March 11th, 2008 by Dr. Val Jones in News
1 Comment »
I was surprised by recent recent findings from the CDC’s National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey– one in four teenage girls (ages 14-19, chosen at random in the US) tested positive for some sort of sexually transmitted disease, most commonly HPV (human papilloma virus) (18%), followed by chlamydia (4%), trichomonas (2.5 %), and herpes (2%).
I asked Revolution Health expert, Dr. Iffath Hoskins, (Senior Vice President, Chairman and Residency Director in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Lutheran Medical Center in Brooklyn, N.Y.) what she thought of this news.
“This relatively high infection rate is cause for concern. We need to increase our education efforts so that teenagers are more aware of the risks of sexually transmitted diseases, especially since women’s reproductive futures are at stake. Chlamydia infections can substantially decrease fertility rates, long after the infection has been fully treated with antibiotics.
As far as the high HPV rates are concerned, I’m not surprised since previous research has estimated that 80-90% of adults have been infected with at least one of 80 subtypes of this very common virus. Only 6 of these 80 are known to predispose women towards cervical cancer. But the HPV vaccine can substantially reduce the risk for contracting those 6, so it’s important to vaccinate young girls against this virus.
No teenage girl should be walking around with chlamydia or trichomonas. They are treatable with antibiotics.”
The study also found racial differences between STD infection rates in teenage girls, with blacks being infected at twice the rate of white or Hispanic girls. The CDC is calling for educational outreach to at-risk groups, and the American Academy of Pediatrics supports confidential teen screening.
I hope that these staggering statistics act as a wake up call to health care providers who may not have thought to screen their teen patients for STDs. Apparently, these infections are more common than we realized.This post originally appeared on Dr. Val’s blog at RevolutionHealth.com.
March 4th, 2008 by Dr. Val Jones in Medblogger Shout Outs
No Comments »
Here are some good ones from Mindy Robert’s book, “Mommy Confidential: Adventures from the Wonderbelly of Motherhood“:
***
Son (age 6): “Dad, did you have any friends of your own before you married mom?”
Father: “Of course I did.”
Son: “Well, are they all dead?”
***
Mom: “Will, would you like lunch now?”
Son: “Mom, not only do I want lunch, but I want that fly OUT of here!”
***
[Mother is with daughter at a public restroom]
Daughter (age 4): “Mommy, I need a smaller toilet.”
Mom: “Honey, these are the only ones we have right now.”
Daughter: [Every time she wiggled onto the seat to get into a comfortable position, the automatic flushing mechanism was triggered, scaring the girl nearly to death.] “Mommy, make it stop!”This post originally appeared on Dr. Val’s blog at RevolutionHealth.com.
January 27th, 2008 by Dr. Val Jones in Humor, True Stories
5 Comments »
I spent the weekend with 6 nieces and nephews, ranging in
age from 6 weeks to 13 years. One four-year-old niece was particularly
interested in engaging me. I tried to warn her that I was terribly boring and
that I wasn’t good at playing with dolls. But she remained unfazed by my
late-night protestations.
“Auntie Val would you like some ice?” She said, presenting
one melting ice cube to me in her warm hand.
“Hmm… no, not really, thanks.” I mustered a smile hoping
that she wouldn’t feel rejected.
The little girl went on, “Well, my bed is full of soft
blankets so you should put on your jammies and we can go to sleep there. It
will be a lot of fun.”
“Ah… well, that’s very kind of you to offer, but I think I
need my teddy bear to fall asleep. Uncle Steve is my teddy bear.” I pointed at
my husband sitting next to me on the couch.
The little girl replied matter-of-factly, “No he’s not. He’s
your cake.”
“Um… well, that’s an interesting way to look at it.” I
replied awkwardly.
“You know, if you kiss uncle Steve then you’ll be married.”
She went on.
Steve immediately kissed me on the cheek and smiled
triumphantly.
“No, you have to kiss her on the lips, uncle Steve.” The
little girl put her hands on her hips.
“Uh… well… Honey, would you like to marry me again?” I asked
sheepishly.
“Why yes I would…” and Steve gave me a peck on the lips.
Then the girl squealed with glee and ran around the coffee
table one and a half times.
Does this buy me a second honeymoon?This post originally appeared on Dr. Val’s blog at RevolutionHealth.com.
January 23rd, 2008 by Dr. Val Jones in Humor
1 Comment »
Ok, I admit it. I’m just stealing content from themommyblog.net. But this quote was too charming to miss.
My friend Mindy keeps a list of her kids’ comments on her blog and at Pear Soup (a kiddie quote aggregator). This one struck a funny bone today:
Daphne and I were talking about how much we love each other and she said:
“I love you more than 1000 centuries, more than anybody or anything like a bunny or something bigger than the whole world including China.”
Now that’s a lot of love.This post originally appeared on Dr. Val’s blog at RevolutionHealth.com.
December 8th, 2007 by Dr. Val Jones in Medblogger Shout Outs, True Stories
No Comments »
There’s nothing sadder than the death of a child. Young hopes and aspirations are snuffed out long before they can ignite their potential. That’s why the Make-A-Wish Foundation is doing their part to make sick childrens’ dreams a reality – to bring a sense of joy and fulfillment to kids whose days are cut short by illness.
I had the chance to participate in making a child’s wish come true earlier this year. I blogged about it here. It was a really moving experience for me and all involved – we helped a young terminally ill boy fulfill his dream of being President of the United States for a day. Amazingly, the White House even provided a real motorcade to shuttle him around. I got to play the role of paparazzi.
An EMT student blogged about another Make-A-Wish recipient whose dream it was to become a fireman. This story is also very touching. Here’s an excerpt:
There he stood, a father watching his son’s fantasy come to life. Sometimes, the deepest pain brings the greatest happiness.
William is usually outgoing and exuberant. Not Saturday. Saturday, he was awestruck.
Powers gave William a badge and the firefighters lined up to shake his hand. As they finished introducing themselves, William lifted the badge a few inches off his lap.
“He’s showing you to let y’all know he’s a fireman now,” said his mother, Marion Bussey.
Powers reached into a bag, pulled out a hat, and gave it to William. Then he gave the boy a shirt and yellow helmet as the rest of the firefighters looked on.
William leaned toward his mother and smiled. “Mom, I like this,” he whispered.
Tears formed in Bussey’s eyes and rolled down her cheeks.
“William is our hero and you guys are his hero,” she said to the firefighters. “He doesn’t have to say he wants to be a fireman anymore.”
What happened next wasn’t scripted. Maybe it was coincidence. Maybe no explanation exists.
William’s parents and the dozen firefighters looked at William and said the same words at the same time: “You are a fireman.”
William lifted his right hand and placed it on his forehead.
“I am William McKay,” he said, “and I’m an official fireman. Thank you.”
Then he saluted.
The firefighters looked at each other, tears welling in their eyes. They began crying. Some left the room. Others dabbed their eyes with tissues. William’s family began crying. Hospital staff began crying. Almost everyone began crying.
But not William. He had no reason to cry. He was the happiest boy in the world.
This post originally appeared on Dr. Val’s blog at RevolutionHealth.com.
