I just read an article on CNN.com about HIV and soccer (You can find it here). Now, having been a student at U of M for long enough I have learned that everything is interconnected and that, especially in health, pretty much everything affects everything else. Even soccer and HIV.
The article proposed that prostitution should be decriminalized in the months leading up to and during the duration of the world cup in South Africa to better access sex workers, half of whom are estimated to be HIV positive.
Half a million fans are expected to flock to South Africa for the world cup, inevitably increasing the demand for sexual transactions. While years of education about HIV transmission among sex workers in South Africa have increased their positive sexual health practices, such as condom use, often times the clients are the ones who refuse to wear a condom. Sex workers often times don’t feel confident enough to negotiate for condoms.
Some AIDS groups are lobbying for decriminalization of prostitution in hope that it will protect both the sex workers and their clients by increasing condom use and regulating those workers who test positive for HIV and STIs. This, of course is not a perfect system, since HIV positive sex workers who are driven to prostitution due to poverty might still engage in sex for money while the clients might have a false sense of security due to increased regulations of prostitution overall.
Anyway, I am not sure what the solution is, but decriminalizing and regulating sex work, while providing adequate services for those sex workers who test positive, is definitely a start.
Also, I wish everyone a happy, healthy, productive and exciting new year!
Winter arrived in Ann Arbor last Wednesday very suddenly.
As an undergraduate, I lived about 5 minutes walking distance from any class that I was taking. But, having moved to a place about 3 miles away from the School of Public Health (up a hill), I had been listening to the radio with increasing fear as the last couple weeks have gone by. My mode of transportation has shifted from walking to biking and it has been pretty interesting so far. I biked as an undergrad, but not that much as it was so easy to just walk to class and the farmer’s market. After having made the decision to live so far from school, which allowed me to live in a house and have my own garden, I had to make the trade-off of either taking the Ann Arbor public bus or biking.
I chose biking.
So, after much consultation and eBay searching, I bought a Surly (no worries, I didn’t pay anywhere near that price). Biking in the summer and fall was fine, but it was winter that scared me. I’ve never biked in the winter and didn’t know whether any special gear was needed (oh, yes). I nearly froze my ears and jaw off last week and had to buy a balaclava. Not to mention studded tires.
A few people who knew that I biked to school asked if I was going to continue biking in the winter and whether that was even possible. I’m sure I sounded confidant in my reply, but I was really cringing in the inside because I had no idea if I was up to it. Let me just say that is is pretty intense. As in, I thought I was going to keel over by the time I got home. Biking with studded tires is like hardcore resistance biking. I was surprised at first how much harder it was to bike uphill.
What irks me so far about riding in the winter, though, is the lack of covered bike parking. We are not allowed to keep bikes inside the School of Public Health (though I have seen at least one in a professor’s office) because they are a fire hazard. However, there isn’t anything provided for us. I talked with the building manager and he told me that there are plans to put one in but that no one is in charge of it and therefore there are no dates for when it will be implemented. There probably aren’t that many people biking in the winter, but for the minority population of SPH that does bike in the winter, shouldn’t there be some sort of a solution? Leaving your bike outside in the cold is just bad for it and I’m particularly protective of this one.
Are there any seasoned winter bikers out there? Any tips? I’m getting the hang of it and it makes me feel like I’ve accomplished something, even as my homework-and-study pile gets bigger.
Around this time last year I was making decisions about graduate school. However, my decision was a little different than most. My question was not “what school of public health will I apply to?” but it was rather “should I go to a public health graduate school?”
Before my sophomore year of college, I had never even considered getting my master’s degree. However, when a program was introduced to me that seemed like it was made for me, all of that changed.
The University of Michigan School of Public Health offers a dual degree program called the Subsequent Undergraduate and Graduate Studies (SUGS) program to University of Michigan undergraduates. This program for undergraduates who are accelerated enough in their undergraduate degree allows students to begin taking School of Public Health graduate classes in their fourth (traditionally, senior) year of schooling. It offers these accelerated undergraduates the ability to walk away from the University of Michigan with a undergraduate degree and a graduate degree in a total of five years.
I had taken a pretty full course load most of my semesters at Michigan, and entered as a freshman with a decent amount of credits from Advanced Placement and college classes taken in high school. So I was more than capable of starting graduate school classes my senior year. I also fulfilled the second requirement of having a minimum of a 3.5 GPA.
The rest of the application process was very similar to what anyone applying to graduate school would experience. I had to take the GRE, gather three letters of recommendation, and write statement of purpose.
The ability to earn a master’s degree with just an additional year of schooling was too great of an opportunity for me to pass up. Plus the health effects of environmental issues is what I’m interested in, so it seemed natural that I would take the opportunity to focus on these health effects specifically.
Additionally, I believe my master’s degree will help me to be better lawyer in the future.
I encourage any undergraduate interested in public health to look into this program. It is a fantastic opportunity that should not be passed up.
When you think about malaria, chances are high that the United States is not the first country that comes to mind. However, malaria was endemic in the US until the late 1940’s, and the high prevalence of malaria in the Southeastern US is one of the main reasons why the CDC headquarters is located in Atlanta.
Malaria has a long history in the US. Until 1880 it was thought that malaria was caused by bad air (“malaria” comes from the Medieval Italian for “bad air”) and it wasn’t until 1898 that Sir Ronald Ross of Britain proved that malaria is transmitted by mosquitos. Our capital was built on a swamp (truly a wonder of modern urban planning) and in the summer was notorious for diseases including malaria and yellow fever.
It’s easy to forget that until as recently as a century ago, much of the US was still a developing country – industrial manufacturing was low and most people lived in small towns and worked on family farms. The population density was low in many regions and low-lying fields were good farmland and ideal breeding grounds for the mosquitoes that carried malaria when they flooded. Malaria was such a problem in the US that the US Census of 1870 released a map showing areas in the US where deaths from malaria were high (see below).
A Census Map Showing the Proportionate Mortality of Malaria in the US in 1870
The map is courtesy of the US Library of Congress and can be found in its original context here.
Michigan’s reputation as a hotbed of malaria was well known, as the following quote from the Bulletin of the Medical and Surgical Sanitorium (Battle Creek, Michigan, 1892) shows:
But what about Michigan malaria? Unfortunately for the reputation of Michigan as a healthful State, the idea got abroad many years ago that the principal feature of its climate was malaria. Going to Michigan was considered almost synonymous with going to have a fit of the ague. It was not supposed to be possible for a person to visit Michigan or even to pass through the State without having the chills.
Apart from being a mere historical curiosity, the high prevalence of malaria in Michigan served as a barrier to development – the rural regions of Central Michigan stand in sharp contrast to the well-developed Southeast and are a legacy of peoples’ hesitancy to venture further inland.
So how did we eradicate malaria in the United States? Public health. Even before it was known that malaria was transmitted by mosquitoes, people would clear swamps to reduce the incidence – a classic example of how you can solve a health problem without knowing the exact cause of disease if you understand the risk factors. Once we figured out that mosquitoes were the culprit, much of the eradication effort focused on their elimination. Common practices included land improvement, removal of mosquito breeding sites, and heavy insecticide use. DDT was the most commonly used insecticide, and its use in the 1940’s to eliminate malaria lead to severe environmental consequences (for more, see Silent Spring). A very nice (and brief) history can be found here.
Every end of semester I wonder how on earth I will finish everything that I need to do. Every end of semester I somehow finish it all! So- while the following entry might sound desperate, don’t you worry, dear readers, I will make it!
While undergraduate at UofM was quite difficult/challenging/exhausting at times, let me tell you, it’s nothing compared to how I feel now. Before december 18th, I need to finish six papers, two projects/presentations, one exam and one quiz. Six papers you say? Why yes. Six. That’s a lot.
Thankfully, the SPH community is alway there to help. You will always have plenty of study buddies, studying spaces, people who will go and get the so needed cup of coffee with you, and people who will listen to you complain even though they have just as much to do as you.
So, to not further procrastinate, I will see you on the other side- hopefully smarter, wiser, and ready for a vacation!
Today is World AIDS Day: a day where 5,500 people will die of AIDS and 8,200 more will become infected with HIV – 152 of them in the United States of America. The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS just released a report that says that AIDS is the leading cause of death globally in women of reproductive age. We know that HIV is a worldwide crisis, already devastating countries across the globe and poised to ravage others… unless we continue to work to stop AIDS. If you’re a regular blog reader, you know I’m not a person who just spews statistics; you know I like action (see previous posts about work with youth in the USA, youth in Peru, outreach in the USA and Peru, and advocacy). So for this World AIDS Day, I want to share with you some things you can do to help stop AIDS.
Get yourself tested for HIV. Free testing is offered all week in the local community (see complete listing here), or you can text your zip code to “KNOWIT” (566948) to find a local testing site.
KNOW YOUR STATUS!
Support organizations serving people living with HIV by donating directly to them rather than buying some product that only contributes a minuscule portion of its profits. Your donation goes further when it goes directly to the organization.
Write a letter to the editor of your local media source, call into radio stations, and send emails to friends, family and colleagues with things people can do. Describe the epidemic in your local community and challenge people to act. Call on elected officials to fund important services that keep people alive.
Attend World AIDS Day and World AIDS Week educational and action events near you. The Ann Arbor area has many events going on this week – see a complete listing on the World AIDS Week website.
Be creative and use your skills to make a difference in your community!
Carrie in front of the AIDS memorial in Durban, South Africa
I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving Holiday! With one holiday passing, and several more approaching, the students of SPH have been involved in various service projects in the surrounding community to help organizations and families experiencing economic challenges this holiday season.
I am the Community Service Chair for Public Health Students of African Descent (PHSAD) and we collected food to create Thanksgiving Baskets.
With assistance from other student organizations, we were able to collect enough food to create four (4) holiday baskets which were donated to Bryant Community Center in Ann Arbor.
Additionally, Public Health Student Association (PHSA) held a food drive, collecting over 300 pounds of food to donate to SOS Community Services. I’m especially proud of my department, Health Behavior Health Education, which collected the most food out of all the departments. Go HBHE!!
If you would like to become involved, there are several opportunities to do so! Health Behavior Health Education Student Association (HBHESA) is holding a “Winter Warmth Drive” to collect items such as sweatshirts, hats, gloves, coats, hand warmers, scarves, blankets, sleeping bags, etc. The collection box will be located on the 3rd floor of SPH I in the student mailroom.
Additionally, food pantries such as Food Gatherers of Ann Arbor (www.foodgatherers.org) are always seeking the assistance of volunteers to serve food in the kitchen or organize donations. The SOS Community Service Center is seeking donations for their programs including Adopt-A-Family and Adopt-An-Apartment (http://www.soscs.org). If you would like additional information, please visit their websites to find out how you can help. While these are just a few examples of organizations of which I am aware, there are numerous organizations in Washtenaw County that would appreciate your assistance this holiday season (and all year round).
Michigan got its chance to give feedback to the White House Office of National AIDS Policy on Wednesday, 18 November 2009. From across the state, providers, people living with HIV, and people affected by HIV came and gave their recommendations, suggestions, and demands on video tape and in writing.
The conversation was only two hours long, and the majority of the time was occupied by community members speaking about what they wanted in a National AIDS Strategy. The night started with welcomes from Craig Covey, Ferndale mayor (Ferndale is the city where the event was held) and longtime staff member of the Michigan AIDS Coalition, Christine Campbell and Larry Bryant of the Campaign to End AIDS, and Charles Pugh, President-elect of the Detroit City Council. Charles also moderated the event.
Below are some of the things people told the White House:
“When is the last time we got together as a community of loving, living people when funders weren’t making us?”
“We need quality healthcare for LGBT people living with HIV and AIDS – we need to strengthen doctor-patient relationships because people are not comfortable coming out to their doctors”
“Viagra and Cialis have aided in the resurgence of sexually transmitted infections in senior housing complexes. We need more education and prevention in these locations”
“The church, rid of stigma, denial and fear, becomes a change agent”
“my barrier [to being an AIDS advocate] is childcare”
“I wanted post-exposure prophylaxis and the nurse didn’t even know what it was!”
“We need the same laws coast to coast – enough with a patchwork of different laws about HIV”
“I missed class tonight to be here on my birthday to tell you that we need rec centers for our kids to have something safe to do after school”
“Michigan prisons don’t hand out condoms or test for HIV when people are released – but we know that people are still having sex and they need to get tested because they might need to get right into care”
It was great to hear people from as far away as Kalamazoo, Flint and Lansing gathering to speak out about such an important issue.
Larry Bryant from the Campaign to End AIDS introduces the event as moderator and President-elect of the Detroit City Council Charles Pugh looks on
I attended the Student Advocates for Nutrition (SAN) Thanksgiving dinner last week and was told that when several of them helped out at the SPH prospective student day, many of the prospective students expressed worry about transitioning into graduate school life. Now, I know that the posts on this blog from all the various students may seem like all we do are attend seminars and events and sit around and talk about public health issues (tangent: it is really weird how this can happen. I never sat around as an undergrad and chatted with classmates about peroxisomes or gap junctions. Now, I find myself in conversations about dietary guidelines and the pros and cons of vitamin supplements) but we also spend time doing other stuff.
One of my classmates, a Master’s student in Human Nutrition, does ballroom dancing and she’s in Ohio this weekend for a competition. Me, I spend a lot of time cooking and preserving. I know other people who still have time to read, travel, play sports, go to gallery openings or pursue other diversions. Still others do amazing things with their time and volunteer, work, or be a parent. One of my classmates is taking 18 credits and is a parent. Parents in school are just amazing. If she can do it, you can too.
Yeah, you may be tempted to say that it’s going to be harder just because it is graduate school but this isn’t necessarily the case. Things are a bit more intense in terms of how much you need to know, but you will be surprised at how much the grades are adjusted on exams. At this point, you are making the choice to go to graduate school to learn more, not to get more A’s. Don’t get me wrong, I still want A’s, but I’m not as concerned about spending the exponentially greater amount of time needed to get the A although I usually panic a day or two before the exam and study like mad. But those hours still don’t add up to the insane amount of studying I did as an undergrad in order to “qualify” for graduate school. Glad those crazy days are behind me. However, I have classmates who are still crazy about studying and grades. They obsess over little details in lecture notes and amp-up for exams weeks before they are slated to occur. Is this normal? Only if you think it is. It’s different for everyone.
In terms of class, classes are classes. I didn’t know anything about public health or nutrition before I started and I’m learning everything right now. It’s definitely a bit scary to jump into something that I know nothing about, but that’s what classes are for! And, incidentally, I hear that the transition from 1st year to 2nd year is much more abrupt and crazy than the transition from undergrad to grad school.
Basically, things are not going to change that much except you get to say “graduate” in front of “student” when people ask you what you’re doing with your life and you get to learn lots of really cool stuff.
I learned a lot during the process of finding my international field experience/internship in Peru last year. Although most funding sources don’t require you to submit applications until January and February, it’s a good idea to start looking for international placement options now (November). Most public health departments require an internship, and some programs require an international internship. I’ll be doing a social work internship in China and Bangladesh this summer. The Office of Global Activities at the School of Social Work has some programs that students can apply to, which is how I found the internship in China. I found the internship in Bangladesh through a friend whose family works in the field of microfinance in Dhaka. The organization is the Shakti Foundation for Disadvantaged Women. I’ve communicated a couple times via email and Skype with my Bangladeshi preceptor/supervisor, and we’ve determined the main projects I’ll be working on.
Some steps for finding an international internship (NOT necessarily in any specific order):
Think about what skills you want to learn or develop. You can base this on your department’s competencies, theories you learned in class that you now want practical knowledge of, or skills outside your academic training – maybe skills outside your department. Your internship is supposed to be the practical/skill-based portion of your academic degree.
Think about a region or culture you’d like to learn more about. Do you see yourself working in a specific region upon graduation? Do you have language skills you want to develop – or do you want to learn a new language? Do you need a placement in which you can speak English? Remember that while it’s summer in Michigan, it’s winter in the southern hemisphere. Consider major holidays that take place in certain regions of the world – for example, Ramadan will start either 11 or 12 August, depending on the exact location. This could affect your internship in some countries.
Think about what contacts you have in global locations – family, friends, colleagues. Your professors are a major asset here, and from my experience, they want to help you, so contact them! Talk to your adviser about his/her specialty/ies and see what suggestions s/he has. Contact speakers you might have heard and found interesting on campus.
Visit the many campus offices and websites (many listed below) that might have any contacts. Consider working through a volunteer organization (though these often aren’t as flexible for academic purposes and have set programs to offer).
Consider your budget and the amount of time you will be able to spend applying for campus and other funding. Most students get mostly funded, but it does take time to apply. I’ll write another post later about funding your international field experience/internship.
Contact potential international sites. Discuss with them what you are hoping to gain from your experience and what you hope you can contribute to their organization. Remember to be patient and flexible when contacting potential sites. Also remember to be mindful that the skills you want to develop may not be feasible at some organizations. For example, some organizations may not have computers with SPSS – or even have computers!
Students who’ve already done international internships, please leave other tips below in the comments. Students seeking international internships, please leave questions below in the comments!
