Blog 4

What can a woman do to reduce her risk of assault?

I personally feel as though a woman does not have enough control to really reduce risk of assault on her own. However, I believe it is important for a woman to be well educated about rape. Becoming familiar with "Date Rape Drugs", and learning tactics to avoid them like, not leaving your drink unattended or taking drinks from someone you do not know. Also, understanding different laws about rape. Our textbook has some really good points on how to reduce the risk of rape. The first point has a lot to do with what I thought, which is education about rape. Our textbook explains that discussing and understanding the facts about sexual assault is very important. Woman should know their rights and understand exactly what sexual assault is. I also read some very good advice about reducing the risk of date rape. It is important not to ignore signs of controlling behavior. Our textbook explains that a woman should be explicit with communication, they should not say "no" in a way that can be interpreted as "maybe" or "yes". I know personally as a teenager a guy could completely ignore the fact that I'm saying "no", because they think I actually want them to. A lot of men may think, "well she let me go this far, so I doubt if she actually wants to stop". It's important for a woman to respond firm and serious with their answer. Even though majority of assault cases are from people women know it is still important to be cautious of stranger danger. No matter what time of day it is a woman should always be aware of her surroundings when she is alone. Avoid walking alone at night and keep your car windows up and doors locked. If possible walk with a friend or keep some form of protection (Mace, pocket knife). After reading more about what to do to reduce risk, I've realized that I have not been doing as much as I should. I think I am way too comfortable in my environment, but I have to remember anything can happen. So I plan on implementing some of these strategies in my daily life.

Blog 3 ;(

 Have you ever known someone with a mental illness? How did/does the illness impact his/her life? What have you learned about this mental illness just from knowing them? You may provide pseudo names to protect their identity.

I have a cousin who is about 6 years older than I am and I've always been pretty close to her. At one point in my life she lived with me and my family when she first started college so I know her very well. However, when she turned 19 years old she was diagnosed as a bipolar schizophrenic. She was always a very bright girl and was always calm and quite. It honestly seemed as though  it happened over night and she was no longer her normal self. It really affected my family, especially since we've never had to deal with a mental illness before. When this happened her whole life changed. She had to drop out of college during treatment for her illness. It was a very stressful time for my family, especially her mother. I have learned that bipolar/schizophrenia can pretty much take a person's life from them. My cousin had such a bright future, but now it is a struggle just to keep her on the right medication to keep her somewhat stable. Even when she is stable she still does not act like herself. It is very heartbreaking to know that we will never truly have my cousin back.

Blog 2

  Imagine a parent of a pre-teen who is about to have “The Talk” with him/her. Please write the scenario (where/when/how) the talk would take place and exactly what the parent should say. Include any resources the parent might recommend to the pre-teen, or questions (and their answers) the parent should anticipate.

When it comes to "The Talk", I do not believe that there is a perfect time or place. I would imagine that the parent would go in their son/daughter's room and tell them to sit and talk. "I want to talk to you about sex", the parent should say. In my opinion, I think they should start by asking the pre-teen about what they already know about sex. This will let the parent know somewhat where their child's mind is and where to begin. They should also talk about STDs and pregnancy and how to prevent them. I think it would be best if the parent explains to the pre-teen that abstinence is safest choice. The pre-teen should know that they are able to come to their parent if they need to ask more question or talk to their parents about it. The parent can recommend condoms or birth control in the future, if the teen plans on being sexually active. Other educational resources the parent can recommend to the pre-teen is to read different books or watch videos about sex. Pre-teens may ask question like, "how do I say no if I'm being pressured into having sex" or " Is masturbation bad"? The parent should explain that they should not be ashamed or scared to say no and if the person really cares about them they will wait. Also, masturbation is natural but it should not become a habit. My first talk about sex was not all that bad. I do feel as though my mother came a little too strong without a warning. She just popped in my room one day and started laying out all the facts. She never really stop to ask what I already knew and what I wanted to know about sex. It was more like a lecture,so I will take my own experience and make it better for my future children. 

Blog 1

When it comes to health problems I am very concerned about high blood pressure and cancer. Every person that I can think of in the past 15 years has died from cancer, on my fathers side of the family. My mothers side of the family has a long history of high blood pressure, that led to heart problems. This makes me worry, because it's a big possibility that I will develop these problems in the future. I do exercise and get regular check ups to reduce my chances. However, I do have some bad habits such as using too much seasoning on my food; that only raises my chances of having high blood pressure. I asked both of my roommates about what health issues concerned them the most. Kiara said, high blood pressure and breast cancer were her main concerns. Her mother has high blood pressure problems, and has been hospitalized for it several times. She also lost her god mother from breast cancer. I was told by Ivy that high cholesterol was a health concern for her. She admitted that she does not do much to prevent it, because she eats a lot of fatty fried foods. I have a lot of similar concerns with these two ladies. Both Kiara and I, mothers have very high blood pressure levels. We also naturally have some of the same habits that our mothers have, like our diets and lifestyle. My diet is not the best just like Ivy's, but I'm sure that's something we both can work on.

Bio

Hello, my name is Dynasty Jackson and I am a Junior majoring in Health Studies. I recently changed my major from Nursing to health studies, don't ask me why. :) I also transferred  to Texas Woman's University, from Stephen F. Austin this past summer. I love this school so far. I currently work as a caregiver at Golden Meadows Assisted Living. I like the fact that I help and care for other people in this job. However, I'm also looking for a second job. I actually had an interview at a Daycare today, so I'm hoping to get hired there because I LOVE children.

I love to sing and act, I think I'm pretty good at it. If I could choose any career,  I would be an actress but that doesn't always work out so I definitely need a plan B. In my free time I like to hang out with friends, spend time with my family, go to church, and listen to music. I find the idea of universal health care personally interesting. I think it could make a huge difference in many peoples lives, even my own. I expect to learn even more about women's rights and health in this class. I have taken two women studies courses so far and I learned about so many things that I've never heard about. Hopefully I can learn a lot more from perspectives on women's health. One thing no one else knows about me is my nickname, Pinky. My family has called me Pinky since the day I was born, because I was a pinkish color as a baby. My favorite color is also Pink as well.

1st Time

Welcome to my blog fellow classmates!