Killing germs on the go!

Our world is a fast paced one, and that requires us to be on the go. This tends to mean we take for granted important tasks; such as washing our hands on a regular basis. In the past year, USF administrators have made a concerted effort to give students and faculty means in which they can help prevent the spread of germs and bacteria by placing hand sanitizing stations throughout the USF campus. For our group picture we chose one of the many hand sanitizer stations that are placed all over campus, the one featured is actually right outside our classroom in the Public Health building on the second floor! According to the CDC, “Hand sanitizers were effective in reducing gastrointestinal illnesses in households, in curbing absentee rates in elementary schools, and in reducing illnesses in university dormitories.” (Reynolds SA, Levy F, Walker ES. Hand sanitizer alert [letter]. Emerg Infect Dis [serial on the Internet]. 2006 Mar [date cited]. Available from http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/EID/vol12no03/05-0955.htm)

If student and faculty use of these hand sanitizer stations would result in just one less sickness per month, we believe they have already done their job. That one less sickness can translate into a viral or bacterial infection not being spread to others, which in turn results in less use of medical care in treating a potential sickness in the public health arena on a secondary or tertiary level. Hand sanitizers show the importance of primary prevention in public health.

This by no means implies that hand sanitizers should take the place of normal hand washing. Hand sanitizers should be used as an additional method to fight the spread of germs and help us keep up with our fast paced society.

Adult Toy Stores and Public Health

Sexual Behavior in all its flavors can be explored fully in many adult toy stores across the nation. Many adults do not think about safe practices when using these toys. Heck, sometimes it is difficult to sway them into wearing protection or using barriers to body fluids. So when we adults think about these types of locations, locations like The Todd, we tend to think of fun and not of safety.

But did you know that places like The Todd could play a very important role in the promotion of Public Health? When you purchase items from such locations, The staff could provide a brief, but very important education in regard to your sexual health. These places offer the perfect environment to educate you about your own sexual safety and how to keep your partner or partners safe from STIs, STDs, and unwanted pregnancy.

Prior to buying your toy or product of choice, they could demonstrate to you its proper use, instruct you on how to clean and store it after using, and how to avoid exposure to each others body fluids, specifically, via the toy. They could advise on the reduced efficacy of condoms when used in conjunction with spermicides, the importance of using oral barriers when having oral sex, and many other little known facts about reducing your exposure to an unwanted outcome. And the staff could do all this educating while still encouraging you, the buyer, that the fun factor is not going to be reduced by being more careful in your play.

Adult toy stores could be a new avenue for public health officials to reach out and promote safer sex , not only for the general public, but also for the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender public who are generally underserved in sexual health education. This is probably due to the taboo nature discussing alternative sexual experiences. So, doesn't it seem perfect that a place that gives you the giggles when you talk about shopping there, could also be the place that educates you about the ways to experience fun and safe sex in any form?

Always be Packing Protection

This picture was taken at a local Walgreen's pharmacy very near the USF Tampa campus. As you may or may not be able to see from the members holding merchandise, we chose to select sexual health as our "This is Public Health" topic. As college students and adults, it is our responsibility to protect our own health and our moral obligation to protect the health of our sexual partners.

According to a study published in 2005 in the Journal of Sexual Research, approximately 90% of first-year undergraduates were sexually active at least once in the 12 months prior to the study.(LaBrie et al, 2005) While this percentage seems high, it will vary from region to region and it is no secret that college students have sex. But why do we have to wear condoms? Let us answer that question with more questions. Did you know that TODAY, May 31, 2011, marks the 30th anniversary of the discovery of AIDS? Did you know that there's still no cure for HIV/AIDS? That's why you need to wear a condom.

Condoms are public health and are life-saving devices if used correctly. They are a perfect example of secondary prevention and must be used as intended to prevent disease, not just by drug mules crossing from Mexico. (Pictured left to right: Adam, Danielle, Jamey, Bryan, Nardo)

Protect Yourself for Public Health

This photograph was taken at the Student Health Services Annex. In this place students can gain access to knowledge and resources to better their health. This office easily found and is located on the ground floor of the Marshall Student Center. In this location five free condoms are offered to students daily in order to ensure safe sex practices. This location was chosen because of its relations to general preventative measures for the health of students of University of South Florida. In this our focus was on the work done by Student Health Services to promote safe sex. Through this campaign of judgment-free availability, it empowers students to make better choices when it comes to their sex life. Through this there will be lower instances of unwanted pregnancies, and transmission of STIs (Sexually Transmitted Infections).STIs pose a health threat to college age students, as any time there is sexual activity, infections pose a risk. According to the Center for Disease Control, sexually active adults and adolescents are at a much higher risk for contracting STDs than older adults. However, the use of condoms may greatly reduce risks if used properly. The availibility of not just condoms, but also important health information available at the Student Health Services Annex can help USF students to live healthier lives and work towards prevention of some of the more common college diseases relating not just to sexual activity, but also to diet, stress, and lifestyle. In making this information available, USF is helping to win some important public health battles.

Jessica Turner, Caitlin Myers

Quest Diagnostics is Public Health

Quest Diagnostics was chosen because it can diagnose different infections, along with many other conditions. It helps the public by allowing them to get tested for various reasons. Its location is very convenient because it is less than a mile away from the University of South Florida. This means students can go there for any screening tests they might need.

It represents a public health issue because at the local level of governance, it serves as a primary and more importantly secondary role in heath prevention and intervention. The facility screens, provides therapies and monitor's their patients results so that the population's health overall is better. For example, pregnant women are directed to quest diagnostics by their doctors for all kinds of screening tests. This is a huge part of prenatal care, which ensures that the baby is safe. Without these tests, mothers would not know the status of their pregnancy which could lead to complications.

Quest Diagnostics clinics provide testing for STIs (sexually transmitted infections). The rate of certain STIs such as Chlamydia and Gonorrhea have increased within the last several decades. By providing testing for such infections, the population can be made more aware of their health conditions. 

 The facility also educates its patients on how to perceive results and what it means to them in their personal lives. The facility also serves as a load bearer for hospital and other medical facilities. It can help to lower the overall cost of expenditures for them, so that they can divert their time and funds to primary care. Quest Diagnostics has a unique capacity to collect data from a wide range of specimens and socioeconomic backgrounds to get a real world view of the current health status for the population that they serve.

By:
Francia Luke, Sheena Patel, Natesha Francis, and Lawrence McKinney

Hiking and Cycling against Obesity

Hiking and Cycling against Obesity

Public Health Blog Group: Wilderness Parks (off Road Trails for Hikers & Bicyclists Located on North Fletcher just passed 75.)

A Public Health issue that is on the rise today is obesity. It is becoming an epidemic in the United States and is beginning to become a chronic disease. Obesity with its accelerating numbers does not just affect the appearance of a person but most importantly causes numerous health consequences. Such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and hypertension just to name a few. The best way to lower prevalence of obesity is by educating and promoting healthy lifestyles through parks and recreations. Parks such as the Wilderness Park Hillsborough provide a great way to establish healthy lifestyle as a family affair; involving everyone in the family, including the children, while educating them about fitness and healthy choices that carry on into adulthood.

We are able to fight against the rise of obesity by taking personal responsibility and using the resources that are offered to us in our community. We decided to place our Public Health sticker at the Wilderness Park located on North Fletcher just passed 75. This park is close to campus and provides a hiking or biking trail for anyone who is interested in this type of physical activity; however, for beginners this park also allows them to interact in physical activities by walking or by running along the Hillsborough River. For those that do not live close to USF, Hillsborough County also offers six other parks in the area that connect to each other that offer the same amenities. If you are interested in finding out about these other locations you can go to www.hillsboroughCounty.org.

By: Elisabeth Franzen, Hanin Fernandez, Giordana Krone, Yarelys Gancia, Lauren Houston

Pedal for Public Health

Pedal for Public Health
Safety on Tampa’s Roadways

Soaring gas prices, negative impact by toxic emissions on air quality, and global warming are all factors that have led to Americans scrambling for alternative sources of fuel and transportation. Many people have made the choice to travel on foot or bicycle as there means of transportation. The health and protection of these pedestrians is insurmountable and falls in the Public Health domain. For this reason, our group chose to place our sticker on a bike lane sign near the intersection of Bruce B. Downs and Holly Dive. This intersection is across the street from the USF campus and is a heavily traveled area by pedestrians. Bicycle lanes have a minimal width of 1.5 meters (5 feet) against a curb or adjacent to a parking lane(FHWA BICYCLE AND PEDESTRAIN TRANSPORTAION). Streets that have bike lanes next to the curb have a 1 or 2-foot gutter pan, a gutter pan being the depression which runs alongside a city street. The lane our group examined meets minimal width standards about 5 feet wide. This means that the bike lane can be very easily overlooked if a person is not paying attention. The community of Tampa took efforts to ensure the safety of bicyclists by providing them with a bike sign, on the streets for protection in the community. Bike signs clearly indicate the roadway allowing drivers to be aware that the area is designated for the people who choose to ride a bike. In our society, bike lanes help to improve our health, and the bike sign reflects our commitment to the public and its protection. This is Public Health!!