How Choices Affect your Health
The choices that we make in our lives can have a significant effect on our health. It is important that before making any choices, we consider the consequences of our decisions. Not thinking about the negative effects of your actions can have a variety of impacts on your health not only at the time, but in the future as well.
Making the right decisions is a very important part of our lives, particularly in relationships. When you are in a relationship, you will be forced to make a number of decisions that may have a number of effects on your health without proper consideration. There are a number decision that a person may have to make when they are in a relationship which could affect their health, including:
· Choosing whether or not to have sex
· Whether to use some form of contraceptive during sexual intercourse
· How a person views themselves (body image)
Sex
A big issue that commonly arises within relationships is that of sexual intercourse. There can be a lot of pressure on people to lose their virginity. However, having sex just because you want to lose your virginity, or because you think all your friends are doing it, is something you may look back upon with regret. Before choosing to have sex with a partner, it is important to consider both the positive and negative aspects of it, as it may lead to an array of negative impacts on your health and wellbeing.
Sexual intercourse can lead to pregnancy, which may be something that is undesirable for people having sex for the first time, or who may only be having sex for the purpose of pleasure. Many young people who accidently fall pregnant after having sex, may be forced to carry the extra financial burden of having a baby, which can be hard for them if they are still at school or studying at university. Also, a lot of time must be taken to care for and look after the baby during its first few months. Women who do give birth at a young age, also tend to find themselves isolated, and without the support of their partner. This is because sometimes when the male in the relationship finds out that his partner is giving birth, he leaves the woman, not wanting to help look after and care for the baby. This can have a number of effects on the emotional health and wellbeing of the woman, as she may feel lonely and isolated, as well as being stuck with a baby that she had never planned on having. It also may be hard for her to find another partner, as other men may not want to help care for the baby. This can further dishearten the woman, and make her feel unwanted or unloved.
Body Image
Body image is a person’s view of how they believe they look and how they believe other people see their appearance. How a person feels about their bodies and themselves can dramatically impact relationships, either in positive or negative ways. People sometimes make extreme decisions in order to try and create the ‘perfect body’. For example, a girl who views herself as being‘fat’, may stop eating, or eat very little, which can seriously affect her health. These attitudes that both men and women have and the way they viewtheir bodies is strongly influenced by the media, which promotes a perfect body image. Both women and men with poor self-image have fewer dates, and shorter relationships, which itself exacerbate their relationships further. People who have low self-esteem and poor body image, also may have poor emotional, spiritual or social health. Their partner in a relationship may become fed up with the extreme and often excessive measures they take to try make themselves look ‘perfect’.