Six Super Foods for Women

The six super foods that every woman needs:

With all of the books, radio, and internet advertisements, it is hard to find out which foods are actually nutritional and not just an advertisement ploy. Thus, this blog will use a well-known website, namely WebMD, with the aim of ensuring that women gain a proper understanding of the most important and basic foods to eat.

To start, it is essential to be given facts about foods which can scam women into thinking they are more nutritional than they actually are. For example, low fat cookies make women forget about calories and sway us to notice one healthy aspect, while undermining the other attributes. A product may advertise itself as “no cholesterol” but can still be loaded with bad fats or tons of calories. It is imperative to look at the food as whole, look at all the ingredients, and also at the portion size.

The six super foods necessary to stay healthy for women:

1. Low-fat yoghurt (3-5 servings per week): This contains probiotics which is a bacteria that has power to protect our bodies and immune systems in several ways. This can also reduce irritable bowel syndrome and inflammatory digestive tract disorders, and possibly even the risk of breast cancer. This is due to the fact that it is loaded with calcium.

2. Fatty fish- like salmon, sardines, and mackerel (2-3 servings per week): The omega -3 fatty acids are the most important part about this food product, especially DHA and EPA. It also plays a role in the membrane of every cell in the body, as well as protecting us from a number of health threats such as heart disease, stroke and depression.

3. Beans (3-4 servings per week): These are a good source of protein and fiber and are low in fat. They have protective agents against heart disease and breast cancer. They also have the potential role in stabilizing female hormones. One example of the appropriate beans is lentils. Also, if you are in the stage of trying to become pregnant, beans provide a steady supply of folic acid. Lastly this helps against PMS symptoms and the prevention of cell division in cancerous cells.

4. Tomatoes- or watermelon, red grapefruit, or red navel oranges (3-5 servings each week): The powerhouse nutrient in all of these fruits is lycopene, which is a healthy carotene pigment. This is also a powerful antioxidant that can help a women fight heart disease. Lastly, this helps protecting against UV damage from the sun, allowing women to look younger longer.

5. Vitamin D fortified low fat milk or orange juice (at least 400 IUs (international unit) of vitamin D daily): This is very important in order to help the bones absorb calcium from the gut and to reduce the risk of osteoporosis, risk of diabetes, multiple sclerosis, and tumors of the breast, colon, and ovary.

6. Berries- blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, cranberries (3-4 servings per week): Protects body with powerful anti-cancer nutrients known as anthocyans, which supposedly play a role in cell repair. This also decreases the chance of several different types of cancers. These berries are also high in vitamin C and folic acids, which is very important during childbearing years. These antioxidants not only protect the heart but also the skin from aging. Also, lutein, a powerful agent, is found in each of these berries listed, which can help protect vision. 

Combating Transmission of HIV through Breastfeeding

Transmission of HIV from mother to child is very common during pregnancy whether it is at the time of delivery or through breastfeeding. Breastfeeding accounts for nearly 40% of mother to child transmission cases, and because of this, nearly 200,000 babies obtain HIV annually through breastfeeding.


The World Health Organization states that “when replacement feeding is acceptable, feasible, affordable, sustainable and safe, avoidance of all breastfeeding by HIV-infected mothers is recommended (2).” At the same time, the use replacement feeding, such as a formula, in a low resource setting has been shown to increase infant mortality due to malnutrition and diarrhea, even given the risk of HIV infection. Consequently, several mothers are only left with one alternative – to breastfeed and risk transmission of the virus.


Therefore, this nipple shield has been tested to combat mother to child HIV transmission. It is a shield worn by mothers on their nipple when complications arise from their breastfeeding. At the same time, the shield is designed to prevent infections by delivering compounds during feeding. Likewise, this shield is hoped to also be able to deliver antiretroviral drugs from mother to infant against infection, or to release an edible microbicide into breastmilk that reduces HIV infectivity in the milk.

http://www.cam.ac.uk/research/video-and-audio/preventing-hiv-transmission-during-breastfeeding/

References:

1: Chasela C.S., Hudgens M.G., Jamieson D.J., et al. (2010) Maternal or infant antiretroviral drugs to reduce HIV-1 transmission. New England Journal of Medicine 362:2271-81.

2: WHO, UNAIDS, UNFPA, UNICEF. (2010) Guidelines on HIV and infant feeding. 
http://whqlibdoc.who.int/publications/2010/9789241599535_eng.pdf

Women's Health in FLDS and polygamous communities

Polygamous communities are not a thing of the past in North American communities.
The Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ-Latter Day Saints (FDLS) has widespread communities living Colorado, Utah, Texas, and British Columbia, Canada. The FDLS is one of the original mormon branches, while the Mormon religion no longer accepts plural marriages, polygamous communities are still a fundamental aspect of the FDLS religion. 


Details:
FDLS:
-Prophet or community leader who overseas all the communities. 
-Marriages can only happen within the community, Inter-family marriages are very common. 
-Male status increases in these communities in correspondence to the # of wives he has. 
- Women are expected to provide their husband with as many children as possible.  
-No forms of birth control
- Since 2008 children are not allowed to receive public school education and must be home schooled. 

-Women have no say in marriage arrangements, of themselves or their children.

-Not uncommon for girls as young as the age of 12, have been married off to the older men in their 40's or 50's.

- Women must obey a strict dress code. Recognizable with their long hair, and long peasant dresses. 

-Everyone in the community must follow the strict code, or they risk being banished from the community. 

-Since outside marriages are forbidden, there are not enough women for each male to have one or more wives, with most of the arranged marriages going to the elders of the community, many males in the younger generations are being banished from the community. Being banished or leaving the community is the worst situation for individuals in these communities.

-Since intermarriages are common these communities have the highest rates of fumarase deficiency which an extremely rare genetic disease that most often only occurs when one marries close to kin.




At the moment in Canada, these plural marriages are legal, because under the charter of rights and freedoms denying this right, also denies ones right to ones religious practices. However, this very controversial law, is currently under review because the living conditions for women and children in these communities are horrendous. Given the circumstances of the marriages, women have no entitlement to property, welfare, or income.Escaping or leaving these communities is exceptionally difficult, as the authority is all controlled by the community Prophets.  
Review of the law was ordered as there has been increased trafficking of young girls to the USA for child marriages.  Status established in these communities is directly correlated with the number of wives a male has. A recent Globe and Mail article Prof. Grossbard discussed the conditions of women's right in these communities. "Polygamy is associated with teenage brides, arranged and forced marriages, payments to brides’ fathers, little emphasis on “romantic” love and poor access to education or the work force – all designed to restrict the ability of women to choose who they marry" (Grossbard 2011)

Should Canada revise this law? How could this affect communities in the United States?  


Links:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/british-columbia/polygamy-is-bad-but-religious-polygamy-is-worse-government-lawyer-says/article1963577/
http://www2.macleans.ca/2011/03/30/on-polygamy-child-brides-and-why-the-stakes-in-b-c-are-so-high/
http://www.montrealgazette.com/life/Polygamist+leaders+unlikely+quickly+grant+women+children+rights/4099972/story.html
http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2011-02-24-jeffs-church_N.htm

Soya Cows

Child Haven International (CHI):

The sight of poor and destitute children is not uncommon on the streets of Asia. Neither is the sight of disadvantaged peoples. Employment for the lower and disadvantaged class is far and few in India, Nepal, Bangladesh, and Tibet. It is still a daily struggle for women to meet their basics rights. This blog is a blog of hope. It tells the tale of one family, that is making a difference in the lives of hundreds of women and children in this region in the world, and the story begins with an organization called: Child Haven International. 

Child Haven is home to over 1100 children in nine different cities in India, Nepal, Bangladesh, and Tibet. It was started in 1985 by Bonnie and Fred Cappuccino-- After adopting and raising 21 children from around the world, and providing help to numerous others, Child Haven was established in order to reach more individuals at a local level. Although this is a small scale project it has no-doubt been a success. Since its establishment Child Haven has not only improved the lives of thousands of children, but it has also been a source of empowerment and has drastically improved the lives of many women living in these countries.  This object has been met through direct employment, education, legal aid, and occupational opportunities (CHI). Women are employed as cleaners, teachers, cooks, cargivers, managers, healthcare professionals, office staff, matrons, ihas, and dhobis. Employees get full access to medical care- and maternity care, literacy classes (should they choose), family planning. Furthermore, basic care, meals, housing and wages are included in employee benefits.

SoyaCow Project:

The SoyaCow Machine was invented in 1988. By 1992 Child Haven had purchased 6 machines for their homes, and since they have being using the Soya Cow machine to provide soy milk and soy milk products to their homes. 

The Soya Cow machine is capable of turning ~1.7 kgs of raw soy beans into 3 gallons of soy milk in about 30 mins.  Soy Milk is a low cost, but nutritious supplement, this offers the children a high dense source of protein. It is cheaper than cows milk. Moreover, it produces ten times as much soy milk at about a ~1/3 of the cost if comparing production per acres (CHI).  The left over pulp, and milk can make products such as yogurt, and tofu, or a nutritious spread for chapattis and other breads. This process is safe and since it is diluted with water it keeps the milk it free from contaminants and pollutants (CHI). 

Aside from the health benefits, This machine has also been empowering women since its invention. Soya Cow machines are intended to be sold to projects or women in developing countries (CHI). As trained Soya Cow technicians the women are able to provide employment and self sufficiency from the profits generated from the product. I though this product, was an interesting innovation with the attempt to empower women and increase the nutrition and food security within and among communities. The program has been sucessful, and there are more than 400 machines in India, and the project is spanning to other regions of the world like: south africa, and Haiti. 

Some Resources:

Child Haven International: http://www.childhaven.ca/soyacow.htm


Soya Cow: http://www.worldsoyfoundation.org/whysoy/soycow.html

Trafficking of Women: A Public Health Perspective

The issue of human trafficking, especially among young women and children, with the intention of sexual exploitation, has grown rapidly over the past decade.  One of the major trends of this is due to the increasing involvement of organized crime who exploit individuals in developing countries (Betti, 2003). Trafficking is now considered the third largest source of profits for organized crime, aside from drugs and guns, which also generate billions of dollars annually. Most individuals come from several parts of Asia.

Human trafficking thus leads to several issues in women’s health. Effects can include chronic, permanent, or even life threatening health consequences. A trafficked and sexually abused individual will find it incredibly challenging to achieve the highest possible level of physical, mental, and social well-being (Pan American Health Organization, 2001). Physical injuries often occur, but even more life threatening are the mental effects that are left behind with a sexually trafficked victim. Long term psychiatric consequences may occur in the form of depression, self-mutilating behavior, personality disorders, etc. Also, sexually abused women can potentially result in a higher amount of diagnosed sexually transmitted infections. Lack of appropriate and available access to health care is also notable a prime concern. Usage of drugs and alcohol has been suggested to play a vital role as a coping mechanism in several instances, resulting in addiction (Pan American Health Organization, 2001). Due to extremely restricted access to proper healthcare, due to locational circumstances, complications of untreated infections can arise.

An estimated 2.5 million people are in forced labour (including sexual exploitation) at any given time 

as a result of trafficking.

Of these:

o 1.4 million – 56% - are in Asia and the Pacific 

o 250,000 – 10% - are in Latin America and the Caribbean 

o 230,000 – 9.2% - are in the Middle East and Northern Africa 

o 130,000 – 5.2% - are in sub-Saharan countries 

o 270,000 – 10.8% - are in industrialized countries  

o 200,000 – 8% - are in countries in transition

The Traffickers

• 52% of those recruiting victims are men, 42% are women and 6% are both men and women

• In 54% of cases the recruiter was a stranger to the victim, 46% of cases the recruiter was known to 

victim

• The majority of suspects involved in the trafficking process are nationals of the country where the 

trafficking process is occurring

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=18zc-8ruUjM&feature=related

References:

Betti, S. (2003). New prospects for inter-state co-operation in criminal matters: The Palermo Convention. International Criminal Law Review, 3(2), 151-167.

Pan American Health Organization. (2001). Trafficking of women and children for sexual exploitation in the America's. Retrieved from http://www.paho.org/English/AD/GE/Traffickingpaper.pdf

The Males... and Technology

Circumcision without Anesthesia,

Scientific American: http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=rwanda-investigating-adult-male-circumcision-without-anesthesia

Male circumcision has been widely promoted by the WHO and UNAIDS as a means of reducing HIV/AIDS transmission (SCTA 2011). The virus rates are high in sub-sahara africa, but there is a lack of medical infrastructure to preform circumcisions (SCTA 2011). 

Rwanda is investigating a new type of circumcision, without the requirement of anesthesia. PRPEX is an elastic mechanism clamps around the penis foreskin clamping off the blood supply, allowing the foreskin to dry up are be removed about a week later (SCTA 2011). This procedure takes less than four minutes to complete, compared to the 20 mins the traditional methods require. It is estimated that 12 million men will recieve this producdure by the end of 2012 (SCTA 2011). In the initial testing of this product, the results look promising! However, with all new initiatives it still requires more testing (SCTA 2011).

International Women's Day - March 8, 2011 (100th anniversary)

International Women’s Day one day during the year (March 8) where women are honored with respect for their achievements and successes, and are globally recognized both by women and men. In several areas of Eastern Europe, mostly Russia, this day is celebrated and is more widely known and recognized in comparison to several other nations. This week was the 100^th anniversary of this honorable event. One important topic is the social and political struggle that women are faced with on a daily basis. Such issues are discussed with hopes to new solutions, for example, in areas where women are considered to be significantly less authoritative than men, with hardly any rights amounting to what men receive. It is important to bring forth the fact that women have truly fought for equal voting rights, working rights, and equal rights in holding a position in public office. Due to this, the President of the United States, Barack Obama, states that “Women have shaped history due to their great accomplishments and contributions, and because of that they should be commemorated not only on this one day, but for the entire month of March, namely Women’s History Month.” 

In Rotterdam this past week, they celebrated women’s day with a gathering in the city to celebrate, commit, and connect with one another to improve 3 areas of daily life: Personal, Family, and Country challenges. For personal challenges, this includes personal health and well being, and employees as business owners and entrepreneurs. For family challenges, this includes helping families to be healthier and to prepare for the future now. Finally, for country challenges, this includes letting voices be heard, and coming together to help make positive changes in our communities and areas we reside in.

In Russia, this is considered to be a national holiday, where women are recognized with gifts and compliments to show women that they are appreciated for their love, devotion, and work, as well as contributions to society. All women in Moscow were given a rose for the national celebration day together.

This all certainly contributes to the overall health and well-being of women as they have gained confidence and security in their actions, thus encouraging them to further advance in their continual fight for equal rights. This has also provided mature and healthy mental health in women to inspire others to do the same and to know anything is possible as long as you set your heart to it.

WHATS HAPPENING AROUND THE WORLD THIS WEEK!

INDIA: http://www.moneycontrol.com/news/features/women-missing-india%60s-corridors-power_528285.html

CANADA- http://www.cbc.ca/q/news_promo/2011/03/09/is-coverage-of-international-womens-day-still-r ' elevant/#socialcomments

Comment Posted:

"Despite all your joy about the success of the 'womens movement', there is still a sizable minority right here in Canada where the women have nearly no rights.

I am a part of that minority. We are suppressed.
We cannot be elected leaders, or for that matter, vote on who the leader of our community is. The only jobs i can really do are gardening, cooking, cleaning or as is commonly known "homemaking". I have a lot of spare time i could use to make money for our community, but cant get a job. I may work in the education field, basically the only full time job a women can have. But that doesn't interest me much. 
We can't get a drivers licence, to leave the place, we have to ask for permission from the leader, and then, ask for a male [with a licence] to take is where ever we want to be. Once there, we have to get money from the male to buy stuff, they have they community credit cards. 

My opinion on important issues is never requested, or used. And i have to struggle for every single opportunity i get.
When I marry, i'm expected to move to my husbands community, for as a women, i have no significant role in the culture and community that my current community would want to hold on to. 

I live in the 1800s. And can't do anything to speed up time. 

I am a Hutterite."

INDONESIA:

http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2011/03/09/cities-hear-women’s-voices-int’l-day.html

BRAZIL:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/global-development/2011/mar/08/brazil-international-womens-day

NETHERLANDS:

http://www.economist.com/blogs/democracyinamerica/2010/11/dutch_feminism

BABIES!

This week Vicki and I watch the documentary “Babies”. The documentary follows four babies born in different cultures in Japan, San Francisco, Mongolia, and Namibia through their first year of life, and the different upbringings each child receives in each culture. It did an excellent job at highlighting the different lifestyles, environment and living conditions in the different cultures. I also thought that the film did an excellent job at interpreting the different bonds between mother and child, from birth on.  For me, this documentary was more a “cultural” experience than a public health issue. It was interesting to see how other cultures approach child rearing, and the different ethic and values across the globe. Sure, it is easy to pick out the lack of infrastructure in Namibia, and compare it to the baby in San Francisco, or Japan, but I thought that each baby, especially those growing up in Mongolia and Namibia, got to explore their surroundings in a reflection of what each baby had access to. The babies in the developing countries were really endearing because they easily entertained themselves in their natural environment, where the babies in the developed nations were stimulated by material entertainment (rattles, puzzles, and jolly jumpers etc..)  I found it difficult to favor one type of parenting over the other, because each culture had a unique means of raising their child. this documentary  made me question if the "western" upbringing is to isolated of an upbringing?  I definitely think that anyone who is interested in childhood development should watch this documentary!!!!

Documentary - "Babies"

This documentary is an illustration of four different cultural upbringings in the following countries: Mongolia, Japan, USA, and Namibia. Each video depicts different lifestyles and traditions that these babies are faced with, or blessed with, depending on the country. Comparing these cultures and their healthcares is imperative for gaining a general understanding of the medical and health concerns that develop within under-developed societies in comparison to developed countries. It is evident that Japan and the USA are the developed countries, while Mongolia and Namibia are still struggling for healthy survival practices. For many reasons, a lack of resources and awareness can be basic causes for an unhealthy upbringing of one’s child. In this case, we see that both of these factors play a role in Mongolia and Namibia.

In this documentary, many different health related aspects were briefed throughout the film. For example, some areas that we felt were most pertinent to healthcare were: Bathing, Feeding, Waste Removal, and Overall General Sanitation. The following table acts in accordance to the film, so although these may not necessarily be the “general” habits, these were some things we saw in the film.

	Bathing	Feeding	Waste Removal	Sanitation
Mongolia	From a bucket of dirty water	Breastfeeding from mother and little food often	Baby laying in his own pee all day since no diaper to absorb it	Poor sanitation. Naked bottoms not protecting from diseases
Namibia	Mother would lick her child clean	Children eating from the mud , but later it showed one major meal	Baby would poop on mothers leg in use of toilet, and mother would wipe it with leaf	Poor sanitation. Children playing with the animals and then sticking hands in mouth
Japan	In a clean bin, and sometimes with breast milk even	Nutritous meals for the baby with milk bottle	In a diaper, and then distributed into a receptacle	Overall good sanitation habits.
USA	In a bathtub with soap and clean water	Breastfeeding, bananas, and other nutrients	Diaper, which was switched out often, and bottom cleaned	Very good sanitation. Child taken care of by both parents.

It is amazing to see the development of each child and how the impact that the mothers nuture and care has on each one of them. The American child that was taken care of by both parents and brought to parenting classes developed good motor skills early on and was nurtured, fed, and received lots of attention and care. The baby was handled and looked after, as well as in Japan. The babies in Mongolia and Namibia were obviously not taken care of as well, however we feel that the mothers really tried, yet there was just a major lack of resources.

Earlier this week, The world press photo of the year was released, and announced Jodi Bieber as the 1st place photographer. The winning photo is of a young Afghanistan girl. Aisha was found by US militants after she was punished and left by her husband for trying to escape the abusive marriage. She was 18 at the time of the incident. She has received reconstructive surgery on her face and ears in America and now seeks refuge there.The photograph is a sharp reminder, of the inequalities that still exist globally today. This week, the topic of discussion in class is “Culture and Health”, relating it our on going theme, and the photograph of the year, we decided to investigate women’s rights, and the access to health care in Afghanistan. 

“For nearly 20 years, armed conflict and violations of international human rights have devastated the health and well being of Afghan people”(Rasekh et al. 1998).
Now over a decade later, despite international effort, the situation still remains grim (Globe and Mail, 2010).  In 2001, despite the efforts, and  attempts of international organizations and governments to improve the situation in Afghanistan, conditions have not improved-- largely due to the fact there is no international consensus on how to ‘rebuild’ Afghanistan (Behind the veil: C6). Moreover, with such a unstable political situation, there are several indicators that these have been some of the hardest and brutal years Afghans have faced in the last three decades, especially the women (Globe and Mail, 2010). 

Outside of the city centers, access to healthcare is minimal. Distances are vast, and very little infrastructure is established. Woman have to walk immeasurable distances just to receive basic healthcare treatments (Amowitz et al. 2002).  In a study conducted in (2002) by Amowitz et al. 92% of the maternal deaths occurred in the rural areas. This is coupled with the situation, that treatment is not even guaranteed, as fear and political regimes have seriously impacted women’s ability to received healthcare. 

Today, women still struggle with access to basic rights, the Canadian newspaper, The Globe and Mail has an excellent multimedia feature: “Behind The Veil” on their website that investigates the current situation in Afghanistan, this is website describes the hope, fears, dreams, and hardship, these women face you can access it on this link:  http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/world/behind-the-veil/

In addition, here is a short clip that also highlights the struggle on receiving medical care and child birth. 

Sources:

Amowitz L.L, Reis C & Iacopino(2002) Maternal mortality in herat province, afghanistan, 2002: an indicator of women’s rights. Journal of American Medical Association. 288(10): 1284-1291

Rasekh Z, Bauer H.M,Manos M, Lacopino V (1998) Womens health and human rights in  afghanistan. Journal of American Medical Association. 280(5): 449-455

Make women’s rights canada’s postwar priority. The Globe and Mail 28 Sept 2010. Retrieved from: 

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/opinions/editorials/make-womens-rights-canadas-postwar-priority/article1914819/

Sex education for the masses?

VICKI:

MTV’s TV Program, “16 and Pregnant,” is a documentary of the lives of 6 teenage girls attending high schools in the United States who go through their 2^nd and 3^rd trimester while being pregnant. It is a daily struggle for them to attend classes with the overwhelming pressure and influence of their peers, let alone with a baby  too. This blog describes the battle for these women, and the lack of awareness for safe sex. When dealing with the issue of women’s health, we see how crucially important it is to take care of our bodies, have safe hygiene, and practice safe sex, to name a few. With the United States being so conservative to the point that talking about sex in health class is practically taboo, we see the results that this can have on young girls throughout the whole country.

The United States has the highest teen pregnancy rate in the industrialized world, yet with proper awareness of sexual education in schools, such high statistics could further be prevented. Unintentional pregnancy prevention measures can be implemented by providing better sexual education to public schools, both to males and females, as well as giving better advice about the use of contraceptives. The World Health Organization has worked at establishing effective ways to help in the decline of birth rates all over the United States of young, unmarried, teenage females. As the population is expected to reach 7 billion people this year, according to an article in the National Geographic, we can note that women play the leading role in birth rate, thus leading to the major increase in population growth. Birth rate is the root of nearly everything these days, as it affects the amount of resources we have, the amount we use, and the amount we will thus still need. The National Geographic brought up the concern that there could soon be a shortage of resources if methods of population prevention are not demonstrated or implemented soon.  As this is such an important topic for women’s health, it is up to each individual to properly aware themselves of the effects that unsafe sex can have. This TV series depicts the lives of these girls as perfect examples of what the results could be from just one foolish action that could change everything.

*hardly any literature on it

ANNE:

I am taking a more critical stance on MTV’s “16 and Pregnant and the Teenage Mom” series (16&P and TM). While the show does not glorify entering parenthood in your teens, The episode I watched focused more on the tensions between the young teenage parents love life, then it did on the child...(?)  Do these reality TV series normalize teen pregnancies? Does it invite other teenagers to join the young parenthood club?.  In 2008, 434, 758 young women between the ages of 15-19, became teenage mothers, make the live birthrate 41.5/1000¹. Given that countries like the USA, & Great Britain, are facing an extraordinarily high teen pregnancies rates is it appropriate to media-tize teen pregnancies through a reality T.V show? I find it troubling that the media is dramatizing teen pregnancy for someone else’s Wednesday night entertainment. Furthermore, I am still not convinced if MTV is trying to make money off teenage pregnancies, or provide sex education for the masses. While there is increased advocacy for better sexual education, the public health implications of these type of reality series are not clear.

Similarly, I found it shocking that it was difficult to find critical reviews of the television series. In fact, the only accessible article I found on critiquing the show, was one from Fox News, for creditability it is probably better not to mention this. Originally I thought it would be easy to find critical review articles, but they just simply are not available on the internet.

¹  Statistics from:  Center of Disease Control USA (2008): retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/teenbrth.htm

Check it out yourself:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=12MrdhGohk8

1900-2011 Women’s health: Trends and Changes.

To start our blog: we think it is important to examine the history of women’s and public health through the last 85 years. So our first post will be on that... We have chosen to concentrate on the last century, because, this firstly it has had the most effect on our modern public health, over these years there has been exciting progession in women’s issues: gender, societial, economic,political, the health and well being of women have all been critically questioned during these years. In this small frame of time, women in the western world, challenged their traditional roles as wives and mothers, fought immensely for the right and the roles of their bodies in society.

The earliest turning event in public health and womens rights can be seen during the Great War. During this time, war-torn countries were powerfully affected powerfully by many epidemics, in which this influence exceeded the amount of deaths as a direct result of the war. Many women served as nurses and worked in hospitals both in the US, as well as overseas, as physical and occupational therapists, namely “Reconstruction Aides.” These aides assisted in the prevention of further disease developments, as well as treating the previously diagnosed ones. In comparison to the literature, this was an important example as to how medicine differed from public health. During the last two years of the war, the greatest disaster of all took place. The influenza pandemic arose, causing between 50-100 million casualties worldwide (1918-1919). Researchers note that this was caused from superadded bacterial infections - which although it was beyond the nurse’s healing capabilities, it brought light to medical attention and major improvements in public health. The important roles of the women who served as nurses in the Navy and Marine Corps helped the expansion of public health by their services in which they later received decorations for.

During the Second World War, just like the First World War. Women donated countless hours and drastically put forth efforts to change the stigmatized health care during this time. Although there were several millions of fatalities during the war (more civilians than soldiers even), we can see both positive and negative contributions that ultimately both led to further developments in public health. For example, many negative factors deal with the spread of diseases from one continent to the other, which led to several illnesses and major diseases among the civilians residing in those areas.  This coerced scientists to research the different causes and seek prevention methods which are still being used today. The rapid advancement of science and technology eventually led to the discovery of these treatments, saving millions of lives. Since public health relates to prevention, we can see that these treatments further led to health promotion During this time Women challenged their role in the medical field, where traditionally, men were physicians, and women contributed in a more subordinate role, such as nurses, and care takers (Enrenriech. 2010). Without these opportunities it is hard to say when times would have improved for women had it not been for the war.

The women’s role in the war was not forgotten, when the soldiers returned home. Women were hesitant to return to the  “pre-war” lifestyle. Over the next few decades there were several uprisings in the feminist and civil rights movement. Campaigns on female-centric issues such as abortion rights, maternity leave, equal pay, and domestic violence, all played a major role in developing programs public support systems available to women.
During this time, global health took an international interest, which lead to the formation of the The United Nations, also leading to several programs and organizations, such as the WHO, UNICEF, and UNESCO. Today, these organization have played a major role in developing programs, that deliver health care and other initiatives to communities globally.
On a smaller scale Individual events have played a key role in defining women’s health throughout the last century. These cases studies are essential, as they have challenged women’s social and economical roles throughout the last century, at the same time critically examining the role of public health. Additionally, these cases challenge societies perspective on women’s health. These past event that have addressed key disputes, allowing public health to become more accessible system for women. Similarly, this has allowed women to create a support system that provides the proper resources and support in women’s health.

For example: In the early twentieth century, two women: Mary Mallon and Jennie Barmore, endured serious public scrutiny, because they both tested positive for typhoid, the women worked in the food industry, they were considered more dangerous to the public then men who tested positive for typhoid, because “cooking was a traditional and necessary activity for women”(Leavitt. 1999) This example addresses the cultural expectations of women during this time period, but also sheds light on the inequality and personal struggles women have faced in the past, and many still face today. In (2003) Stoller wrote an article that addressed the lack of medical care for women prisoners, in three different prisons throughout the United States. From this article it is obvious that women struggle to recieve the proper medical services and needs from the prison. This example is intertwined with ethical and medical issues,  providing health care to prisoners, but in our “modern society” should health care not provide services to all individuals, regardless from their economic or societal position?

Although we have come along way since the beginning of the 1900’s, there is still many aspects of women's health that have not been addressed on both a grass-roots and global level. Over the next few months we will explore these issues in more depth!


Best,
Anne and Vicki



Sources:
Enrenriech B. (2010) Witches, Midwives, and Nurses: A history of women healers. 2nd ed. New York: the feminist press.
Leavitt Walzer J. (Ed.). (1999) Women and Health in America. 2nd ed. Madison: The university press.
Morgan S. (2002). Into our own Hands: The women’s health movement in the united states 1969-1990. New Jersey: Rutgers University Press.
Stoller N. (2003) Space, place and movements as aspects of health care n three women’s prisions. Social Science and Medicine 56: 2263-2275.
Rosen G. (1958). A history of public health. New York: MD Publications

WELCOME!

Hello!


As part of an assignment for our International Public Health Class at AUC, Amsterdam, we are asked to keep a blog on an issue that effects public health.

Our blog will address some major topics of discussion in Women's Health that we find important to bring up throughout the next several weeks. As the weeks progress we hope to explore and provide understanding on important issues in Women’s Health, and integrating these issues into the field public health. We want to examine these issues from a cultural, social, political, and scientific viewpoints. Additionally, we hope to provide insight on how women’s health integrates with public health, and how past, and present events have lead researchers, communities, and individuals to develop solutions to problems through means of preventative measures. Women actions have lead to unique discoveries in this field, which we will elaborate on in subsequent blogs. We will aim to point out key issues that will help us to develop a more concrete understanding of how to establish further possible solutions in the health promotion direction. Hopefully, this blog will provide information through case studies, interviews, articles, and research! We hope you enjoy our blog! 


Anne and Vicki