Due: March 2
Direction: Current Issues Papers
Throughout the semester, students are expected to identify three current or emerging health issues identified in a current newspaper article. For each issue, students are expected to turn in the following:
A clipped newspaper article which describes a public health issue to be addressed (articles found in online news sources, such as MSN, Yahoo News, etc., must be printed).
A short 2-3 page paper, which includes the following:
ˇThe title of the article, publication source, and the date it was published.
ˇA brief overview of the public health problem discussed in the article.
ˇA description of the severity of the public health problem.
ˇIdentification of public health agencies involved (or that should be involved) with the particular problem. Each agency should also be identified as to whether it functions as the state, county, or local level, and their involvement with the public health problem.
ˇIdentification of the public health interventions discussed in the article and how they relate to the types of interventions discussed in readings and in class.
ˇYour recommendation(s) for further action on the issue. Recommendations should be directly related to and be specifically supported by course readings. Please make specific references to the readings to support your recommendations..
What I have so far and struck on it.
High Blood Pressure a Neglected Disease, Report Declares
sciencedaily, February 22, 2010
High Blood Pressure
The article is about how no one is really paying attention to high blood pressure. In USA, high blood pressure is the second most leading cause of death. Doctors will treat those who have mild to moderate symptoms of high blood pressure but when it comes to patients who are older, doctors are less likely to increase the treatment. There should be policies that would help promote more physical activities, healthy eating choices, and information about high blood pressure for everyone. Officials who work in public health should work with the people who offer health care insurances to provide more coverage for treatment of high blood pressure. The risk factor for high blood pressure are lots of foods with salt, no physical activities, unhealthy eating choices and not enough of potassium. The basic way to help people avoid getting high blood pressure is through daily physical activities, healthy eating choices, avoiding eating foods with lots of salt and eat foods with potassium. Doctors doesn't follow the guidelines for treatment of high blood pressure so people are unaware of the treatment for it. People with high blood pressure do go to the doctor's office but the costs of the medications would make them not want to take it or decrease the amount of medications they would normally take.
no one is really paying attention to high blood pressure.
A LOT of people are paying attention to it! I think you should rephrase this.
heart disease is often called the "silent killer," because people fail to think about it when they should, so I understand what you mean, but I think you should write this differently. You can't say no one is paying attention to it.
I don't think "most leading" works. You should say "most common"
The basic way to help people avoid getting high blood pressure is through daily physical activities, healthy eating choices, avoiding eating foods with lots of salt and eat foods with potassium. ---- is this essay about a lack of awareness, or is it about these ideas for staying healthy?
Doctors
don't follow the guidelines for treatment of high blood pressure so people are unaware of the treatment for it.--- again, this is not fair. You can't say in general that doctors don't do as they should. Some doctors do!
:-)
EF_Kevin
will i was following what the article, sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100222121622.htm says. i was suppose to summarize the entire article as part of the assignment. i get what you are saying. that's what i was suppose to do. i don't want to use words that was in the article.
Yes, I understand. I just meant that it is important not to write it in a way that makes a big generalization. You can say:
Too often, people do not pay attention to high blood pressure.
But you can't say, "No one is paying attention to high blood pressure.
You can say, "Too often, doctors do not follow the guidelines."
But you can't say, "Doctors don't follow the guidelines."
In Star Wars, it is said, "Only the Sithe speaks in absolutes."
:-)
This is my second article using the same above directions.
Due: March 23
Preventing Herpes
The title of the article is Herpes Infects One in Six in U.S. and was published in
businessweek.com/lifestyle/content/healthday/636845.html
on March 9, 2010.
Herpes is one of most common sexually transmitted disease that is not curable and could affect one of every six Americans. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 19 million people will be diagnosed with a sexually transmitted disease and most will be in the younger age group. Women are almost two times more likely to be infected than men. About 39.2% of African Americans live with herpes which is more than the 12.3% of Whites living with herpes. In particular black women have the highest rate of infection at 48%. People diagnosed with herpes are more likely to get HIV's than those who are not infected with it. The rate of herpes infection increases with age where the age group of 14-19 years old has a 1.4% infection rate compared to those who are in the group of 40-49 years old which has a 26.1% infection rate. This shows that once an individual has it, they will never be able to get rid of it. It also depends on the number of sex partners the person has. Those who only have one partner will only have about a 4% chance of contracting herpes compared to 27% for those who have more than ten partners. At least 80% of people who have it have no idea they have it, since herpes don't really have symptoms, or it could be misdiagnosed as something else and could be spread to their partners. At this time there is no vaccines to cure herpes so there needs to be something to help stop the spread of herpes. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggests that people don't have sex during an outbreak of herpes, use condoms and don't have lots of partners. U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggests that those who are at high risk for an infection, have many sexual partners, and those who are HIV positive individuals might want to be screened for herpes. However young women don't want to be screened for any type of sexually transmitted disease.
The severity of herpes is considerable in the sense that there is no cure and only medication to help relieve symptoms. Herpes affect those who come into contact with a person who already has it. Those who have already been diagnosed with herpes would be twice as likely to get HIV and pass it onto other people. For people who have suppressed immune systems such as those infected with HIV herpes can cause severe problems. About 80% of the people don't know they already have it. Women are more likely to be infected with herpes and other types of sexually transmitted disease than men. Although it is most commonly transmitted during outbreaks, individuals could get herpes even if there is no outbreaks.
The public health agencies that are involved are U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, CDC's National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD and TB Prevention, CDC's Epidemic Intelligence Service, and CDC's division of STD prevention. U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is a U.S. federal agency in the Department of Health and Human Services that provides information to everyone in helping people make better health choices. The CDC's National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD and TB Prevention is part of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention which focuses on public health and safety by controlling and preventing STDs. CDC's Epidemic Intelligence Service is part of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention which is a 2 year program that trains professionals in the field of epidemiology. CDC's division of STD prevention is part of the National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD and TB Prevention provide information and research on sexually transmitted diseases.
The public health interventions that was discussed in the article is prevention of the spread of herpes. Herpes is a virus that can't be cured and there are only medicines to relieve the symptoms and slow the spreading spreading. Herpes can be passed from one person to another. According to the class lecture, a virus can only be transmitted, an infected cell could replicate only on living cells and there isn't any cures but only relief through antiviral medicines. The preventive measure of herpes is screening for virus and safe sex practices. High risk people should be screened for herpes. Examples of safe sex practices include not having lots of sex partners and use condoms. According to the textbook, the treatment for the virus involves limiting the impact of the virus itself. Also, rehabilitation is the last step of intervention that helps the individual return to their normal state of health.
My recommendations for further action on herpes are individuals should be tested if they are sexually active, not spread sexually transmitted diseases, and know the signs and symptoms of sexually transmitted diseases. Preventing the spread of herpes would help reduce the amount of people getting sexually transmitted diseases. It relates to the textbook for the primary level by reducing the exposure of the disease, secondary level by knowing what sexually transmitted diseases are and knowing what to look for, and tertiary level by using treatments to help the individuals in need. There are people who know that they have the disease, those who don't know they have the disease, and preventing the disease from occurring. Before engaging in any sexual activity, the individual should tell his or her partner about their sexual history and health.
many ---> that are not curable..
...black women have----Let's stick to using the term African American, which you introduced at the start of the essay.
Use commas:
...that they have herpes, since herpes does not really have symptoms, or it could be misdiagnosed with as something else and it could be spread to their partners.
The severity of herpes is that there is no cure and only medicine to relieve the symptoms. --- this sentence is not good. you need to use severity differently:
The severity of herpes is considerable in the sense that there is no cure and only medicine to relieve the symptoms.
How about the different types of herpes? You should probably mention them. good luck! You are doing very well with this kind of writing!!
in the article I read, it uses both African American and black women.?
different types of herpes? stick it where?
i change it a little bit. some of my friends told me that it was ok and others say it was demanding. what do you do think?
I think this should be two sentences instead of one:
Herpes is one of the most co mmon sexually transmitted diseases. It is not curable and could affect one of every six Americans.
It is great, but I don't think you should burden the reader's attention with so much information in the first paragraph. Give just a few sentences of introduction in the first paragraph, and save all that information for paragraph 2. Paragraph 1 should tell the main ideas of the essay.
I have three recommendations for further action on herpes. Ind ividuals should be tested if they are sexually active, not spread sexually transmitted diseases, and know the signs and symptoms of sexually transmitted diseases. ---- I changed this so that it'd be clearer.
