Factoids
Marijuana smoke contains
as much or more of the
cancer-causing chemicals
found in tobacco smoke.
—Oregon Prevention and Treatment
Resource Clearinghouse
Flu season is November to
April. Flu shots are
available to UO students at
the Health Center starting
today, October 14th, for $6.
The best way to ease
uncomfortablility due to
nursing is to nurse more
frequently.
Allergy shots have been
shown to reduce a person’s
asthma symptoms and
reduce the need for asthma
medications.
—WebMD.org
Allergy shots are not as
effective against allergies to
molds, and they are not
recommended to treat food
allergies.
—WebMD.org
31 % of men and 35 % of
women in the United States
are obese.
—Merck Manual, 2002
By 2002,10% of the US
population will have
diabetes.
—Diabetes Forecast, May 2002
40 % of people with social
anxiety never get married
www.pslgnMp.com/dg.fil22.htm
College students spend $5.5
billion on alcohol each year,
more than they spend on
soft drinks, tea, milk, juice,
coffee, or books combined.
Women who have 2-5 drinks
daily have a 1.5 times
greater chance of getting
breast cancer than women
who don’t drink.
“.Breastfeeding has some
contraceptive effect, but only
in the first three to four
months—even then, it isn’t
100 percent effective. Don’t
assume that because you’re
breastfeeding you can
engage in intercourse
without contraceptives—
unless you want to be
breastfeeding again in nine
months. ”
—Dr. Susan Love’s Breast Book, Dr. Susan
UO Students who have type
I or II diabetes can consult
with diabetes nurse Mary
Jean Jacobson for advice on
self care and medication.
Call 346-2735 to schedule.
26 studies found that
smoking cigarettes increases
stress levels, even though
most smokers claim that
cigarettes help them cope
with stress.
—Health Magazine, October2002
Pregnancy_____
and the University Health Center
-- ^ --
Through the FPEP grant, eligible men and women
may receive birth control free of charge such as:
• Oral contraceptives • Emergency contraception (PlanB) •
Cervical cap • IUD • Female condoms • Vaginal spermicides •
Ortho-Evra •Lunelle • Condoms • Depo Provera
By Carrie Zogoros
abriela is a student on
campus who is studying
anthropology. She is also
sexually active with her
boyfriend of two years.
This latter point is presently a concern
to her since she should have started her
menstrual period one week ago. She ad
mits that she and her partner have
been a bit careless lately and she could
possibly be pregnant. She is very much
in love and envisions having children
some day, but is unprepared to be preg
nant at this time in her life. Gabi is un
sure of where to begin, who to turn to,
and whether she should first consult a
physician or use an over the counter
pregnancy test. She is stressed out, can
not concentrate in class or at work. She
feels tense when around her boyfriend.
Gabi knows she needs to take action
soon or she will drive herself crazy with
the uncertainty.
Although fictitious, this is a situa
tion that many heterosexually active
women on this campus have either
experienced, knows a friend who
has, or can at least imagine them
selves in.
First things first. Gabi would ben
efit from taking a deep breath be
cause her fears may certainly be a
false alarm. After a few relaxing
breaths, she can begin to take action.
A good place to start is an over-the
counter home pregnancy test. This is
a urine test that detects human
chronic gonadatrophin hormone
(hcG) present in a woman’s urine. If
this test is administered one week
following a missed menstrual period,
it is about 99 % accurate and reliable.
The Health Center Pharmacy offers
an at-home test called Quick Check
Plus and it is sold without prescrip
tion for five dollars.
If the home test gives a positive
result, a sensible next step would be
to set up an appointment at the
Health Center with a medical practi
tioner. Keep in mind the practitioner
will ask the date of the last menstrual
period and date of unprotected sex.
The practitioner would administer a
urine test and give counseling and
education regarding pregnancy. For
example, because the Health Center
offers no prenatal care, Gabi would
be given references of local physi
cians, nurse practitioners and nurse
midwives who provide pre-natal and
obstetric care as well as pregnancy
termination clinics in both the Eu
gene/Springfield area and Portland.
The Health Center provides no rec
ommendation regarding pregnancy
termination, merely offers options to
the pregnant woman so she can
make an educated and thoughtful de
cision about her future as a possible
mother.
For those who want children in
the future, not now, and are hetero
sexually active there are many ways
to prevent finding ourselves in the
same situation as our fictional stu
dent, Gabi. Good news for most stu
dents is that many qualify for free
contraceptive services at the Health
Center, through the Family Planning
Expansion Project (FPEP). If Gabi
qualifies for this plan, she could re
ceive the pregnancy test for free.
Through the FPEP grant, eligible
men and women may receive birth
control free of charge such as;
• Oral contraceptives
• Depo Provera
• Emergency contraception (Plan B)
• Cervical cap
•IUD
• Female condoms
• Vaginal spermicides
• Lunelle
• Condoms
• Ortho-Evra
• Diaphragm
For more information about
whether you qualify for FPEP or to
schedule an appointment at the
Health Center, call 346-2770.
Jj) JJ JlCdlTSL Considering the risks
By Katie Collins
few months ago, I began experi
A encing some health problems.
The symptoms were fairly mild;
it began with trouble sleeping
and a vague feeling of anxiety.
Chalking it up to being a busy college student, I
wasn’t too worried. When it pro
gressed into fits resembling panic
attacks with my heart always
pounding, I finally decided to go
to the University Health Center
and see a physician. I learned I
had brought it upon myself.
About a month before my visit
I began taking MiniThins, an
over the counter drug to help me
concentrate and stay awake to
study. They also decreased my ap
petite, so if I also lost a couple of
pounds that was fine with me. I
knew they contained caffeine, but
I knew little about the other main ingredient—
ephedrine—which turned out to be the cause of all
my problems.
Ephedrine, the active ingredient of the ephedra
plant, is very widely used for weight loss, as an en
ergy booster, and to supposedly enhance athletic
performance. It’s found in many common dietary
supplements, such as Easy Trim, Metabolife,
Metabolite, and Ripped Fuel. Like myself, many
people taking these pills have no idea of the harm
they maybe causing themselves. Similar to am
phetamines, ephedrine targets the central nervous
system and heart, leading to a wide range of physi
cal side effects- some mild, some deadly. The most
common are elevated blood pressure, rapid heart
rate, anxiety, and insomnia, but more serious ef
fects include: nerve and muscle damage, memory
loss, strokes, and heart attacks.
One of the most
frightening aspects
of these products is
their lack of regula
tion. Because of the
Dietary Supple
ments Health and
Education Act of
1994, claims don’t
have to meet the
Food and Drug Ad
ministration’s
(FDA) standards for
safety and efficacy.
This also means that
their labels can claim anything that a company de
sires to try and sell their product. One of the com
mon marketing techniques is to label products as
“herbal” and “natural,” which is commonly as
sumed to mean safe. This misconception has led to
injury and even death. Because there is no quality
control, the herbs can be misidentified or contami
nated with other substances.
If you are taking these supplements, the FDA
has published guidelines for their use. They sug
gest the intake of no more than 24mg of ephedrine
per day, in 8 mg increments every six hours, and to
discontinue use after no more than one week. It is
also recommended to consult a physician, as pre
existing conditions, such as high blood pressure,
heart disease or pregnancy can greatly increase
one’s risks. I would suggest asking yourself if drop
ping a few pounds, studying for a couple more
hours, or having a great workout is really worth
risking your life.
For more information, make an appointment
with a practitioner at the University Health Center
(345-2770) or drophy the Peer Health Education
Office for more information on supplements, ener
gy and fatigue, sensible weight loss, and stress
management.
Like myself, many people taking these
pills have no idea of the harm they may
be causing themselves. Similar to
amphetamines, ephedrine targets the
central nervous system and heart,
leading to a wide range of physical
side effects- some mild, some deadly.