More Than Condoms: Towards Effective
Sexual Health Promotion for Youth
|
|
WOMANLY TIMES ARCHIVES More Than Condoms: Towards Effective Sexual Health Promotion for Youth |
|
|
|
Looking for Wellness on the Web by deb kozak Every day more Canadians are turning to the Internet as a source of health and medical information - and for many reasons - it’s immediate, private and there is no seeming end to the amount of information available. However, information on the Internet is extremely variable in quality, reliability and completeness. It’s important to know that there are no rules policing the kind of information on the Internet or who puts it there. A search can retrieve a highly questionable site - “Dr. Bill’s Brain Surgery” - along with several accredited medical institutions. As health care consumers we must rely on the tools we have - using our common sense, good judgment and most importantly, developing skills to help us evaluate the quality of the information we find in health and medical web sites. Here’s some ideas to help you sort through information. The computer’s on - now what? Make your search more effective by jotting down some basic questions you want answered before you start searching: What do I want to know about this condition? What treatments are available? How does this medicine work? What can I do to take care of myself? Who can help me? Asking questions like these can help you identify the most important concepts of your search. You can decide whether you are seeking information about a disease or condition, treatment options, medications, a support group or looking for ways to stay healthy. The simple step of preparing a search strategy will keep you focused so you can select the sites most relevant to your information needs. For example, a search for menopause will retrieve several thousand sites - you’ll be through menopause before you finish reading all that information! Refine your search by narrowing in on key words - e.g. menopause and hot flashes - and you’ll get to the most relevant information faster. Each search engine is unique in the way it searches the Internet and retrieves information - check out the search engine’s help pages for tips on how to use it best. Says who? Now it’s time to start assessing the information you’ve found. Check the source. Look for the name of the individual or organization producing the web site - a quality site will clearly identify the information source with references and include the author’s credentials, their education and expertise in the subject. Be wary of anonymous sources - reputable sites will stand behind the information they put forth. Check the site for a mission statement from the author or sponsor for clues about the purpose, perspective and potential biases of the information. Find out if the information is there to educate, entertain or sell something. Many sites permit or sell advertising - be aware that content can be influenced by commercial ties. Try to find balanced information. Be cautious about information that presents only one treatment or one side of an issue. Follow the links - some web sites try to bring balance to the information they’ve posted by adding links to other documents with alternative viewpoints, allowing consumers to make informed choices about their options. Links should be current and active - outdated and dead-end links can’t help you verify information. Remember that anyone can link to any site and that the links you follow can lead to organizations and individuals that may not share the philosophy, values or expertise of the site you started from. Information should be clearly referenced on every site - don’t assume that the credibility of a site is automatically transferred to its links. Health and medical information changes quickly and frequently. Look for a date when the material was originally posted and whether it’s been updated or revised. Quality information should reflect the most current thinking and scientific findings available on the subject. You may be puzzled when you find contradictory information - read through it carefully to learn what the issues and your choices are. Check out information from a variety of sources, including news sites and other web sites. See if the material is based on scientific evidence like clinical trials, or has been validated by an editorial or peer-review board of experts in the subject. Miracle cure or hogwash? If the information you’ve found sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Be guarded about sites with over-sensationalized claims and offers of miracle cures for a price. At the least, you may be wasting money on ineffective remedies - at the most, inaccurate advice and unproven treatments could cost your health. Check other sources - other web sites, news stories - to verify questionable claims. Legitimate treatments go through rigorous testing and clinical trials before they’re approved for use. Your health care provider can be an important ally for determining accuracy and usefulness of information. Check out whether she is familiar with the information you’ve found and its source. Try not to overwhelm her with several pages of Internet articles. A good strategy is to gather your search results, read through the information and write down a few important questions to ask on your next visit. You are not alone Using the Internet to find health information can be challenging. There are places to help you find health and medical information on the Internet and from other sources. Your local library is a good place to start - staff can refer you to other sources of information in your community. There are organizations, resource centres and support groups for many health conditions and situations. Some organizations specialize in helping people find health information (see end of article). The Internet can be an excellent source of credible health and medical information - the challenge is in learning how to be a discerning consumer. More in-depth articles on evaluating information are available on the Internet. Try some of these: Cochrane Consumer Network: www.cochraneconsumer.com We make choices about our health from the information available to us. People tend to look for health and medical information when health is compromised - when we or our loved ones are ill or dealing with a new diagnosis and feeling anxious about our health outcomes. When we’re vulnerable like this, it is especially important to think critically about medical information. The Internet can be a valuable resource for women to increase their consumer skills and health knowledge. Finding out all you can about your health is a worthy goal - accurate and appropriate information can help you prevent certain health conditions or deal with your current health concerns. It’s important to remember that online information is never a suitable replacement for a consultation with your healthcare provider and reputable sites will tell you so. It’s best to discuss any health information you find, whatever its source, with a healthcare professional. Misericordia Health Centre Health Links |
Women's Health Clinic * Women's Health Clinic * Women's Health Clinic * Women's Health Clinic * Women's Health Clinic * Women's Health Clinic
