Student health services focuses on specific women and men’s health issues

TWU offers health resource sessions for students

Emily Nickels, Page Editor

When a student first arrives on campus, it can be overwhelming. It involves being on your own for the first time and receiving the first dose of reality that being an adult isn’t easy. Students have a responsibility to take care of their health, relationships and finances without the constant guidance of an adult. TWU has established resources and sessions through Student Health Services so students know they are not alone and that they can get the support they need right here on campus.

Well Woman’s Wednesdays

This month Well Woman’s Wednesdays will focus on financial wellness in a session titled “All About the Benjamins” on
November 11. The session will detail ways to manage a budget and discuss how students should approach paying back loans. A member of the financial aid office will be present at this session to facilitate a discussion on incurring debt, budgeting and loans. There will also be a portion for students to ask questions. This will be the last session of the semester and will start up again in the spring.

Men’s Health Monday

November is transformed into Movember for the male population on campus. A repeat of last year, a male staff member at student health services will lead the session, focusing on men’s health issues, when to get a well exam and all about screenings. The session will be November 16 and is also the last session of the semester. Assistant Director of Health Promotions Sonia Redwine observes, “Women are typically better at getting an annual exam and we want that to happen with men. Encouraging them to take those preventative measures.”

Why not have a general session?

According to Sonia Redwine the decision to create gender specific sessions has had a more successful turnout than the more generalized sessions from last year. She stated: “By targeting it towards women specifically it has more focus and we have seen an increase in participation this year. We also noticed with our Men’s Health Monday, we had a lot of women in our Men’s Health Monday, which is great. We know that men generally need more persuading when it comes to their health and women are often the catalyst for that.”

About

Well Wednesdays began last year as a special event paired with The Lasso 100 year celebration. Student Health Services compiled 100 ways to stay healthy on one Wednesday of the month. After the positive feedback from these sessions and once TWU had identified the need for students to have special resource available to them, Student Health Services, under Sonia Redwine established Men’s Health Monday and Well Woman’s Wednesday.

“In order to be successful there is an element of wellness involved. If you are not caring for yourself, if you’re not getting enough sleep, and you’re relationships are suffering, we know that impacts you in the classroom as well. By providing this information hopefully its allowing students to tap into some of our resources and connect it with other things we have going on campus so that we develop this overall well person.”

For students who are unable to make a session, answers to questions and highlights from the event will be posted on the health promotion blog at http://twu-health-promotion.tumblr.com/.