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Skin Cancer In Australia Essay

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The health status of Australian children and adolescents over the past decades has generally improved. However, there are still some who experience markedly worse health, poorer developmental outcomes and generally reduced wellbeing than others in the population. The world in which they live in shape their health, development and wellbeing both short-term, and into adulthood. Therefore, physical, social, emotional and psychological health of Australia’s children and adolescents is essential. This essay will demonstrate the prominence of skin cancer, sexually transmitted infections, anorexia and underage alcohol misuse, thereby establishing the extent and severity of the impact, with emphasis on the need for action. Firstly, skin cancer is the most common yet most preventable cancer in Australia, having the highest incidence rates in the world (AIHW, 2012). The greatest environmental determinant is overexposure to sunlight, especially ultraviolet radiation (UVR), with annual UVR exposure increasing the risk of skin cancer (Summerville & Watt, 2003). Despite the life-threatening melanoma …show more content…

Therefore, Australian adolescents are at serious risk as there are approximately 25% of young people reported sexually active by 15 years-old, with numbers increasing to 50% by Year 12; only 40% practice safe sex and use a condom (ACYS, 2014).Therefore, they are at greater risk of contracting STIs as a consequence of inexperience and lack of knowledge concerning risks with unprotected sex and access to contraception, social pressure, frequency of partner change, substance use and unwillingness to talk with parents or their general practitioner (DoHA, 2005). Hence, the success of lowering the prevalence of STIs among adolescents relies heavily on the knowledge about reproductive matters and access to and use of effective

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