9.PCH.2

What does this standard mean a child will know and be able to do?

9.PCH.2.1 Critique the potential health and social consequences of body art (tattooing and piercing).
It is important to identify the health and social consequences of popular fads occurring in the teenage and young adult population, such as tattooing and body piercing. Teenagers are often influenced by the habits and trends of celebrities and professional athletes. Before teenagers and young adults decide whether to participate in a fad or trend, they should consider the consequences. Some of the health consequences of getting a tattoo include the risk of skin infection, Hepatitis B and C, tetanus, allergic reaction and the development of scar tissue. Tattooing procedures also do not meet FDA approval. The social consequences may include difficulty in obtaining future employment by someone who has formed opinions about a person with tattoos. Many people who get tattoos deal with regret later. The decision to get a tattoo is a permanent decision. Complete removal of a tattoo is extremely difficult and expensive and scarring and skin color variations are likely to remain.

The risks involved with piercings also include infection, prolonged bleeding, Hepatitis B, C, D or G, nerve damage, tissue swelling, and scarred tissue. Tongue piercings can also cause damage to the teeth and cause the gums to recede. The social consequences, like tattoos, involve the opinions that others will automatically form about a person with body piercings, especially multiple piercings.
 * The student will conclude that behaviors are often influenced by current fads and trends.
 * The student will recognize the powerful influence that celebrities and professional athletes often have on current trends.
 * The student will use critical decision-making skills when considering whether to one day get a tattoo or a body piercing.

9.PCH.2.2 Monitor the effects of media and popular culture on normative beliefs that contradict scientific research on health.
Each day, students are inundated with information and images about what is healthy and normal. Often these messages are distorted and actually contradict what research indicates. It is important to examine the behaviors that impact one’s health and consider how media and pop culture affect one’s belief system about their health. Alcohol abuse is the third leading preventable cause of death in the United States (4% of the total deaths in 2000), and is a factor in approximately 41% of all deaths from motor vehicle crashes. Injury and violence is the leading cause of death among youth aged 10-24 years: motor vehicle crashes (37% of all deaths), all other unintentional injuries (16%), homicide (18%), and suicide (13%). Every day about 4,000 American youth aged 12–17 years try their first cigarette. It is estimated that smoking causes 435,000 deaths each year in the United States. Almost 80% of young people do not eat the recommended servings of fruits and vegetables. Nearly 9 million youth in the United States aged 6–19 years are overweight. Each year, there are approximately 19 million new STD infections in the United States, and almost half of them are among youth aged 15 to 24. Thirty-four percent of young women become pregnant at least once before they reach the age of 20. These statistics are based on research (Youth Risk Behavior Survey). The behaviors associated with these statistics are influenced by popular culture and the media.
 * The student will recognize the effects of media and popular culture on the decisions made affecting health.
 * The student will make decisions based on what is proven to be healthy or not and will not be influenced so much by the media and popular culture.