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Sex Education in US Schools
Some school districts have sophisticated sexual education courses for their students, offer contraceptives, pregnancy test kits, and advanced health classes. In addition to this many high schools and some junior high schools offer clinics in addition to the traditional nurse’s office where students can get personalized support on a wide range of sexual topics and services. Still other school districts see sex education, STDs and in-school contraceptives as taboo and want to leave that topic for parents to cover with their children. And what about college age students? Many university campuses have a full spectrum of sex education, sexual health products and clinics. How does your part of the country fit in? Is morality, ethics, or personal responsibility part of the discussion?
Then again many parents may be embarrassed or not know how to talk about these issues with their children and hope the schools, churches, or civic groups provide the facts about sexual health. At the other spectrum are engaged and open parents who feel it’s their duty to teach their children about the more than just the birds and the bees. Some families, schools, and areas of the country educate children at a very young age. Where does your school fit into the broad spectrum?
School Nurse News featured the article Teen Pregnancy and the Role of the School Nurse by Arleen Barlow, BSN, MA in their November 2008 issue. The article talked about the importance of education and counseling. Barlow noted in the article that the high school she works at has a school-based clinic that provides many services including strep throat, MRSA, mental health and venereal diseases testing.
Obviously not all schools offer these services whether due to funding, political and/or religious beliefs, etc. However, consider this - according to the Guttmarcher Institute almost 750,000 women aged 15 to 19 become pregnant each year. At the same time, the teenage pregnancy rate is at its lowest level in 30 years, down 36% since its peak in 1990. Have the teen pregnancy statistics improved through sexual Education, Abstinence programs, more engaged parents or a mix of all of these? Please tell us about what’s happing where you work in our comments section.
As good as a reduction in teen pregnancy is many areas of the country have rates as high as 50 newborns per 1000 female students per year. In a school with 4000 high school teens that’s an average of 400 births across the campus by graduation!
What about sexually transmitted diseases/infections? According to the CDC the highest age-specific rates of reported Chlamydia in 2006 were among women ages 15 to 19 (2,862.7 cases per 100,000 females). Chlamydia is the most common STD however 2006 was the first time reported cases exceeded 1 million.
How do you feel about sex education in US schools? Is there a certain age you think is the right age to start teaching appropriate information? What is the policy/standard in your school district? Should it be up to the parents to educate their children about sexual health, including “risky behavior”? As a school nurse are you allowed to distribute condoms or other contraceptives? If so, who is distributing them? The school nurse? Where are they distributing them - the library, cafeteria, or in PE/gym class? Does your school provide pregnancy tests to students? At what age is it too young to begin sex education? What improvements do you think could be made?
We would love to know your thoughts, and that of your peers. Please encourage nurses, and teachers to contribute to this topic and let us know what you think and what is going on at your school, campus, or college.
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Does Your Employer Meet OSHA Standards?
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) bloodborne pathogen standard, 29 CFR 1910.1030, requires that employers supply employees with proper instructions, equipment, personal protection equipment (PPE) and disinfectant to safely clean up body fluid spills. This OSHA safety standard applies to employees who have occupational exposure to blood or other potentially infectious material.
Does this apply to you? Yes. Whether you’re a school nurse, teacher, a campus security guard, administrative assistant, janitor, work at a daycare center, in a clinic, etc. this applies to you. No matter how crazy, mundane or completely serene your work environment, this applies to you.
OSHA compliance would mean being provided with all the items necessary to properly clean up and dispose of any reasonably anticipated spill. As an employee you must be protected from:
- Puncture wounds from glass or other sharp objects contaminated with blood
- Contact or splatter to eyes, nose or mouth
- Contact to non-intact skin or clothing
The supplies needed to meet these OSHA regulations may be purchased as a biohazard spill kit or as individual items. However, it is usually best practice, more convenient and economical to buy spill kits as a whole instead from a reputable and respected source as opposed to piecing supplies together.
OSHA states that the PPE your employer provides should be based upon an employees reasonably anticipated exposure while performing a task or procedure. However, it is impossible to anticipate or predict the degree of exposure to every possible circumstance or situation that could arise.
Flu season is now upon us and it can and usually does sneak up on someone. What if that someone doesn’t make it to the restroom and now there’s vomit on the classroom or office floor? Whether it’s you or the janitor do you have vomit absorbent? Let’s say someone has a bad experience in a chemistry lab or technical education class and now there’s blood in more places than you thought possible. Who is on blood cleanup duty?
Accidents can happen any time. Make sure you and your employer are prepared with an OSHA compliant spill kit and infection control supplies.
Sources: OSHA, Sharps compliance Inc.
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American Diabetes Month®
November Is American Diabetes Month®. Throughout the month the American Diabetes Association (ADA) will be working hard to raise awareness about the seriousness of diabetes and its potential complications such as heart disease, stroke, kidney disease, blindness and amputations.
Diabetes affects 7.8% of the American population, that’s 23.6 million people. Of that 23.6 million 17.9 million people have been diagnosed but the remaining 5.7 million people have yet to be diagnosed. Adults and children alike are susceptible to diabetes. This disease does not age discriminate.
What exactly is diabetes? Diabetes is a disease that causes blood glucose levels to be above normal. People with diabetes have trouble converting food to energy. The food you eat is broken down into a sugar called glucose. Your blood carries the glucose to cells throughout your body. Cells use insulin, a hormone made in the pancreas, which aids in converting blood glucose into energy.
How do you know if you could be at risk for diabetes? Check these risk factors:
- Your mother, father, sister, or brother has diabetes
- You are African American, Hispanic American/Latino, American Indian, Native Alaskan, Asian American, or Pacific Islander
- You have high blood pressure (at or above 130/80)
- You have a history of diabetes during pregnancy (gestational diabetes) or gave birth to a baby weighing more than nine pounds at birth
- You are overweight or obese
- You are inactive or have a sedentary lifestyle
- You are more than 45 years old
The ADA provides a great Diabetes Risk Calculator allowing you to determine your risk of prediabetes or diabetes.
Do you have diabetes or someone close to you? Does your child have diabetes? Do they have a nurse at school to help them monitor their blood sugar? Take a moment to comment on how diabetes has affected your life.
Sources: USA.gov, American Diabetes Association
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Halloween Safety Tricks ‘n Tips
The awesome colored leaves in your neighborhood have probably dried out by now and are begging to be stomped on making that great crunching noise. You know what that means – no, not just the end of October – Halloween! Who doesn’t dig dressing up and getting candy? Whether you’re a skeleton, witch or this year’s “it” character have fun and stay safe. Here are some tricks ‘n tips for both the young and the young at heart:
Tricks ‘n Tips For Young People
Tricks ‘n Tips For the Young at Heart
Wishing all a safe and spooky Halloween!
Sources: American Red Cross and Los Angeles Fire Department
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Stayin’ Alive…Literally
Who knew? “Stayin’ Alive” by the Bee Gees is not only a great song to dance to but it also provides an ideal beat to perform chest compressions as part of CPR on a heart attack victim.
Dr. David Matlock, of the University Of Illinois College Of Medicine at Peoria, tested his theory on a small group of 15 doctors and medical students. Matlock discovered that having the small study group listen to “Stayin’ Alive” aided them in performing chest compressions on dummies at the correct speed.
So, what is the proper speed? The American Heart Association (AHA) calls for a rate of 100 chest compressions per minute. Where does the 1977 “Saturday Night Fever” anthem stand? A close 103 beats per minute.
After five weeks of practicing CPR on dummies while listening to the disco tune the study group was then asked to perform it without hearing the music. Instead, the group was asked to keep the song in their heads while performing CPR. The group again kept up a decent pace.
Matlock’s findings will be presented at the American College of Emergency Physicians meeting in Chicago later this month.
What do you think? Is it a fun coincidence or really a great learning tool? Take a moment to comment once you finally got the song out of your head. Can you believe that classic is over 30 years old?
Source: Reuters
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Are You Getting a Flu Shot This Flu Season?
The common cold, sore throats – you think those are bad but what about the flu? Sometimes people mistake the common cold or a sore throat for the flu but anyone who’s ever had the flu knows you get slammed with what seems like every symptom possible (fever, headache, exhaustion, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, body aches, diarrhea, vomiting, etc.).
Although the flu symptoms sound really attractive most people try to avoid it like the plague. Flu season can start as early as October and lose its steam as late as May. So, are you getting a flu shot this season? If you are, October and November are considered the best times to get one so you’re ahead of the game. If not, do you have any flu season precautions or just chance it? It’s a bit unrealistic to wear gloves and masks while out and about but it is easy to wash your hands properly and sanitize to prevent the spreading of germs and bacteria.
The American Lung Association has a cool Flu Clinic Locator tool on their website to quickly help you find where you need to go to get your flu shot - check it out.
Sources: American Lung Association, CDC, WebMD
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Fire Prevention Week
Your home should be a safe haven. But do you regularly check for home fire hazards? If not, there is the potential for danger. Fire departments responded to nearly 400,000 home fires in 2006. That’s why the theme of Fire Prevention Week 2008 is “It’s Fire Prevention Week: Prevent Home Fires!”
From October 5-11, 2008, fire safety advocates will spread the word to their communities that, with a little extra caution, preventing the leading causes of home fires – cooking, heating, electrical and smoking-materials – is within their power.
Source: NFPA
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Avoiding and Surviving the Common Cold
The common cold can strike at any time and is most contagious during the first 2 – 24 hours symptoms first appear. Did you know kids can get eight or more colds a year? This contagious viral infection of the upper respiratory tract is the number one reason kids find themselves at the doctor’s office and missing school.
Most people know the basics of what causes a cold, prevention, the signs and symptoms, and treatment but it’s always a good idea to review the cold hard facts.
The cause of most colds is the rhinovirus. Rhinoviruses are found in the invisible droplets in the air we breathe or on things we touch including person-to-person contact. With more than a 100 different rhinoviruses able to get past the protective lining of the nose and throat it’s best to practice good hygiene habits and common courtesy so our immune system doesn’t trigger a reaction.
How can you avoid a cold? Steer clear of people who smoke, smoking stinks! Smokers and second hand smoke victims are twice as likely to catch a cold and suffer worse and longer lasting symptoms. Thorough and frequent hand washing, covering mouths and noses when coughing or sneezing (aim for the shirt sleeve not the hand), and not using the same towels, utensils or drinking cups will also help. No one wants to pick up a dirty tissue but sometimes you have to and when you do, wear gloves.
No matter how hard you try to avoid a cold sometimes you still find yourself with one. Cold symptoms generally appear after 2 – 3 days of initial contact. The first symptoms of a cold are generally a tickle in the throat, runny or stuffy nose and sneezing. Colds can lead into more symptoms such as a sore throat, cough, headache, mild fever, fatigue, muscle aches, loss of appetite and a change in nasal discharge.
What you can do to ease the pain of cold symptoms:
- Saltwater drops/saline nose drops in the nostrils to relieve nasal congestion
- Cool-Mist humidifier to increase air moisture
- Petroleum jelly on the skin under the nose to sooth rawness
- Hard candy or cough drops to relieve sore throat
- Warm bath or heating pad to sooth aches and pains
- Steam from a hot shower to help you breathe more easily
Medicine such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen and decongestants such as Benadryl won’t cure the common cold but can be used to relieve muscle aches, headache and fever. Please make sure you follow the package recommendations accordingly so you avoid adverse reactions.
Chicken soup contains a mucus-thinning amino acid called cysteine which explains why sick people have been promoting it for over 800 years. At the end of the day, eat when you’re hungry, drink plenty of fluids (except caffeine, it causes frequent urination thus defeating the purpose) and get lots of rest. Some colds last as long as two weeks but most run their course in one week.
Source: KidsHealth
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Head Lice Are Bad Enough But Now Super Lice?
What does head lice look like?
Head lice, or pediculosis, are tiny insects that crawl from head to head, latch onto hair follicles, and then feed on tiny droplets of blood. Sounds gross, right? School nurses, teachers and parents know these little pests are no strangers to day care centers and elementary schools. Young people are in close quarters making it easy for these sesame seed-sized-insects to spread. Adults aren’t exempt from these annoying little critters but the itchy condition is most common in school kids, particularly girls. Head lice are bad enough but now there’s the fear of super lice.
Super lice are the same as head lice except they are believed to have become resistant to over-the-counter lice treatment and medications. For years researchers have been warning that head lice not only in the United States but around the world are developing immunity to the strong insecticides used in over-the-counter and prescription shampoos. Shirley C. Gordon, an associate professor at Florida Atlantic University who studies persistent head lice, notes it takes only three to five years for the bugs to adapt to a new product. Manufacturers of these over-the-counter products beg to differ and health officials continue to recommend products such as Nix and RID. Health officials agree that the permethrin in Nix, the pyrethrin s in RID, the lindane in Kwell and the prescription malathion in Ovide may not work on everyone but it still works on some people.
Whether you’re dealing with a case of head lice or the feared super lice what product are you using to get rid of lice? Are you using RID? How about NIX? Are you removing lice the old-fashion way with a tried and true fine-toothed nit comb? There are many new products that you may or may not have heard of such as Lice B Gone which is a non-toxic shampoo, Accu-Life Lice Cure which is a lice and egg removal system, or the urban legend of mayonnaise – HeadLiceInfo.com suggests you opt for olive oil which is easier to remove from hair. If you’re a school nurse checking students for head louse do you use the wood applicators AKA “chop-sticks” or have you tried the new Neon Nits Head Lice Locator? For a light-hearted book to read to your students or children check out Yikes-Lice! by Donna Caffey. Share your best remedies, stories and remember to take this week’s democracy poll!
Source: MSNBC
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Eye Safety Awareness
Did you know Prevent Blindness America declared September as Sports and Home Eye Safety Month? According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) half of all eye injuries take place when doing everyday chores such as cleaning, doing yard work or working in the garage. Wearing eye protection helps prevent 90% of eye injuries. However, the AAO reports that a staggering 78% of injured people were not wearing protective eyewear when the accident took place.
Hugh R. Parry, president and CEO of Prevent Blindness America commented, “All too often, when we’re working around the house and doing chores that we’ve done a thousand times before without incident, we forget about the risks we take by not protecting our eyes. But all it takes is one split-second accident that could damage your vision for a lifetime.”
Prevent Blindness America strongly supports the AAO and the American Society of Ocular Trauma (ASOT). In their recommendation every household should have at least one pair of American National Standards Institute (ANSI) approved eyewear. The eyewear should have the “Z-87” logo stamped on the frames and are relatively inexpensive.
Safety eyewear should be worn when working with chemicals (bleach, acid, etc.) or equipment (car, yard, etc.) After working with any of these products it’s also important to thoroughly wash your hands or use a strong hand sanitizer.
Although accidents can and will happen you can always take extra precautions to avoid them or limit the potential damage. Safety glasses and eye care products are a small investment to pay for a lifetime of vision.
Sources
Occupational Hazards
Prevent Blindness America
