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michaelNovember 30, 2018comment (0)

The Need For a Good Drug Prevention Curriculum for School Children

School children, especially teenagers, are one of the demographic segments most at risk of substance abuse and alcohol addiction. There are two major reasons for this – a lack of experience and a desire to rebel against the norms. Teenagers typically have less experience with the real world than adults. Therefore, they are less likely to fully comprehend the potential negative consequences of drug abuse and the problems that an addiction could cause in later life. The desire to rebel against the instructions of teachers and parents may also drive some teens and adolescents to try illicit drugs.

In the year 2014, over forty-seven thousand people in the United States died of a drug overdose. Over sixty percent of these deaths were caused by an overdose of opioids. However, substance abuse consists of a vast landscape of items and products apart from opioids and stimulants. Not all types of substance abuse are potentially fatal either. However, they can lead to severely negative health outcomes in the long term.

Substance Abuse Statistics

Over fifty million people over the age of 12 reportedly smoke cigarettes on a semi-regular basis. More than twelve million people reportedly smoked one or more packs of cigarettes every single day and could thus be classified as chain smokers. According to data accumulated by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), one-fifth of young adults between the ages of 12 and 20 drink alcohol habitually.

More than 4 million people admitted to binge drinking alcoholic beverages at some point in their lives. Additionally, it was found that one in ten young adults between the ages of 18 and 25 confessed to being heavy alcohol users. Also according to SAMSHA, over 28 million people over the age of 12 had used an illegal drug in the past month or so before taking the survey. Most people with a substance abuse problem either used marijuana or were addicted to one form of prescription drug or another. The most common culprit was the addiction to prescription pain relievers.

The Need for a Drug Prevention Curriculum in Schools

With children and adolescents being the most vulnerable to the temptation of drug and alcohol abuse, schools – middle and high school – must adopt an active role in helping spread awareness about the negative consequences of addiction and related habits. This is why schools must develop a robust and comprehensive drug prevention curriculum for their students. This will help the students recognize and avoid situations that might lead to the consumption or use of illicit substances.

This type of drug education program must begin at an early age, as it will help children learn the essential skills needed for drug prevention before they are old enough to face peer pressure for the use of drugs and alcohol. A good drug prevention curriculum at the middle and high school levels will equip children with the tools to make informed decisions about their own health and wellbeing.

Elements of an Effective Drug Prevention Curriculum

In order to be optimally effective, the drug prevention curriculum implemented by a school must have certain features and characteristics. These features are as follows:

Media Analysis: A drug prevention curriculum in the school must teach students to critically engage with and analyze media portrayals of drug and alcohol abuse. This enables the children to understand the motivations and goals behind advertisements and thus allows them to be immune to their effects to a great extent. Media analysis must also include openly discussing and talking about the portrayal of drug use in popular culture. This will ensure that the students are not persuaded to use drugs and alcohol after watching their favorite movie star indulge in such activities.
Peer Pressure: This is another highly important facet of a good, successful, and evidence-based drug prevention curriculum. Most school students begin using drugs as a result of societal and peer pressure. These forces can often compel teenagers to try drugs, sometimes even against their better judgment, which then leads to addiction. In order to be effective, a drug prevention curriculum must teach students how to recognize and avoid peer pressure, both subtle and overt.
Stress Management: Another major reason why teens and adolescents are driven to use drugs is the fact that they are often unable to manage and control their own emotions. In a world full of constant stimulation in the form of gadgets, magazines, social media, and television, it can be easy for teens to constantly compare their lives to those of others. This can lead to feelings of inadequacy, stress, and loneliness. It is well known that these emotions, and the inability to channel them in a healthy and productive manner, can lead to substance abuse in kids. Thus, an effective drug prevention curriculum adopted by middle and high schools must teach students important life skills such as stress management and emotional well being.

In Conclusion

These are some of the reasons why a comprehensive and effective drug prevention curriculum is so important for private and public schools to implement. Such a curriculum or program will enable students to lead healthier and more wholesome lives in the long term. It will also help reduce the incidence of substance abuse and drug addiction in the community as a whole.

michaelNovember 21, 2018comment (0)

All You Need to Know About HPV Prevention

HPV or human papillomavirus is one of the most common sexually transmitted diseases. With over 40 kinds of sexually transmitted HPV, 20 million individuals in the US alone are infected with this virus. Usually, the virus doesn’t lead to severe symptoms. But, in some cases, it can even cause severe diseases such as cervical cancer in women, which is why HPV prevention is essential.

What Is HPV?

As the name suggests, HPV is a virus that spreads when two individuals come into skin-to-skin contact with each other. From 100+ types of HPV, approximately 40 are transmitted through sexual contact and affect different parts of the body such as the mouth, genitals, and the throat.

Other HPV infections are less severe and don’t affect the genitals. These can be commonly transmitted through the hands and feet, for example by going into a public shower without slippers.

Due to the ease through which this disease can be contracted, most sexually active individuals have it at some point in their life. This is true even when an individual has fewer sexual partners. However, since the virus goes away on its own generally, many people don’t even notice the occurrence.

Causes of HPV Infection

HPV can be contracted through any type of sexual contact such as oral, anal, or vaginal intercourse. This can happen even when the partner doesn’t show any visible signs or symptoms of HPV infection. But, the virus is transmitted mostly through skin-to-skin contact, which means that it can be contracted even without sexual intercourse.

In some cases, an HPV infected mother can give it to her child during delivery or breastfeeding. Sometimes people even carry the virus in their mouth – so even kissing can spread the virus to another person.

The virus, however, cannot be transmitted through toilet seats, pools, hot tubs, or when you share food with someone.

Symptoms of HPV

Most types of HPV infections don’t show visible signs and symptoms, which is why many people don’t even realize that they have HPV. This is also the reason HPV is spread easily through contact with sexual partners.

When the virus doesn’t get cured naturally, it can cause serious health problems including throat or genital warts or even cancer. It can cause small bumps around the genital area, throat, head, or neck. Contracting HPV doesn’t always lead to cancer, but women can develop cervical cancer within a few months of getting infected with the virus.

Risk Factors for HPV

There is no way of knowing beforehand whether or not HPV infection will cause a health problem or any type of health issue. However, individuals who have a weak immune system are at higher risks of suffering from health issues due to HPV.

HPV Prevention Tips

Since the virus is spread through skin-to-skin contact, the easiest way of HPV prevention is to limit the number of sexual partners and use condoms during sexual intercourse.

Another effective method of HPV prevention is to get vaccinated for the virus, as this will protect you from many types of HPV infection.

The only way to avoid giving HPV to someone else is to avoid contracting it in the first place. Hence, be careful during sexual intercourse, don’t go barefoot in public showers, and get vaccinated as early as possible.

Treatment for HPV

When HPV prevention fails, many individuals contract the virus. so you should definitely go for a Pap test if you observe unusual bumps around your throat, head, or genitals. In cases where the Pap test isn’t normal, these treatments can be used:

Colposcopy involves closely examining the cervix to observe the development of precancerous cells.
Cryotherapy involves eliminating precancerous cells from the cervix area.
Loop Electrosurgical Excision Procedure involves eliminating precancerous cells through electrical current.

HPV can’t be cured but the various prevention methods discussed above can be used to avoid the virus infection.

Facts about HPV

There is a high chance that you have already had HPV. As many people don’t exhibit symptoms, most get infected by the virus and then transmit it. Usually, the virus is cured on its own without any external intervention.
Use of condoms can reduce the risk of contracting the virus, but it doesn’t eliminate it totally. The virus can live in or around the pubic hair or scrotum, which can be contracted even with the use of condoms.
The HPV virus can stay inactive or dormant for years before finally showing symptoms or leading to cancerous growth.
Since smoking is known to reduce the efficacy of the immune system, it increases the risk of HPV.
HPV prevention is possible through vaccination but it can’t cure people who already have it. This makes it important to get a Pap test even when you have been vaccinated.

Who Should Get Vaccinated For HPV?

Individuals who are between the ages of 9 and 45 years can receive vaccination for HPV to prevent the development of cancerous cells or genital warts. However, it is preferable that children receive the vaccination when they are 11 or 12 years old. Parents and school authorities can encourage students to get vaccinated early so that they can stay protected against the HPV virus in later years.

Conclusion

HPV is a very common disease that can be easily contracted by individuals. Hence, getting vaccinated and being careful during sexual intercourse is essential for HPV prevention. This can be taught to young children in schools during sex education sessions. It will help educate them about the impact of the virus on the body.