WELL NOW
Fall 2005
UNIVERSITY OF OREGON
PAGE 1
Relax and Renew
Wonder whether meditation
can confer benefits of stress
reduction? One Peer Health
Educator who experienced
the “Relax and Renew”
workshop describes
her experience.
Dear Peer
Body image blues,
birth control conversations
and HIV infection
in lesbians ... Peer Health
Educators field questions
from our readers.
PAGE 2
Don’t get
hookah-ed!
Tobacco is hazardous
to your health regardless
of whether it’s smoked as
cigarettes, cigars or through
a hookah. Don’t let the hype
suck you in.
Essential
Party tips
A short list for letting
the good times roll
without compromising your
good health.
PAGE 3
Say Cheese!
Tillamook dairy goes bovine
growth hormone free for its
cheese. Read more on this
healthy move by a
pioneering local dairy.
S.A.N.E.
Sexual Assault Nurse
Examiner is a new service
offered at the Health Center
this term. Students who are
sexually assaulted and want
to have forensic evidence
collected for prosecution
can now do so at the
UO Health Center.
PAGE 4
Club Sports
Choose from among
42 different sports for fun,
fitness and friendship.
Find out how.
Economical and
nutritious eating
If you believe you can’t
afford to eat well, compare
the cost and nutrition
breakdown of fast food
vs. an easy to prepare
home cooked meal.
Relax & Renew
Get there through meditation
By Megan Smith
ould meditation facilitate
the peace and happiness
we are all searching for?
Is it possible that this ancient
wisdom improves health, as
practitioners claim, through
mental clarity and stress
reduction? I sought out the
answers to these questions last
term in order to fulfill my own
desire for peace and clarity.
Like many people, I often felt
that I had too much on my
mind — school, work, friends,
future plans, and on and on.
At times, I was unable to focus,
deal with stress or enjoy life.
Getting started
My exploration into
meditation commenced with a
book entitled “Tibetan Wisdom
for Western Life” by Arpaia,
M.D. and Rapgay, Ph.D. with a
foreword by the Dalai Lama.
This book provides simple yet
competent explanations for
bringing peace into one’s life
via meditation. It provides
realistic depictions of two
students following a meditative
journey with meditation classes
and useful everyday
applications.
Practitioners demonstrate
that meditation has the ability
to improve the lives of diverse
individuals — athletes learn to
improve focus, students learn
to reduce stress levels and feel
more energetic and increase
mental clarity, parents increase
patience. After reading about
meditation’s vast benefits I
decided that I needed to see for
myself what changes it could
facilitate in my own life.
Vital practice
When 1 saw a flyer for the
free class “Relax and Renew
with Meditation” through the
University Health Center, I
jumped at the opportunity.
The class, offered every term,
is facilitated by Jude Kehoe
LPN an expert in the practice of
meditation and energy healing.
Jude explained that our
commonly held belief that
stress is inevitable, causes
many of us to disregard
successful methods to reduce
stress. While it is widely
accepted that physical exercise
is an important factor in
reducing stress and
maintaining good health,
information is emerging that
supports meditation as equally
vital. In Jude’s class we
proceeded to learn several
meditation techniques.
Plenty of time
Many individuals claim that
they don’t have enough time
for meditation. The beauty is
that meditation does not
require large amounts of time,
and can be performed almost
anywhere. Jude says that even
10 minutes a day can make
very beneficial changes.
Paradoxically, meditation
actually seemed to extend the
time 1 had each day by
improving mental focus and
Relax & Renew Meditation series.
Wednesdays 4:45 p.m. - 5:45 p.m.
October 12 - November 16.
Heritage Hall in the
Bowerman Building.
Call 346-4456 to register.
allowing me to better manage
my time. It also helped me to
fall asleep and to relax.
Although meditation requires
consistency and practice, it is
much simpler than I’d
imagined.
While a meditation book can
help to improve understanding,
I believe it’s more important to
practice. Having an expert
personally guide you through
the beginning steps of various
methods can be helpful.
Every individual has a unique
style of learning and practicing
meditation and fortunately
there are numerous classes
offered through the University.
The Health Resource Center in
the EMU offers books on
meditation, and sign-up sheets
for the “Relax and Renew with
Meditation” workshop.
Check it out and find your
own answers.
Deal* Peel* Insightful Advice on Today’s Health Issues
By Kristin Cummings
Dear Peer,
One of my gay friends is
convinced that lesbians can’t
contract HIV. She sounded
pretty sure of herself. I
started to believe her but 1 still
have my doubts. Who is right?
— In Suspense
Dear In Suspense,
HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, is found in
blood, semen, and vaginal secretions. Any
activity where individuals come into contact
with these “high risk fluids” can lead to HIV
transmission. The CDC (Center for Disease
Control and Prevention) keeps data on modes
of transmission. And while lesbian
transmission is not the most common route of
spreading the virus, female to female sexual
contact can lead to HIV transmission because
of contact with these high risk body fluids.
Keep talking to your friend. It is very
important to stop such myths as a way of
prevention. Feel free to drop by our Health
Resource Center (located in the EMU) to pick
up pamphlets on gay and lesbian health.
There is also a wide selection of reading for
the gay community in our lending library.
Health Resource Center hours are Monday
through Friday, 10 AM to 2 PM.
Dear Peer,
I’m a 21-year-old girl. I’ve had
issues with body image in the
past and thought this
anonymous way would be the
best to ask. What are my
options for support so that I
don’t resort to horrible diet
habits?
— Being Smart
Dear Being Smart,
The Counseling Center offers both
individual and group counseling for
individuals with distorted body image. Their
services are free to students and they can be
reached at 346-3227. The Health Resource
Center in the EMU has an extensive book
collection that you may find helpful. Books can
be checked out for 2 weeks with student ID,
and there’s room to hang out and read too.
We also provide computer health assessments,
which offer quick and informative insights on
body image issues. Stop by the Health
Resource Center to check out all these support
selections!
Dear Peer,
I am a girl that recently
became sexually active and
I am unsure how to talk to
my partner about starting
birth control.
Any recommendations?
— Frantic Freshman
Dear Frantic,
Having a solid grasp of birth control
options is a great place to start. First off,
realize that there's contraception to prevent
pregnancy and there’s protection against
sexually transmitted infections (STIs). And in
most cases they are not the same thing.
Condoms are the only contraceptive method
(99% effective when used correctly) that also
provides STI protection against many, but not
all, STIs. There are several other contraceptive
methods available at the Health Center (e.g. the
pill, patch, ring, IUD, depo, diaphragm, and
more) which will help prevent pregnancy, but
offer little or no protection against STIs. Come
pick some up information on each and free
condoms at the Health Resource Center in the
EMU.
When discussing the contraception and
STI prevention methods each of you would like
to use, why not share the basics about your
sexual history? If either of you have been
sexually active in the past, why not discuss
STI testing? You can set up an appointment at
the University Health Center. It may not feel
like the most romantic date, but if you're
honest, it does show a depth of caring that can
go a long way to building a meaningful
relationship. The Health Center can also set
you up with an appointment to discuss free
contraception methods with one of our
practitioners. For appointments call
346-2770.
■HM