Women's Health Issues Explored in Cañada College Course

Studies have shown that women, as health care patients, have different needs and concerns as compared to men.  Women also experience different obstacles in their attempt to access health care in the U.S. and internationally.

A course offered at Cañada College this spring explores not only specific health concerns for women but also the issues and challenges that uniquely affect women as patients. 

HSCI 116: Women’s Health Issues will be offered Tuesday and Thursday mornings from 9:45 to 11. Class begins January 14.

The course covers a wide variety of topics including the basic anatomy and physiology of the female body, the unique nutritional needs of women throughout the life cycle, issues around fertility and reproduction, and the impact of women’s socioeconomic status on their ability to access healthcare and advocate for their needs.

"In more nitty-gritty terms, this course provides women with a rare opportunity to learn relevant information about their bodies and to become more informed patients," said Dani Behonick, assistant professor of Health Sciences and Biology at Cañada. Behonick will be teaching the course.

"Men who take the class have the opportunity to gain a better understanding of the health of their partners and family members and to become informed allies and advocates for women’s health," Behonick said.  

"We get real in this class – favorite topics include a lecture-long tour through the ins and outs of the pelvic exam, explanations and demos of how several forms of contraception work and classwide discussions of why folks might opt for one method over another, a month-long project where all students (including the men) must track their basal body temperature each day and reflect on how effective they think this would be as a contraceptive/fertility method, and conversations on what 'normal' looks like for the female body," Behonick said.