Community Health Nursing and The Sorry State of Society

It's December 31st and I am sitting in Starbucks with my little sister. (She isn't bored yet, I gave her my tablet.)

I spent most of this month researching reproductive health services for the community as a part of a community health nursing class. A lot of it was spent going around to different healthcare centers in my community and asking questions...and then asking citizens about their opinions and analyzing the data and coming up with a plan for correcting a health disparity based on one of the health indicators in the Healthy People 2020 Initiative.

I learned that our community has a lot of excellent resources for economically disadvantaged pregnant women and young mothers, but few resources for family planning and STI prevention.

This project was a lot of fun (and by "fun" I mean "facinating" and "eye opening"). I feel that, in a sense, I've become richer from it. I got to talk to people, and not just in a "survey" way...some of them really opened up, about something that was important to them.

In my final paper, I endorsed the placement of a Planned Parenthood clinic in my community as a key way to reduce the rates of Teen Pregnancy, Chlamydia, Syphilis and Gonorrhea (turns out my county is in the top fifty for the country).

Now, I know what you're thinking: "Mormonhippie, You're Pro-Life. You've never been pregnant, and you practice abstinence. What the frak?"

The reason is:

1) Sexual health is more then having babies or not having babies. I learned that when I had to start taking birth control pills because my periods were irreglar.

2) As a society we are abhorrently polarized by this issue. Conservatives see pro-choicers as selfish and Liberals see pro-lifers as ignorant. NEITHER of those steriotypes are universally true, and I think it's shamefull that we've been so dismissive of an opposing veiwpoint and that we can't find common ground. 

3) I'm fascinated by public health, and I think that by polarizing this issue we hurt people. How do we "make" people take care of their bodies? How do you cause that kind of social change where people THINK about how their behavior effects other people?

I don't think we have all the answers yet, but denying services to men and women in need is the wrong way to go.

In my case I have to look out for myself and do what I know is right before God because by-and-large I may be the only person doing so. 

.....................

NOW!!!! On to something way more fun to discuss!

(The Hobbit, An Unexpected Awesome)

Just give me a chance to find my Geek Glasses, K? BRB

....