Women's health program : a needs perception

This paper was done to research and report on the necessity of a women's health program on Ball State's campus. It was also done to identify student perceptions of the need for a women's health program, what services should be offered, and the degree of usage the students thought the program would receive. There is currently no such program that addresses the specific and unique health needs of the women here at Ball State University.There was a concern from the undergraduate students, graduate students, and women faculty on campus about the lack of such a program. Women's health needs can be significantly different than men's health needs. The women of Ball State have no where on campus to turn with their questions, comments, or concerns about their own health. A women's health program would benefit not only every woman on campus, but also the university. It would benefit the university by demonstrating the university's concern and care about the health of it's female students, and the well being of students in general.The female students of Ball State University are going through a fantastic time of change while they are here in college. During their college years, these women will visit the gynecologist, some will be introduced to new and different forms of birth control, some will have sexual relations for the first time, some may become pregnant, and some may even contract a sexually transmitted disease. We, as a university, have not provided a place for these women to turn for support, attention, and correct, factual information about the changes in their lives.This paper was done to determine if we truly need a women's health program. It was to show what benefits would be added to our campus community by creating a women's health program. And it was done to identify how the students on this campus felt about the idea of a women's health program.The term "women's health program" refers to a facility that would provide services catering to women's health. These services would include: gynecological examinations, STD testing, birth control, fliers, pamphlets, and information pertaining to STDs, breast cancer, self breast exams, eating disorders, exercise, changing eating habits, and the like. The term "women of Ball State University", refers to graduate and undergraduate female students who attend Ball State.This paper conducted research in a timely and organized manner. A literature review of related materials and materials that were pertinent to the project was conducted. The findings from these reviews are summarized and included in this paper. A student survey was also created and distributed to a random sample of Ball State students. Pie charts and a written summarization of the survey results are included as well. The research and surveys provided a great deal of clarity on the issue of the necessity of a women's health program for Ball State University. Through the research, literature review, and surveys, it has become apparent that a women's health program is needed at Ball State.This paper has determined that a women's health program is a necessity at Ball State. It is something that students want and will utilize. We, as a university, have been left behind by our sister MAC schools in this field. This paper shows the importance of a women's health program, how it impacts our students and the university, and how vital it is to have such a program here at Ball State.