Public Health

This is the Moffitt Research Clinic; a prime example of

public health in our community. We chose this location to place our “This is Public Health" sticker because Moffitt is well known for their cancer research. This specific location (on Fowler Avenue in Tampa) not only provides testing for sexually transmitted infections (STI), but also gives out free condoms and conducts studies on the spread of human papilloma virus (HPV), which is how Moffitt is related to public health. As we learned in class, cancer is one of the leading causes of death in America today. There are no vaccines or cure available for most forms of cancer, but Moffitt is working on HPV research and discovering how HPV contributes to cervical cancer and genital warts. The free condoms that they give out prevent the spread of STIs among the sexually active college community. They also are a form of birth control and prevent unwanted and unintended pregnancies.

This is Bob (his name was changed to protect his identity). He is a marine corps veteran and unfortunately at the current moment unemployed and without a place of residence. Due to his circumstances he is being affected more than a average person

in terms of his health. If you take a closer look at the picture and his right hand, you will be able to see a cigarette. After mentioning our project to Bob, he confessed to us that he has chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), which is a progressive lung disease that makes it hard to breathe. Cigarette smoking is the leading cause of COPD. Smoking contributes to public health problems as it not only affects the person smoking it but everybody that inhales in the second hand smoke which is also related to lung diseases such as COPD and lung cancer.

After talking to Bob, we also realized that his skin was very sun damaged. Over exposure to the sun can cause skin cancer. Research conducted by various public health organizations has shown that prolonged exposure to sun light can cause of skin cancer and smoking remains to be the number one cause of lung cancer. Remember, this isn’t just about your health or my health, it's about our health. This is public health!

In health,

Nikhil, Patrick, and Yevgeniy