my school.  Im sure I would have remembered it, being it was taboo to talk about.  In fourth grade we were given a class about men and female "private parts" as we called them, and after that there was nothing.  As Catholics we were to abstain from sex until marriage. END OF DISCUSSION.  Pretty stupid I know right?  Our small class actually got into really big trouble in 8th grade for some girl flashing a group of guys.  So in high school pretty much everyone I knew from grade school had been with multiple partners by sophmore year.  They went sex crazy.  A couple people got pregnant, and one even developed an STD.  I feel like if we would have had some type of mandatory class either in 8th grade or freshman year when everyones horomones were going crazy, these mistakes could have been prevented. 

In Missouri schools are not required by law to provide sex education, but if a school district chooses to offer such courses, the classes must include information about abstinence until marriage and prevention of HIV/AIDS and other STDs.  STD's are so common these days there cannot be enough protection.  HPV, cancer, STI's are so important to know about at an early age.  Not as a scare tactic, but for general knowledge.  Women and men need to know how to protect themselves and how dangerous these diseases can be.  Also the issue of pregnancies should come up and be talked about, but not necessarily watched on tv.  The shows kind of glamourize the life of a teenage mom.  It doesnt look easy, but I know they leave out ALOT.  Nine months plus cannot be accurately summed up in less than an hour.  So their should be classes to inform, not scare.  They should also include abortion and adoptions and other options when talking aobut pregnancies.  And mandatory classes, not optional would help (I think) with the teenage pregnancy issues today.

I know its a lot of rambling, sorry. Here are some links.
http://www.teen-aid.org/State_Resourses/State_Sex_Education_Laws.htm
http://www.sexetc.org/state/MO/  <<so much info!

- Danielle Brown

Teen Parenting Programs Get Real

"It's not necessarily a scare tactic, but in classrooms across Texas, and in a growing number of other states, schools are looking at two new programs that teach teens about the consequences of irresponsible sexual behavior — without either the controversial sex-education quotient or abstinence-focused programs, whose message, educators say, often falls on deaf ears" (USA Today). In the article titled, "Teen Parenting Programs Get Real" it explains how the state of Texas is putting together sex education programs. However, these programs are not the typical "don't have sex" or "use a condom" lecture but rather is focusing on the legal responsibilities, emotional toll and dollars-and-cents realities of life as a teen parent. I think this is a great idea that they are doing these programs because teens are going to have sex, teens are not going to use protection, and teens will get pregnant. These programs are here to share with you what responsibilities come with teen parenting and the emotional stress that comes with it. 

The approach represents an important new trend in an area that has been controversial and fraught with problems. And because these programs have shown such early promise, they are spreading across the country, as educators and state officials see in them a new way to target high teen birth rates in the USA. One program is called Parenting and Paternity Awareness (PAPA), and the other is No Kidding, a partnership between community groups that work with school districts.

"PAPA is addressing an unmet need for students, and it is significantly improving students' knowledge and attitudes in areas that are unique to the PAPA curriculum," the evaluation says. The No Kidding program includes three 50-minute sessions with personal stories from teen parents, as well as information about the legal and financial obligations related to paternity; presenters are paid $40 an hour as peer educators. There is even a Price Is Right-type exercise on the cost of baby items.

I think these programs would be so beneficial if more were started up across the country. It could leave a great impact on teens who are currently having unprotected sex. 

http://www.usatoday.com/LIFE/usaedition/2010-12-15-teenparents15_CV_U.htm

Pregnancy & Dropouts

After watching season two of 16 & Pregnant, I noticed how difficult it is to finish school while pregnant. In the episode with Emily, you can see how hard it is to finish your high school education. I felt really bad for Emily because her parents said she was a straight "A" student. However, she got pregnant and her school wouldn't let her graduate. Her school issued a rule that if you miss more than two weeks of school, then you can't graduate. Therefore, Emily pulled herself out of school and turned to home schooling. At first, it seemed as if Emily was going to be able to finish on time with the work that was given to her by her home school advisor. But, things were a lot harder than they looked. After the pregnancy, Emily had to turn to her step mom to babysit so she could catch up on her behind readings. Emily's goal was to go to college and her grades proved that it would have happened. However, with a baby now Emily will have to take a break from school altogether. According to “The Silent Epidemic,” a recently released study funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, 26 percent of students who dropped out of high school did so because they became a parent. Almost 50 percent of those who dropped out said they became disengaged because school had little relevance to their lives.When a young person drops out of school before graduating, we all lose. We lose the contributions these students could make as productive and educated workers and we end up paying much more for welfare programs and prisons. Studies show students who drop out of high school are more likely to rely on public assistance and become involved in the criminal justice system. The tragedy of lost potential tends to be passed on to the next generation as well. According to “When Girls Don’t Graduate, We All Fail,” a new study by the National Women’s Law Center, children of teenage mothers who drop out of high school are also more likely to leave school before receiving their diplomas.

http://www.carrborocitizen.com/main/2008/05/08/reduce-teen-pregnancies-to-reduce-the-dropout-rate/

HPV...it's more common than you think!

Hey Ladies! I decided to go off lecture and discuss the topic of STDS but more importantly to go off of the most common one I've at least heard about, HPV. 


When I went to the doctor back in June for a recent checkup and pap smear, I asked my doctor what the most common STD was in patients that she has seen around my age (20). As we discussed more, she told me how the most common STD in women in there teens and early twenties is HPV. I wasn't really sure what HPV was, but knew that I had heard of friends of mine having it. My doctor told me that 80% of women before the age of 30 will get HPV at some point in their lives. Although this number seems outrageous, my doctor went on to say that most of the time the HPV virus will go away with time. In addition, some women will never know they even had it unless they were to get tested. Being in college and knowing some people have had multiple partners, I was a little bit nervous/scared. What I found out too was that a lot of men have HPV but never get tested. Therefore, the person you could be sleeping with might have HPV and not even know it themselves. The worse part, you would have no idea either. HPV is one of the hardest STDs to decipher. It doesn't produce blisters, herpes, rashes, etc. It's pretty much invisible and odorless! HPV, according to the CDC, is a very common sexually transmitted disease infecting about 6 million people a year. It's estimated that 50 percent of sexually active men and women have been exposed at some point in their lives. In the majority of infections, our body's immune system takes care of it without any treatment. However, the same way certain strains of the virus get into cells of the cervix and change them into cancerous cells, it can also happen with the cells in the mouth and throat when exposed during oral sex. Although HPV can have serious effects, the symptoms are pretty much NOTHING! 


After my doctor visit, I immediately was interested in getting the Gardasil shot. The shot consisted of 3 doses and can protect you from getting the HPV virus or washing it out of your system if you already have it. I also learned, if you choose to have vaginal or anal intercourse, use condoms EVERY time. They can reduce the risk of HPV. They are not as effective against HPV as they are against other infections such as chlamydia and HIV. But they greatly reduce the risk of HPV infection. You can use condoms, Sheer Glyde dams, dental dams, or plastic wrap during oral sex to further reduce the risk.


I hate talking about scary things like this, but I think it's so important to let people know the statistics on how common this STD is. If you take the initiative to be more responsible while having sex, you're chances of catching the virus is very slim. Let's all practice safe sex and spread the word!


http://www.plannedparenthood.org/health-topics/stds-hiv-safer-sex/hpv-4272.htm
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/leigh-vinocur-md/oral-sex-cancer_b_850066.html


3 WEEKS TIL SUMMER!


-Olivia Arns

Just a lil' somthing...

Hey, Ladies! Monday's lecture on heteronormativity reminded me of a story I wanted to share with you. I also found something just as relevant earlier today. Enjoy!

http://www.myprincessboy.com/index.asp
(Watch the attached stories/interviews with the child and his mother if you have time-- the book came as a result of their experiences.)

Also...


http://jezebel.com/#!5791323/boys-nailpolish-starts-non+debate

-Maddie Byrne

Is Abortion Really That Bad?

Hello Ladies! 

I realize everyone is on spring break but I decided to get on the blog and vent. 

Since being in this class, I have heard a lot of feedback from all different types of people with all different backgrounds and experiences. After doing the exercise in class from two weeks ago with Marilyn, I noticed that the majority of our discussion class would keep a baby if they were pregnant today. I think that is great and support anyone that is willing to do so. 

However, when I was partnered in the exercise, I didn't even have to think twice about what I would have done if I were pregnant. My partner and I decided that the best thing for us to do was to get an abortion. Before I bud heads with anyone, I want to let you know why I would choose this route in the long run. Being a broadcast journalism major, my goals and dreams are HUGE. If i was pregnant today, this would set me back in the career I want to pursue. You don't see many reporters/anchors pregnant, and therefore, I would choose an abortion solely because my dreams and aspirations of becoming a sideline reporter are huge. If my career were different, I would definitely consider adoption. 

After doing some research on abortion, I found out that there are different methods for an abortion. One is the abortion pill and the other is the in clinic abortion. Abortions are very common. In fact, more than 1 out of 3 women in the U.S. have an abortion by the time they are 45 years old. If you are pregnant, you have options. If you are trying to decide if abortion is the right choice for you, you probably have many things to think about like myself. 

People who disagree with abortions, in my opinion have obviously never been in a situation where they've had to seriously consider it. Think of all the young women who go through the trauma of rape, only to find out that they are pregnant to their perpetrator. To many of them is causes even more trauma to go through with the pregnancy and then looking at the child every day only to have it bring back memories of the rape (I will admit that some mothers do go through with these rape-related pregnancies). YES the child within the mother is a life BUT what about our lives??? Does anyone stop to think how it will affect the mother??? The mother would want to move on and better her life after something as horrible as this happening to her- not hold it back even further. Even with young girls who accidentally fall pregnant... are they really fit to raise children? They should have the right to abortion. Some people say that if they can't raise the baby by themselves they should just adopt out... But what about the months of schooling they miss out on, and the social awkwardness they will feel upon return. A lot of people will say this is why young people shouldn't be having sex... But I say they are doing it, they will do it, and they will not stop because you say and neither will teen pregnancies. I do not agree on using abortion merely as a form of contraception... But I do believe that how our lives are going to be affected should be taken into account...

http://www.plannedparenthood.org/health-topics/abortion-4260.asp

-Olivia Arns

What is prenatal care?

Hello ladies! Hope everyone is enjoying this gorgeous weather...hoping it stays this way!!!

Going off this weeks discussion I decided to reflect back on everything we have learned about prenatal care so far. At first, I wasn't too familiar with all the work that goes into prenatal care while carrying a child. To me, it's almost scary knowing everything you have to do in order to have a successful healthy pregnancy.

What I have learned so far is that prenatal care can help keep you and your baby healthy. Babies of mothers who do not get prenatal care are three times more likely to have a low birth weight and five times more likely to die than those born to mothers who do get care. Doctors can spot health problems early when they see mothers regularly. This allows doctors to treat them early. Early treatment can cure many problems and prevent others. Doctors also can talk to pregnant women about things they can do to give their unborn babies a healthy start to life.

The thing that worries me is with all of these teenage mothers out there getting pregnant do you think they are getting the proper prenatal care they need for themselves and their child? Take the mothers on teen mom, all of the pregnancies on the show have seemed to produce healthy babies (besides one of Leah's twins). However, with some of the behaviors of the individuals on the show, such as Jenelle, it's hard for me to believe that all the mothers stopped drinking and smoking. In addition, do you think they all started to eat healthy, take vitamins, and stopped tanning? My guess is no.

The story of the matter is, prenatal care is SO important. Even if you can't afford the proper treatment, there are many places that can provide financial aid. Women in every state can get help to pay for medical care during their pregnancies. This prenatal care can help you have a healthy baby. Every state in the United States has a program to help. Programs give medical care, information, advice, and other services important for a healthy pregnancy.

I hope prenatal care continues to be educate everyone. The lives of these children are in their mothers hands, not their own. By staying healthy, and following the guidelines necessary to have a healthy pregnancy, we can all produce healthy children. As far as teen mom, I am rather surprised they haven't shown a pregnancy gone wrong yet. I know it would be depressing but I am sure it happens a lot. Not every teenager is completely responsible, and I am sure there are quite a few who don't take prenatal care seriously. 

For tips on prenatal care...

http://www.womenshealth.gov/faq/prenatal-care.cfm#b

-Olivia Arns