AIP 325 Current Issues in Women’s Health (NP)
This course takes an interdisciplinary approach to the study of women’s health. Women’s health refers to health conditions that affect exclusively women (like those related to reproduction or female anatomy) as well as those illnesses that affect the entire population. A myriad of factors influence whether women stay healthy or become ill. In this class we will take a biopsychosocial perspective to the study of women’s health and well-being. We will examine the biological basis of various diseases as well as the numerous psychological, social and cultural factors that interact to predispose or protect women from disease. We will use current research to critically evaluate the myriad of health information directed specifically at women. We will also touch upon the historical and political factors that contribute to our current healthcare system and how those factors differentially affect the health of women in the United States. The course will focus on the health of the individual in the context of an understanding of population based health, epidemiological methods and public policy. We will explore current issues relating to reproductive and sexual health, chronic illnesses such as cardiovascular disease and breast cancer, and issues relating to psychological health such as eating disorders, depression and anxiety.