A New Era Of African Women Embracing Sexuality

A New Era Of African Women Embracing Sexuality Sexuality is a concept that varies across different cultures and/or religions in the world. Female sexuality covers not only the female sexual identity but also female sexual behavior. Perception of female sexual experiences has evolved over the years from a cultural phenomenon that is almost like a taboo to talk about, to something being more frequently discussed today. The topic of sexuality has been silence in Africa for centuries. Because of the difficulty in embracing intimate and individual emotions and preferences, most women in Africa lose their voice in discussing sexual preferences and emotions with their partners. The issue is sexuality is a gender-specific social construct in Africa. Parents discourage children growing up in Africa from any sign of sexual stimulation with the idea that masturbation is sinful and morally wrong. Critiques about these ideas are normally non-existent because when the question of morality goes into play with an African, people shy away from these things. African men do not expect women to experience sexual satisfaction thus making women in African ignorant to sexual pleasures and orgasms. They only expect African women to have sex because of childbearing. This patriarchal construct has succeeded in making its way to the tradition of female genital mutilation. Of course with this practice, the cutting off of the woman’s clitoris will ensure a woman will never experience sexual pleasure in her lifetime. These practices represent a misogynist view of what the female body is supposed to feel or give for it deprives women of the opportunity to control sexuality and personal preferences. With this, we will answer four tangible questions surrounding this subject, about the sexuality and sexual experiences of African women. How to approach the experiences of sex and other sexual activities to women in Africa? Because of the moral construct of women and the sex, the experiences of sex are often left out of sex education. Even when professionals try to educate young people about sex, sexually transmitted diseases and, family planning is usually the topic focused on. The conversation of individual experiences of sex is usually ignored or forgotten altogether. Women in Africa are shy or careful to talk about their sexual experiences with their partners with the fear of judgment of their morality. Most African men in parts of Africa often labeled women with contemporary sexual flavors as wild, immoral and women not worthy of marriages, therefore, leading women neglecting to ask for, or initiate potential triggers of pleasure in the bedroom. Because of concurrent stereotypes, it is easy to be labeled as oversexed when you are an African woman. While this is not the case, the African woman has to struggle to correct the different narratives about her sexuality. To her, sexuality encompasses everything that the wider public believes it’s not. Like any other woman from any other race that doesn’t go through the same levels of disbelief constantly thrown toward African women like a bone to a dog, sexual experiences are just that something you experience and enjoy as a woman. Most African women struggle with desires that should be natural to them because of these beliefs that hide their sexuality. With the mindset of the female body being made for sex and procreation only, pleasure for many African women is stifled if not non-existent as it is seen as something to endure rather than explore or enjoy, as past occurrences and precedents have established the need to treat their sexuality that way. How to approach the experiences of sex and other sexual activities to women in Africa? There has always been a huge difference between the messages given to African men and African women about sex and sexual experiences. Even during sex, the society cautions women to allow the man to take the lead and made to believe there are limits to what she can get from it. Pleasure is only meant for the man in these cases, so much that a huge percentage of African women didn’t realize they were just as entitled to the pleasures men have had for a long time. We can approach these experiences by providing an educational platform that talks openly about sexual experiences, and activities without cultural criticisms. This can be done by teaching both young men and women to relearn the functions of the female body. If the African society can take out the guilt of morality from a womans sexual conquest, more women will begin to freely talk about their wants and needs with their partners. This could also start from the root of the cause and work its way up. Although this tactic m ight seem ineffective for most since older African women have strong beliefs about labeling the hyper-sexual experiences of a woman as bad and the older generation would less likely accept a change in idea contrast to what they have lived by all their lives, they need to have eye-opening scenarios painted for them, which encourages them to look beyond their baseless ideologies and consider speaking more to their daughters and young women about sex. How do you think, approach, and own your own orgasm? There is a stiffness that comes with believing men should be the sole beneficiaries of pleasure that has to go. As an African woman, you are well allowed to explore your body, and mind for sexual triggers and reach your climax without the fear of being judged by someone. Be it your mother’s tiny voice in your head telling you God is mad at you for masturbating, or that person in your family who makes you feel dirty every time you feel the need to experience sexual pleasure. You can never fully experience sexual pleasure at its greatest peak if you don’t figure out how to turn yourself on. No one can give you what you can’t give yourself. Learning about your body helps to guard your partner to take you to those places you want to go or even higher. Your sexual experiences are most definitely natural and you should always answer Mother Nature when she calls! When you do reach that place, enjoy it without caring about anything else and anyone. Your sexual health sho uld be as important as everything else you care for. How does the younger generation view polygamy versus how our predecessors viewed them? For the younger generation, it boils down to religious concepts that present polygamy as an option (however with conditions). Our predecessors stayed in marriages long enough to accept polygamy. Because of societal expectations on women, wives in the past had no problem staying in abusive marriages, struggling and taking in everything however worse they might be. The younger generations have begun to question certain standards and are taking their time with marriages. Women of today are less likely to accept, polygamy and abuses than women in the past. Any sign of these things would leave a wife packing out of her home for a single life where she doesn’t have to deal with a cheating or abusive husband. In conclusion, there’s still a lot more to uncover about the African woman’s sexuality. There are more things to learn and unlearn and more conversations to engage in. One thing is for sure. This is the era of African women embracing their sexuality.

Nursing Assessment and Care of a Patient Following a CVA Essay

Nursing Assessment and Care of a Patient Following a CVA - Essay Example He has not passed urine since admission. He exhibits some paresis, and is leaking saliva at the right side of his mouth. Two possible nursing diagnosis related to this patient’s condition include: Risk for aspiration related to impaired swallowing secondary to cerebrovascular accident; Risk for falls related to bodily weakness, secondary to CVA. This paper shall discuss the patient’s assessment data and interventions which can be implemented for the patient. Body Assessment 1: Risk for aspiration related to impaired swallowing secondary to cerebrovascular accident. This nursing diagnosis relates to this patient’s assessment data because the patient’s swallowing reflex is compromised and he is also unable to control his saliva flow into his tracheobronchial passages. As a result, his saliva getting into his bronchial tubes and on to his lungs is a significant possibility. Two priority nursing interventions to address the problem includes: clear secretions f rom the mouth or throat with a tissue of gentle suction; and maintain side-lying position. Clear secretions from the mouth or throat with a tissue of gentle suction This intervention would involve the regular checking of the patient’s mouth for saliva build-up, clearing such build-up with a tissue or via gentle suction. Preventing saliva build-up in the mouth prevents the saliva from flowing down the throat and into the bronchial tubes and lungs, thereby preventing aspiration (Carpenito-Moyet, 2008). Moreover, cleaning of the oral cavity would also help prevent the build-up of bacteria. Since the patient manifests right-sided hemiparesis, there is a need to assist the patient in controlling the saliva flow, and prevent such from flowing unconsciously down his throat. Cleaning and suctioning the mouth is suitable because it can easily reduce saliva flow and it can be managed well as an independent nursing intervention by the nurse (Carpenito-Moyet, 2008). Cleaning and suctioni ng the patient’s mouth would also prevent bacteria build-up and prevent any additional health issues, like aspiration pneumonia, which may arise from the patient’s current condition. Suctioning may however also promote dryness in the patient’s mouth, therefore, the suctioning must not be excessive. Suctioning may also cause oral and throat irritation. If not properly and carried out under sterile conditions, it may promote bacteria build-up (Carpenito-Moyet, 2008). Suctioning must therefore be carried out gently and with the proper application of sterile techniques. The application of suctioning among patients whose swallowing reflexes have been compromises has been proven an effective practice by various researches. In a paper by Coffman, et.al., (2007) the authors sought to investigate the benefits of using cuffed tracheotomy tubes in order to suction patient’s saliva. The authors were able to establish a significant decrease in aspirate with the use of intermittent suction. In effect, the authors concluded that the use of suctions can reduce the risk of aspiration and therefore reduce the patient’s risk for aspiration. This was also echoed in the study by Yoon and Steele (2007), where the authors highlighted the fact that proper oral care is an effective way of reducing incidents of aspiration pneumonia and bacterial colonization in the mouth. Evaluation criteria to establish efficacy of the intervention is

Positioning and Differentiation Paper - Health Care Marketing Research

Positioning and Differentiation - Health Care Marketing - Research Paper Example The main objective of the paper is to identify the positioning and differentiation strategies of two healthcare organizations i.e. Cascade Valley Hospital & Clinics and Overlake Hospital Medical Center. The study will also endeavor at finding similarities and differentiating aspects between the two healthcare organizations. Differentiation and Positioning Strategies of Overlake Hospital Medical Center Overlake Hospital Medical Center is a nonprofit regional medical centre that provides its patients with highly developed medical related services. The organization is monitored by a Board of Directors. The company has nearly 2500 employees and has nearly 1000 active as well as courtesy physicians as the workforce (Overlake Hospital, 2012). It can be mentioned that innumerable strategies are employed by the healthcare organizations in order to keep themselves competitive. Overlake Hospital Medical Center situated at Belluvue has commenced a cardiac blog. Through this cardiac blog, the or ganization aims at educating the patients regarding the methods through which heart diseases can be prevented (Overlake Hospital, 2012). ... s been created in order to attract, retain and thus ensure that all the parties involved are satisfied with the policies and the strategies of the company. The company has positioned itself as a liaison between nursing, administration along with human resources, foundation and community in order to collectively influence the resources, associations and policies so that Overlake Hospital can be placed as one of the most preferred hospitals/employers in the domestic market as well as abroad. Health Grades have offered Overlake Hospital with five-star designation on numerous grounds. Overlake Hospital offers high quality of care and support to the patients who are suffering from cancer as well as other emergencies. The integrated cancer care team of the hospital generally has one objective which is to offer the patients suffering from cancer with expert care that has been customized to the unique requirements of each of the patients. The trademark of quality care is compassion, skilled care as well as speed at Overlake’s new Emergency & Trauma Center. The unit is considered to be the only Level III trauma centre on the Eastside (KMPG, 2011). It has been observed that the hospital offers care without charge and at reduced rates to the patients who are capable of qualifying for charity care as per the rules and the regulations of the hospital. During the year 2010 and 2011, the cost of charity was nearly US$5561000 and US$4507000 respectively (KMPG, 2011). Overlake Hospital as a part of its differentiation strategy offers care to the Medicaid patients at a price which is quite below the cost of offering the services. The hospital is also involved in numerous other activities in order to maintain competitive advantage. It has been apparent that the company is involved in