The Future of Healthcare

Forms of Abuse

2017-12-01T11:49:00.000-06:00

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Forms of Abuse in the U.S. and Globally

Did you know that globally, 70% women have experienced some form of abuse in their lifetime (UN, 2011)? According to the United Nations, violence can be physically, sexually, or mentally harmful and cause great risks to those affected. This essay will focus directly on women who experience violence in the United States and women who experience violence in other countries. I will compare different types of violence worldwide and conclude with ways to reduce and prevent women from being abused.

In the United States, about 20 people per minute are physically abused by an intimate partner (NCADV, 2015), and nearly 30% are women (Office of Justice Program, 2009). This makes domestic abuse the primary form of violence towards women in the US. Authors of the article, “Violence Against Women in Selected Areas of the United States,” believe that violence against women in the United States can be associated with demographic (Montgomery et al., 2015). This article explains how women who are abusing substances, live in impoverished areas, and engage in prostitution are more likely to be at risk of encountering violence in their lifetime.

Government agencies in the US are working diligently to reduce the rate of abused women. Two laws that are directly related to violence against women in the US are as follows: Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) and Family Violence Prevention and Services Act (FVPSA). In 2013, Obama reauthorized The Violence Against Women Act. This act is significant because it developed strategies on how to diligently protect victims of violence (OVW, 2016). In like, the Family Violence Prevention and Services Act provides federal funding to support shelters and other relief systems that care for victims of violence (FVPSA, 2017). Both of these acts offer relief to victims and educates them with strategies to end violence before it happens.

Across the globe, another form of violence is prevalent. From Africa, to the Middle East and Asia, women are experiencing violence through female genital mutilation. According to the World Health Organization, female genital mutilation is a procedure that removes partial or all of the external female genitalia. This is typically done for non-medical reasons and practiced more in regard to one’s belief and/or religion. This type of abuse is generally frowned-upon universally, but that does not stop the practice from happening (WHO, 2017).

There are many risks involved with female genital mutilation. Because of fear of health consequences, abandonment of this practice is widely encouraged. The United Nations has proposed an act to eliminate female genital mutilation across the world, however it is still a debate across borders. Additionally, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the largest organization to advocate against female genital mutilation on an international-level, suggests that educating about consequences of the practice may reduce the rate of prevalence.

Unfortunately, violence against women is prevalent worldwide. It is difficult to determine the significance of one form of violence over the other, but it is agreed upon that all violent acts are harmful in nature. Generally, women who experience violence are at risk of suffering from trauma, substance abuse, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and contracting a sexually transmitted disease (Montgomery et al., 2015). Women across borders are encouraged to educate themselves on how to notice the signs of abuse, when to report abuse, and how to deal with the effects abuse causes.

References

Division of Family Violence and Prevention and Services. (2017, February). Family Violence

Prevention and Services Program. Retrieved from

https://www.acf.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/fysb/fvpsa_overview_20170216.pdf

National Coalition Against Domestic Violence. (n.d.). Domestic Violence. Retrieved from

https://ncadv.org/statistics

Office on Violence Against Women. (2016, June). Violence Against Women Act. Retrieved

from https://www.justice.gov/file/29836/download

United Nations. (2011, November). Violence Against Women Act. Retrieved from

http://endviolence.un.org/pdf/pressmaterials/unite_the_situation_en.pdf

United Nations Population Fund. (n.d.). Female genital mutilation. Retrieved from

http://www.unfpa.org/female-genital-mutilation

Violence Against Women in Selected Areas of the United States. (2015). American Journal of Public Health, 105(10), 2156-2166. doi:10.2105/AJPH.2014.302430

World Health Organization. (2016, November). Violence against women. Retrieved from

http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs239/en/

World Health Organization. (2017, February). Female genital mutilation. Retrieved from

http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs241/en/

Do Not Resuscitate

2017-11-30T21:42:00.000-06:00

Imagine this, you are a doctor and you come across an unconscious patient with a tattoo that states: "Do Not Resuscitate."

What do you do?

Do you choose to honor the patient's wishes or do you ignore it and resuscitate anyways?

I recently came across an article on CNN pertaining to this topic. It is difficult to choose what is ethically the right decision and what is morally the right decision. Upon research, it is not standard to follow a tattoo's request without proper "Do Not Resuscitate" documentation.

I believe that if I was in that situation, I would strongly honor the wishes of the patient. However, professional ethics come into play and without proper documentation, I would most likely have to resuscitate the patient.

Boko Haram Survivor Protects Children By Pretending To Be Mad To Save Her Children: Reaction

2017-11-30T16:24:00.000-06:00

Hamayaji and her children displaced in Twenty Houses,
a camp in Northeast Nigeria

Boko Haram Militants

Can you imagine being torn away from your family to be married off or sold to strangers? In the podcast, “To Save Her Children, She Pretended To Be Crazy,” host Lula Garcia-Navarro recounts Zainabu Hamayaji’s experiences with the help of translator, Quist-Arcton.The podcast discusses extensively how Hamayaji did everything she could to protect her daughter and the other orphan children from being seized by the Boko Haram militants.

I chose this podcast because I was intrigued with the amount of determination this mother had to protect what she valued. Upon hearing that some families actually sold or gave their daughters away for selfish reasons made Hamayaji’s actions very courageous. She went to great lengths to prove her insanity just to ensure her children would not be taken away for marriage or used as slaves.

I vividly remember the day the news broadcasted that Boko Haram militants abducted 276 schoolgirls. Being reminded of this in the podcast made me realize what little political actions took place to help find the girls at the time this situation occurred. Fortunately, CNN reports that over the period of 3 years, several girls were able to escape or be released with the help of the government (Busari, S. 2017). To this day, I still see the hashtag “#BringOurGirlsBack." I strongly believe that social media helped spread the awareness of what is happening overseas. If little can be done to help a terrible situation, I feel that it necessary to be informed and to educate about things happening outside of our community.

Busari, Stephanie, and Kelly McCleary. “ Chibok schoolgirls released in Nigeria.” CNN, CableNews Network, 7 May 2017, www.cnn.com/2017/05/06/africa/chibok-girls-released/index.html.
Quist-Arcton, Ofeibea. “To Save Her Children, She Pretended To Be Crazy.” Audio Blog Post.Weekend Edition Sunday. NPR, 14 Oct. 2017, Web. 17 November 2017.

Stress Management: Breathing Exercises

2017-11-30T15:34:00.000-06:00

**Please note that the following is a description of my own experiences and solutions. What has worked for me may not work for you. I would advise seeking professional assistance if you experience any symptoms that may be of concern. Thanks!**

As the semester goes on and I get closer to my college graduation, I have been experiencing symptoms of high anxiety-- my heart races, my chest feels heavy, and it gets harder to breathe.

Thankfully, I have found a way to cope with my anxiety by doing breathing exercises.

Now, you may be thinking, "What in the world are breathing exercises?!"

Breathing exercises are a technique to help control your breathing patterns to relax and reduce stress.

In my situation, I have been practicing to notice when I experience symptoms of my anxiety creeping up on me. I start to control my breathing by deeply inhaling, and exhaling in uniformed intervals until I my system calms down.

Not only does this exercise help for anxiety, but it is recommended for asthma patients, those with Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and other respiratory issues.

Try this yourself!

Medical Advancement: Zipline

2017-11-29T14:06:00.000-06:00

In this 15minute TED Talks, you learn about the medical advancement of how entrepreneur, Keller Rinaudo created Zipline-- the world's first drone delivery service. Created in Africa, Rinaudo uses his technology to deliver blood, plasma, and medicine to remote areas of the country and nation.

Reaction Essay

2017-11-28T20:08:00.000-06:00

In one of my classes, I was encouraged to read, evaluate, and react to two articles: "The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down" and "The Health Care Context."

The article discusses how a Hmong child goes misdiagnosed for months because doctors cannot understand the cause for concern due to language barriers.

You can read the summary and my reaction in the following link: Reaction Paper

Professional Resume

2017-11-24T19:59:00.000-06:00

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Anna Chareunsouk's Professional Resume

About Me

2017-11-21T13:40:00.000-06:00

HI! I am Anna Chareunsouk, and this is my outlet for sharing the things I’m most passionate about—the medical field. But at the heart of it, I want to use this blog as a diary to reflect my journey to a profession in Health Care. I am a firm believer that with confidence and persistence, you can achieve your goal to anything.

As my site name suggests, I am the future of health care. I am writing to document my experiences, in hopes I can learn from any bumps in the road. I live in Lavergne, Tennessee where I am a full-time student at Middle Tennessee State University and full-time worker at a logistics company in Mt. Juliet. I cannot wait to begin my journey with you!