Birth Control

Sex is a big issue, so it's better to talk about it rather than pretend it doesn't play an important role in our lives. Inside the whole bubble called "sex", birth control is one of the topics every woman and man should be aware of. However, because of different policies that exist in some countries (education, politics, economy) and different beliefs and traditions, birth control is not an easy topic to manage.

I believe that the key to manage the birth control issue is to focus in one thing, which is the person's well-being.

Which is the best birth control method for a woman? What are the side effects of each birth control method? In case the woman gets pregnant, will the baby be healthy despite the birth control method the woman used? What about the "no-bleed" pills? What are the side effects of the "Plan B"?

These are some of the questions that need to be asked by us, the non-experts, and answered by responsible and meticulous doctors. It's a shared responsability.

I know little about birth control methods but the article "Weighing the Health Benefits of Birth Control" has opened my eyes and encouraged me to keep asking questions and looking for answers.

Emily.

My Siesta Culture

Since my last year of high school, my mom and I have been used to take naps whenever we can. We usually lunch, watch TV and then sleep for about one hour. Once in UF (after almost 4 years that my siesta culture started), my habit has not changed at all. I still take my lovely, relaxing and refreshing mid-day naps. They help me to be more productive during the afternoon and the evening, stay alert and feel more relaxed.

According to the service organization Talk About Sleep, a mid-day nap helps "mood, energy, and subjective alertness improve beyond baseline." Also, in an article posted on the about.com web page, it says that "mid-day sleep, or a ‘power nap’, means more patience, less stress, better reaction time, increased learning, more efficiency and better health."

However, there are two tips we should remember before taking a nap. The first one is not to sleep after 4p.m. because otherwise, we might affect our biological clock and thus, our night sleep. Also, a nap should not last more than 1 hour, because this might, as well, affect our night sleep, make us feel groggier and interfere our daily activities.

Oh! I almost forgot. If you are encouraged to join the siesta culture, but feel bad because your silly friends call you lazy, just show them this quote by Winston Churchill:

"You must sleep sometime between lunch and dinner, and no halfway measures. Take off your clothes and get into bed. That's what I always do. Don't think you will be doing less work because you sleep during the day. That's a foolish notion held by people who have no imaginations. You will be able to accomplish more. You get two days in one -- well, at least one and a half."

The best quote I have ever read.

May I Go To The Bathroom, Please?

At my school, teachers didn't understand I had to go to the bathroom at least twice before lunch. The reason? I had fruit for breakfast. Every morning, at 7 a.m., my mom made a smoothie with orange juice, papaya, pineapple, yogurt, etc. So obviously, I had to pee, A LOT.

But I learned to hold it, because my old christian school's rules wouldn't let students go to the bathroom during classes. I was thinking about that this morning, while I was struggling to get up and go to the bathroom.

My mom has always said to me that I shouldn't hold it and she is right.

"What will eventually happen," says Cleveland Clinic urologist Dr. James Ulchaker, "is that you may leak some urine to lessen the bladder pressure. But you're not going to burst your bladder."

There are, as always, exceptions.

After you go to the bathroom, read this article "When you gotta go, you should: Holding it and holding it can lead to health consequences," posted in the webpage http://www.cleveland.com/.