Your Body, Your Future:
A Guide to Women’s Health in
the Age of Genetics and Technology
Information for Students
Health and Wellness
College life can be demanding. You’re juggling classes, clubs and activities, your social life, and maybe even a job...all at the same time. Sometimes it feels as though there just aren’t enough hours in the day to do everything that needs to be done, let alone getting eight hours of sleep and eating balanced meals. While pulling an all-nighter every now and then may not seem like a big deal, it’s important to treat your body right. How you work, and even how you play, can have an impact on your health.
Are you and your friends leading healthy lives? Click here to learn more.
Birth Defects
When you’re pregnant, agents such as drugs, chemicals and infections called teratogens can cause birth defects. Some medications are also teratogens and may be harmful if taken at particular times during pregnancy.
If you’re pregnant, and don’t know it yet, you might accidentally expose your baby to a higher risk for birth defects, by drinking alcohol or taking drugs or medication like Accutane.
Pregnancy probably isn’t something you’re thinking about yet. After all, you’re young, and have plenty of time to start planning a family. But did you know that about 50% of pregnancies are unplanned? So even if you’re not ready to start thinking about having a family, it’s good to know what’s safe to take before and during a pregnancy and what might be harmful...Just in case.
These links will help you learn more about birth defects and how you can help prevent them from occuring in your family:
March of Dimes
Teratology Society- Just For Students
National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
RareDisease.org
Genetics
You might have learned something about genetics in high school biology, but who’s going to remember that? Genetics goes far beyond what your high school science teacher may have taught you...and it’s more interesting than you might expect. Did you know that your ethnic background might play a role on the kinds of illnesses and disorders you may develop as an adult? Or on the health of the children you may have someday?
Knowing where your family comes from can teach you a lot about who you are. It can also help you lead a healthier, longer life, by guiding you to make smart choices. The following links will help you learn more about genetics, DNA, family inheritance, and some common genetic disorders, and how they might be important in your own life.
Dolan DNA Learning Center
Your Genes, Your Health
Genetic Science Learning Center
This page was updated on 09/22/04
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