People can abuse drugs when they overuse them, often to the point of various negative consequences. They may start to feel withdrawal symptoms when they stop using the drug – mental, emotional or physical effects that happen because your brain has adapted to having the drug.
It is also possible to develop an addiction to substances. Addiction is a brain disease that is characterized by compulsive use and difficulties in controlling one’s behavior, despite negative consequences. Some people may exhibit tolerance to some substances as a result of use.
From NIH.gov
It is possible to treat drug abuse and addiction and there are several effective approaches. Scientists are working on innovative new ways to help people with addiction.
The American Psychological Association also recognizes one behavioral addiction – gambling disorder. While other things like compulsive buying, excess exercise, and too much internet use may not be considered addictions, they may nevertheless be distressing and cause people to feel out of control and suffer negative consequences.
STIs are conditions that are spread from person-to-person sexual contact which can include oral, vaginal or anal intercourse, and other types of sexual contact. Prevention of STIs includes using barrier methods (condoms and dental dams), getting certain vaccines, and other behaviors. These infections are relatively common, half of all sexually active adults will get an STI by the age of 25 (according to CDC.gov) – https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/stds.htm.
There are many different STIs. Some are caused by bacteria and can be treated with antibiotics. These include chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis.
Others are caused by viruses and do not have a cure, though treatments may still be available. These STIs include herpes simplex I and II, human papillomavirus (HPV), and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Some strains of HPV can be prevented through vaccination. HIV infection can lead to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome or AIDS if left untreated. However, people at risk for HIV infection can take a medication called Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP).
There are also fungal and parasitic infections like trichomoniasis and pubic lice. These infections are treatable with special medications.
Many STIs are asymptomatic or have symptoms that are not very specific like a fever. Thus, it is important to get regular STI tests if you are sexually active. Untreated STIs can lead to pelvic inflammatory disease. Some STIs may be extra dangerous during pregnancy. Men who have sex with men have a higher risk of getting an STI.
Fertility refers to the ability of someone to become pregnant or cause someone else to become pregnant. Some people may have trouble with becoming pregnant – this is called infertility and treatments are often available.
When sperm is present in the Fallopian tubes at the same time as an ovum (or egg), fertilization can occur. Read more about this process here – https://www.plannedparenthood.org/learn/pregnancy/how-pregnancy-happens. Home pregnancy tests are quite accurate and easily available and can often be used once a menstrual period is overdue.
There are several ways to help a pregnancy be as healthy as possible. Getting appropriate prenatal care, ensuring the right nutrients, avoiding drugs, and other behaviors are important. Finding the right healthcare provider is also important. People may go to OB/Gyn doctors or family doctors for care. Another option is a Certified Nurse Midwife. Research shows that having a person present during the birth who can support the person in labor leads to better health outcomes for parents and babies – this can include a friend, family member, or partner, or a trained doula. Read more about healthcare professionals here – https://www.parents.com/pregnancy/giving-birth/labor-support/which-birth-professional-is-right-for-you/.
Labor is the process of the fetus being born and has several stages. Labor can last a long time. There are many options for pain management. Labor can result in vaginal delivery or a Cesarean section.
Humans are social animals – we need some level of social support and social networks in order to be fully healthy. We form relationships from birth and require things like love and nurturing in order to stay socially healthy.
Our first relationship is usually with family – they raise us, they teach us, and they model love. We learn our communication patterns and coping skills from family, whether it is a mother and father, a single parent, a grandparent or aunt/uncle, an adoptive family, or a foster family.
There are several different conceptions of love. One is Dr. Robert Sternberg’s triangular theory of love, which identifies three main components: intimacy, passion and commitment. Different types of relationships may exhibit different types of love.
Dr. Helen Fisher has studying what happens in the brain during love – see the video below.
From Bioscope, HUG (Hôpitaux universitaires de Genève), DIP (Département de l’Instruction Publique), Odile Fillod
Some penises are circumcised and some are not. If parents choose to do this for their infants, they will usually do it very close to birth. There are cultural and religious reasons for circumcision, and there may be health benefits, but routine circumcision is no longer recommended in the United States.
People with testes should do a testicular self-exam monthly. Other care for reproductive health includes HPV vaccination, regular STI exams if they are sexually active with another person, and contraception if they engage in sexual activity with people who may get pregnant.
The main hormone produced by testes is testosterone (though all people produce both estrogen and testosterone). This hormone is responsible for many things like sex drive, sexual development and maturity, and so on.
While the Earth is covered in water, most of that water is not useful for human consumption. Globally, we are already suffering from fresh water shortages and water contamination issues.
Our oceans are vital for regulating global temperature, providing a food source for humans, and providing oxygen in the atmosphere. However, human activity has put the ocean’s food web at risk and increased other effects that can be harmful to our health, like harmful algae blooms. We are also responsible for pollution in the ocean, including plastics, and oil spills. Read more here – https://www.niehs.nih.gov/health/materials/oceans_of_discovery_508.pdf
You may have heard the term global warming, or the more current term climate change. But how can this affect our help? And what is it, exactly?
The Earth’s climate fluctuates, as can be seen in the history of our ice ages. However, right now we are experiencing a period of global temperature rise, which has led to many other changes in our climate. Most scientists believe that at least some part of the global warming effect has been due to human-made changes like the burning of fossil fuel, land use, and industry.
You may have had health insurance for a long time, you may be covered under your parents’ plan, you may get it through Medicaid or Medicare, or maybe you don’t have it. But what is health insurance?
Most of the time, if you can get a health insurance plan through your employer, that will be a better deal than getting it on your own. What should you look for when trying to select a plan? http://guides.wsj.com/personal-finance/insurance/how-to-shop-for-health-insurance/. Consider a few things as well – do you have a known chronic condition? What is your budget for healthcare? Are you generally healthy and don’t visit the doctor often?
You may be eligible for a plan through Medicaid or Medicare (if you are over 65 years of age).
You may also decide to shop for a plan through the marketplace established by the Affordable Care Act – the New York State marketplace is here. Some information for young adults and about the essential plan can be found on the site.
Obesity, defined as a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 30 or greater, and overweight, defined as a BMI of 25 to 29.9, have been on the rise in the United States for decades. Obesity is a risk factor for heart disease, some types of cancer, osteoarthritis, sleep apnea and several other health conditions. Overweight when present with other factors like high cholesterol, high blood pressure, family history, or cigarette smoking, is also considered to be a risk.
Learn more about obesity by watching Part 1 of the documentary Weight of the Nation. All parts are available for free on Youtube.
BMI is one of measures of body composition, previously defined here. Body composition is defined as the relative proportion of fat mass to lean mass in the body. It is usually measured by percent body fat, but that can be hard to do day to day. So one approximate measure is BMI, which is a ratio of mass to height. You can calculate your BMI here – https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/educational/lose_wt/BMI/bmicalc.htm. Another measure is waist circumference, because abdominal fat puts you at higher risk for health complications.
There are more accurate measures of body composition. Calipers can be used by fitness professionals to do a skin-fold measurement to determine body fat percentage with more precision. There are also scales and handheld tools that use bioelectrical impedence to estimate a percent body fat. Less accessible are things like full body tools like air pods, hydrostatic weighing (under water), or special X-rays.
Go to
the BMCC Library website – http://lib1.bmcc.cuny.edu/ and click on Databases. Select
Video Databases, then select Kanopy Streaming Videos. If you are not on campus,
you will have to log in with your BMCC log-on (the same credentials you use to
log into computers on campus). When you are in the Kanopy database, search for
Mother – Caring for 7 billion. Answer the below questions fully.
How
has the population changed since 1970?
How
does consumption of goods affect the environment? How does it affect our
health? Give specific examples.
What
are the natural resources that are needed for life? Which of these are limited?
What
are the dangers to the planet and to people from even more population growth?
What are dangers to our health from population growth?
Why
is a higher retirement age a good idea? Why is it a bad idea?
What
are some barriers to family planning in the United States? Why are there so
many unintended pregnancies? What is a solution you can think of to the issue
of unintended pregnancies?
How does empowering women help with economic and ecological problems? What policies can the US adopt that help empower women?
