Blog #1

The health issue that i am concerned about is breast cancer. Many women are affected by breast cancer everyday depending on age, sex, family history, environment, lifestyle choices, friends and story of others. Many women die from breast cancer and family members and friends are deeply affected emotionally and financially. Their are programs and events developed to raise awareness about breast cancer but their are some women that are not benefiting from this programs. Some women lack proper education, financial resources and social involvement in their communities and they are likely not to be aware of such programs.

Women from other countries living in the United States that do not understand English and do not have insurance are less likely to visit the doctor or communicate with anyone about health issues affection their family. Their are women that are affected by poverty and their first priority is to find ways to take care of their children and these women have the tendency to be less concerned about their health. I feel that we need to raise awareness and provide adequate resources to communities that are mostly overlooked in the society.

I interviewed a 50 year old women from Kosovo who had lived in the United States for 10 years. The health issues that she is mostly concerned about are breast cancer, CVD and mental health. She picked these health issues because they have affected most of the women in her family and she is concerned about her health and her children's health. She is educated in all the health issues but she is concerned about the financial aspect. She does not have medical coverage from her job and her community does not provide assistance for health coverage. This factors influences the decision she makes whether to visit the doctor or not.

I interviewed a 35 year old African American woman who was born in the United states. She felt that women her age are affected by health conditions such as hearth disease, cancer and stroke. She discussed how lifestyle choices and environmental factors increases the chance of women ages 30-40 being affected by these health conditions. She express her concern because she sees women her age dying from these health problems because they did not take care of themselves and mainly because they do not have all the resources needed to take care of themselves. She feels that each community should provide educational resources for families about different health issues affecting men and women.

The last women i interviewed was a 20 years old . The health issues that she is concerned about are HIV/AIDS, obesity and cancer. She feels that women her age group are engaging in unprotected sex and unhealthy eating. She wants women to be aware of these health issues and know how it affects them as an individual. She feels that women should practice healthy eating and engage in physical activities; protect themselves when engaging in sexual activities and know the facts. She would like to encourage women of all ages to visit their physicians and be conscious of all health issues affecting women.

I concluded that women are more aware of health issues affecting their age group but all these health issues affects women in general depending on the risk factors and the choices we make. Although some of these health issues mentioned can be treated effectively if detected early and others are not we just have to educate each other and work together as a community to find or develop resources that will benefit women.