Blog #8 - What can be done to change societal images of menopause, aging and older women?

The answer is so simple it almost seems silly. If women want to change the way we view ourselves as we get older, we simply have to voice our support of it. Think about it, women were told they weren't meant to work outside of the home, but one day women decided they wanted to and proved opposers wrong by fighting for equal rights in the workplace. Now, women run multi-million dollar companies, many of which were started by women. There was a time, not so long ago, when women were told their vote shouldn't count. Then one day, they got tired of that and decided to fight for that right. Now, women are running for president, and will probably soon exceed that milestone. If a woman wants to succeed in creating a new image for herself, she must first imagine herself in that image. By deciding that birthdays are just an excuse to dress up and feel great, that menopause is just another of many changes to come and embrace, and by creating, promoting, and supporting images of older women in a competent seductive light. There is no rule that says grandmothers have to be described, written and portrayed by women who don't promote sex appeal. So one day, hopefully soon, we will get tired of being told that is what getting older means, and we'll change it.  We will create social circles that include older women. We will continue supporting actresses we love by going to see their films and it will become socially unacceptable to use the term "old hag". Women will create beautiful clothing lines  that don't include elastic and flatter an older woman's figure. And we will tell our daughters that living a full life means living it up your whole life!

Blog #7 - Views on STDs

Many people seem to think that sexually transmitted diseases (STD) are for people who have multiple partners, that they are dirty or that they are deserved because of their behavior. The truth is, an STD can happen to anyone. It is true that you are more likely to contract an STD if you have multiple partners or partners with whom you know little about, but they can also occur when someone is in a serious relationship with someone who has an incurable STD. Even married people who are victims of infidelity can find themselves with a double insult. Judgement only creates shame. If a person suspects they have an STD, it is very important that they be tested and treated as soon as possible. Many STDs are curable, but can become progressively worse and the damage may be irreversible (ex. syphilis). Any sexually active person outside of a committed relationship should be regularly tested. Unfortunately, false assumptions of STDs and the "type" of people who have them can also lead to false assumption of type that does not. Unless a person is in a committed relationship with someone who they trust, protective measures should always be taken. Single people who are sexually active should educate themselves on the signs of STDs and more importantly, be aware of the diseases that do not have signs or that can remain doormat (ex. HIV). There is no prevention that will protect a person 100%,

so it is vitally important that a person be aware of their current status and take responsibility for their health.

Blog #6 - To Be Or Not To Be...A Mother

I spoke with a good friend of mine who is actually trying to conceive her second child. When I first found this out it surprised me a little, because she has always said that if anything were to happen that would end her marriage, she would allow her spouse to retain primary custody of their daughter. She is also, like most of us, struggling to find balance between family, career and quality of life. When I asked her why she had decided to have her first child, she responded that she always expected to have children. Her husband loves children and she felt it was inevitable. As far as her decision to have a second child, she simply feels that it would be cruel to make her daughter an only child. She would like for her to experience the same bond she and her sibling share and when she and her husband are gone, she doesn't want to leave her alone in this world. 

These answers made me wonder just how many American women are having children based on society's expectations of a woman's role? How many women feel that having children is inevitable in a marriage? I also wondered why it surprised me that she would give her husband primary custody. After all, isn't he just as much a parent as she? And is having another child for the sake of the first one a good reason to have a second child for yourself? As a mother, the one thing that did not surprise me in her responses, was that she was considering her family's wants and needs first. Perhaps she has more internal reasons for wanting children, but her first instinct is to consider those who she obviously loves so much.