What a woman can do to reduce her risk of sexual assault

I consider myself very fortunate to have never been physically or sexually assaulted.  It is scary to think of how many women are victims of assault.  The truth is, everybody knows somebody who has been beaten, raped, or verbally abused.  I cannot explain why I am one of the lucky ones...Many women who are assaulted are simply in the wrong place at the wrong time.

According to RAINN, (Rape, Abuse& Incest National Network), Assault is a crime of motive and opportunity.  Unfortunately, there is no surefire way to prevent an attack ("Ways to reduce," 2013).  RAINN suggests the following strategies for reducing your risk of assault
1.) Avoid dangerous situations
2.) Trust your instincts
3.) Have a "safety plan." Know what to do if you or a friend is assaulted
4.) Watch out for your friends and vice versa
5.) When you go to a social gathering, go with a group of friends.
6.) Never take an open beverage from a stranger

Although many of these strategies seem like common sense, I will admit that I was unaware of one of them.  Because I have never been assaulted, I do not have a "safety plan."  It never occurred to me that I would need a plan of action to follow if I was to be assaulted.  After some consideration, I formulated a safety plan that I will put into action if I (or one of my friends)  were to be assaulted.  
I encourage everyone who reads this post to share these strategies with every woman they care about.  





Ways to reduce your risk of sexual assault. (2013). Retrieved from http://www.rainn.org/get-information/sexual-assault-prevention

"The Talk"

It is a rainy Thursday afternoon.  A mother sits in an overstuffed chair as she watches the raindrops dance on the windowpane.  She sees the large, yellow school bus make a stop at the street corner and watches as the students exit the bus.  Finally, a tall redheaded girl with bouncing curls and a beautiful smile steps out of the bus an onto the slippery, wet sidewalk.  The mother is nervous with anticipation as her daughter, Cecilia runs toward the front door to escape the rain.  Cecilia bursts through the door, relieved to be indoors where the rain cannot touch her.
"Sit down, Cecilia." the mother says.  "I think it's time we have a discussion......."

I don't remember ever having "the talk" with my parents.  Once I reached a certain age I think they just assumed I knew what sex was and that was that.  Looking back, my parents were irresponsible for never having "the talk" with me.  The first time I learned about STDs and STIs was in health class my freshman year of high school.

In my opinion "the talk" should include

1. Talking about contraceptives. Parents or guardians should address the different types of contraceptives.  Condoms should be discussed because they protect against STDs and STIs.  Parents should maybe even show their kids how to use a condom.
2. Talking about STDs, STIs and HIV.  It is important for kids to understand the dangers of STDs and STIs.  Parents should give specific examples of STDs and discuss how to prevent them.
3. Talking about respect and sex.  Parents should stress the importance of being respectful to oneself  and one's partner.  I think parents should make sure that their child know that the choice to have sex is only theirs and they should never have sex if the feel pressured, unsure or uncomfortable.  Parents should also stress the importance of being respectful to one's partner when it comes to sex.

I know that talking about sex can be uncomfortable for both the parent and the child but it is one of the most important conversations a parent and child can have.

Concerns across generations

I am a healthy female in my early twenties with very few concerns about my health.  I exercise as often as I can, eat a healthy diet and I'm a nonsmoker so I follow the basic guidelines for living a health life.  Although I do not have and physical issues with my health, I worry and stress a lot.  Between school and work and planning a wedding I have a lot going on.  It is hard to get everything done and have time to relax.  I sometimes feel like I'm walking on a tightrope and my life is nothing but a balancing act.  I have no doubt that many young women in similar situations feel the same way.  My biggest health concern is definitely stress.  Over time stress can cause aches and pains, affect sleep, increase or decrease appetite and take a huge toll on one's mental and emotional well-being.  At this point in my life I am most concerned with managing stress. 

I chose to interview my mother (age 48) and my grandmother (age 74) to learn about the different health concerns of middle aged women and senior women. 

My mother said her biggest health issue is dealing with menopause.  She has had a difficult time making "the change", as she calls it.  The physical challenges of menopause have been difficult but "the depression is the worst." she said.  My mom has had a real struggle with depression over the past year or two.  I can remember her calling me up crying a year ago saying she didn't understand what the point of being alive was anymore.  It's strange to see someone you love going through such a challenge and knowing that there is really not a whole lot you can do for them.  She was prescribed a hormone patch about six months ago.  "The patch helps a little bit, I don't feel as crazy anymore and I don't cry in the car when I hear sad songs." my mom said.  I hope that in the next few months my mom's hormones will stabilize and she will return to her usual self.

My grandmother is 74 and lives in a 55 and older community in Sarasota, Florida.  She is extremely healthy for her age and does water aerobics and yoga with her friends in her community.  When I called her up this morning and asked her what concerns she has about her health the first thing she said to me was "I want to lose 25 pounds and get my cholesterol down."  I was shocked.  I expected her to say something like having a stroke or osteoporosis, you know "old people problems."  I think a lot of people assume that once people get to a certain age they stop caring as much about their weight or their looks.  I asked her why she wanted to lose 25 pounds and she said "so I'll look like a babe on the beach. Also I'm gonna be 100 before I die."  Well, okay..... she never fails to make me laugh.  I'm glad that my grandma has such a positive outlook on life and is trying to improve her health at 74.  At this rate I think she may live to be 100.

The women of my family have very different health concerns and I have no doubt that our concerns will change as we continue to grow older.  For now I'll take a little advice from my grandma and sign up for a yoga class.

Introduction

Hello Everyone!

My name is Margaret Graf and I am a junior at TWU.  I am from DFW and I graduated from Grapevine High School in 2009.  I am a general studies major studying Health Studies and Sociology.  I am not entirely sure what I would like to do after graduation but I guess I will figure it out along the way!
I am a commuter student.  I live in Euless,TX with my wonderful fiance and my sweet miniature dachshund puppy named Butters.  In my free time I enjoy cooking, reading and taking my puppy to the park near my house. 
I am looking forward to reading my classmates blogs and I am excited to see what kind of feedback I recieve.