Advocacy Project: Healthy People/THOMAS

After looking over the topics in Healthy People 2010 I decided to focus on Family Planning because it is such a controversial issue in the United States. It is very important for family planning agencies to offer emergency contraceptives. The only way to lower the number of unintended pregnancies is to educate those about contraceptive use or abstinence. This area also catches my attention because I think it would be a great job to interact and educate others on precautions to take when or if they want to become sexually active. The specific objective I chose to focus on is to increase the proportion of family planning agencies that offer emergency contraception.

Revised Objective Increase the proportion of family planning agencies that offer emergency contraception. Target: 90 percent. Baseline: 80 percent of family planning agencies offered emergency contraception in 1999. Target setting method: 13 percent improvement. Data source: The Alan Guttmacher Institute.

Update on the progress:
According to the Progress Quotient Chart, this objective has actually moved away from its target of 90 percent. Between 1999 and 2003 it had actually moved away from the target by 10 percent.
9-5. Emergency contraception provided by family planning agencies (1999, 2003)

-10% - Moved away from target

The progress has been moving away from the target so more effort needs to be put toward this goal.

I was also not able to find any information about the disparities or opportunities and challenges.

Emerging Issues: It is hard to know when a person feels the pregnancy was intended or unintended. Using feelings towards pregnancy is a better way to understand how the women or couple feels about contraceptives and birth care. They are also questioning how you can decide what "pregnancy preparation" really means.

THOMAS BILL
39. H.R.5561 : Emergency Contraception Education Act of 2010
Sponsor: Rep Slaughter, Louise McIntosh [NY-28] (introduced 6/17/2010) Cosponsors (30)
Committees: House Energy and Commerce
Latest Major Action: 6/17/2010 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.

Recommendation: Vote yes for H.R. 5561Emergency Contraception Education Act of 2010. Everyone should be educated on the advantages and disadvantages of emergency contraception. This is also a way to regulate unplanned pregnancies to women who are not ready for children.

My political representatives: Amy Klobuchar and Al Franken

Source for picture: This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 France License. You are free: to share or to remix

Share & Voice: Whole Foods Co-Op

Many of you are going to be surprised but I have NEVER been to the Whole Foods Coop....I know very sad. Since I have never been there I decided to check their website out before I make my trip there next week. Their website has many things to offer, they have coupons, recipes, newsletters, membership information, local artist information, their mission, employment opportunities, and class and meeting info. I never realized they did as many things as they do. I just figured they were another "health store". I overlooked their class schedule and it looks like a lot of fun. They offer classes called, Preserving your Garden, Pizza-From Scratch, Gluten-Free Baking, Healing with Homeopathy: Remedies for First Aid, and etc. If you have never been there like me take a trip soon because I hear they have some amazing products. Also, if you have some time checkout their website.

I would also love to hear some feedback about those who have been there before. Did you like it? Is the food very expensive? Or anything you would like to say :) Thanks!



Source for image: http://www.superiortelegram.com/marketplace/wholefoodscoop/

Eco-Chic Lifestyle Change Week 1: My SMART Goal

For our Eco-Chic blog this week we need to create a SMART goal. A SMART goal is specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and timely. My SMART goal for the next 10 weeks is:

I will only eat 3 servings (serving= 3 oz) of hormone-free, grass-fed meat, per week.

This lifestyle change is Eco-Chic because eating hormone-free, grass fed meat is the best for you and the environment. Farmers that raise these kind of animals are doing it the natural way. Instead of injecting growth hormones and other additives into these animals to increase their production, they are producing the amount they were born to make. I also hope to buy my meat locally to help local farms make a profit.

I chose this particular behavior because I do not eat meat that often but when I do I want to make sure it is in its natural form. I think the goal of three servings of meat a week will be a good way for me to eat less meat while still choosing the more natural product. I chose to do this because I usually prefer soy-based meats to real meat but I have my cravings. Changing this actual behavior is important to me because I know I can do it. I do not like how some farms and industries are taking care of their animals. It sickens me to know that a lot of the meat I have ate in my lifetime has been pumped with hormones and other additives. I think this change will be easier to make because all of the meat-free or hormone-free options now given at restaurants and in grocery stores. The only problems I may encounter are how to find these hormone-free, grass fed products because I have never taken the time to look before. I also hope the cost is isn't too overwhelming!

I will start this change today, Wednesday November 10th. Wish me luck! :)


Blogged for the Eco-Chic Lifestyle Change Week 1 hosted by Amy@Amy in the Rain



Image: You are free to share – to copy, distribute and transmit the work or to remix – to adapt the work. You must attribute the work in the manner specified by the author or licensor; This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license