Healthcare a right or privilege?

I believe all human beings should have access to healthcare and their basic needs to survive. Therefore, I will say healthcare should be a right and made accessible to all. According to Papadimos (2007), there are more than forty-five million Americans that are underinsured or without medical insurance (Papadimos, 2007). It goes against the basic human rights to address this issue and make healthcare more accessible to those in need. I do not think it could be perfectly worded other than out of the abstract from Papadimos (2007), " As human beings we are all valuable social entities whereby, through the force of mortality, through implicitly forged covenants among us as individuals and  between us and our governments, and through the natural rights we maintain as individuals and those we collectively surrender to the common good, it has been determined by nature, natural laws, and natural rights that human beings have the right, not privilege, to healthcare access (Papadimos, 2007). " We have a duty to others and our society to make sure our communities have accessible healthcare and receive adequate health services to maintain the overall health of our people. I do not believe any one should be denied access to health care. However, I do strongly agree with Kereiakes (2004) on the point that if healthcare is viewed as an unalienable right then specific and defined funding needs to be provided for all citizens (Kereiakes, 2004). It is also mentioned that basic health components need identified and "luxury" services as well (Kereiakes, 2004). I feel our country needs to focus more tax dollars on the health of our nation and the citizens living here. We all pay taxes; therefore, we all should have access to healthcare in our country that  tax dollars support.

References:

Kereiakes, D.J., Willerson, J.T. (2004). Circulation: US healthcare: entitlement or privilege? Journal of the   American Heart Association, 109, 1460-1462.

Papadimos, T.J. (2007). Healthcare access as a right, not a privilege: a construct of western thought. Philosophy, Ethics, and Humanities in Medicine, 2:2.

Blog #1 : Concerning Health Issues

A concerning health issue I have is women and infertility issues. These issues can arise as early as mid thirties for women. I believe fertility awareness programs should be more prevalent in our Obstetrics and Gynecological offices and in standard care for women. Egg quality declines as women age. These days it is very common to have females becoming educated and then working on their careers before having children.  I believe with more women being in tune with their bodies, preventable ways to avoid underlying diseases that lead to infertility, and knowing their options (such as egg freezing etc), such issues could be avoided. I interviewed  two  women on their thoughts on health issues of concern:


1. Alena H.  22 years old. Caucasian. Legal Assistant


" I believe breast cancer is a health issue I am most concerned with because my mother had breast cancer. I do not want something to escalate for months and me not know about it. I want to know the symptoms and catch something early so I can take precautions to prevent it."


2. Cynthia T. 40 years old. Hispanic. Medical Assistant


" I would have to say educating young women about fertility issues. Most importantly educating women on how STD's can affect your fertility and about ovarian reserve options. As we become older, ovarian reserve declines and then makes it difficult to achieve pregnancy. STD's  can cause blocked tubes and most young women are unaware of this issue. Block reproductive tubes give one no chance of conceiving on their own; one will have to resort to in vitro fertilization. When women are educated about their fertility then they are able to make the right choices for themselves."




I share the same concern as Cynthia. We actually work in the reproductive field together and see the issues at hand in women as young as 30. Not only will they have to resort to in vitro services, but sometimes even 3rd party, such as egg donation or surrogacy. I am glad she brought up something as STD's in young women and the damage it can cause in the future if not educated and treated as soon as possible. 






---Jossie