HSSPerceptions

Sexual health is so incredibly important because it is important for us to be aware of what does and doesn’t cause sexually transmitted diseases and infections. Being equipped with this kind of information will allow us to be safer when, or if, we are being sexually active. For example, some people assume that STIs and STDs can only be passed on through vaginal and penis intercourse and they don’t realize that they can be transmitted through oral sex also.

What surprised me the most about this lecture was learning about the different kinds of sexual health education that my peers went through. I was shocked to hear how little education was provided in some schools and how it was essentially taboo in other schools. Hearing about the various “activities”, such as passing around colored water to represent the number of people in the class who, theoretically, have an STI, STD, or were pregnant, was funny but also a little concerning. Making that topic taboo does not prevent kids from being exposed to it and it is better if they are well-informed rather than ignorant.

I think sexual health education needs to be made more transparent and extensive. For example, in my school, we talked about sexual health for 1-2 days before moving on to other topics. That isn’t enough time to make sure kids understand every aspect, positive and negative, about sexual health. By not talking about it, you can’t prevent kids from being exposed to it. The best thing you can do is to be completely straightforward and informative so that when they are exposed to it, they are able to handle any situation that they are in. My question is, how do you guys think sexual health education should be changed and what are ways that we can implement these changes?

Just within one semester of college, I have learned and grown so much. In the letter to myself, I remember writing that I wanted to be involved in many different organizations and balance my time well in college. After the first semester, I can honestly say that I have a lot of work to do when it comes to time management. I told myself that I would wake up early each morning, go to the gym, and work hard every single day. In high school I always did my school work at the very last possible second and I was determined to change this when I got to college. However, I managed to still hold onto this habit and that’s one thing I am going to work hard on changing next semester.

I’m extremely proud of the friendships I have made since I got to college. In just a few short months, I somehow found myself my own little family here on campus and they always light up my day. I also feel more confident on the path that I want to take in the future, and I owe a lot of that to HSSP. When I first came to college I was torn between doing business or pre-med, but as the time went by, I have realized that I want to do both. My dream is to become a surgeon and set up a non-profit organization that provides free medical care to people in third world countries. Having an education in both business and medicine will help me accomplish both of those goals. As this semester comes to an end, I can’t wait to see what the next seven have in store for me.

I always knew that different factors could lead to a different quality of health, but I never thought of it as a universal problem, I always thought it was something that was more prevalent in third world countries. I thought that if my health care was affected, it was because it was based on the doctors and nurses that were treating me, I never thought it could be caused by my own identity.

I have always been raised in an upper-middle class environment; although my dad is the only financial provider in my family, we have always been well off. My socioeconomic status has positively impacted my health care. My mom has always stocked the house with healthy food, I had access to a gym and played on school teams, and whenever I was hurt, I’d always go to the hospital because we had health insurance.

The fact that I am a minority and a woman, however, can negatively impact my health care. I still remember the time when I broke my ankle when I was younger. I was outside playing football with my brother and his friends when I twisted my ankle in a ditch. I tried walking after getting up, but it hurt too much so I began limping to the house. My brother, his friends, and even my dad thought that it wasn’t a big deal and I was just being weak. The only person who believed me was my mom and she took me to the hospital where we found out I fractured it. Women are sometimes perceived as weak by others and their pain sometimes isn’t taken as seriously as a result.

My question for everyone is do you guys think it’s possible for social determinants to ever go away or are they inevitable because of human nature?