Mar. 17, 2011 issue

Page 8

8 | THURSDAY, MARCH 17, 2011 the chronicle

immigrants from page 5 Among Mexican-Americans who recently immigrated, women often appear to have more negative health issues. Women are more familiar with their medical problems than men, so they sometimes appear to be sicker when surveyed, said co-author Jen’nan Read, associate professor of sociology and global health at Duke. “Men say to the survey that they don’t have all these ailments, but they are just less aware,” Read said. “Over time, men start going to the doctor more.” For immigrants, there are often financial, linguistic and logistical barriers to accessing care. Read said that oftentimes recent immigrants are busy trying to establish their lives and do not have the time or resources to learn to maneuver a complicated and expensive health care system. In order to close the health gap between men and women, Read said increased usage of the health care system is important, especially at the early stag-

es of an illness. She warned that men are going to the doctor too late and argued that it would be less costly for the public to treat ailments early on.

“Men say to the survey that they don’t have these ailments, but they are just less aware.” — Jen’nan Read, associate professor of sociology and global heath “In reality, once it gets to the end stage, you can’t deny health care,” Read said. “We’re paying anyway. It’s going to cost money. It’s a lot cheaper and more humane to treat people early.” Read concluded that the public in general—but immigrants in particular—need to be educated on how and when to utilize the health care system.

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housing from page 1 and able to choose from two-bedroom suites and four-person apartments during RoomPix Thursday night, Williams added. There are no restrictions on class years of roommate pairs, though groups selecting three-bedroom apartments are limited to a block consisting of one samegender roommate pair and one mixed gender pair. Campus Council voted unanimously Oct. 21 to recommend the gender-neutral option to RLHS after a survey about the policy was sent to the student body. The majority of the students who took the survey either agreed with or were impartial to the gender-neutral housing policy, according to the Campus Council presentation given in October. Blue Devils United President Ollie Wilson, a junior, said he thinks the University’s strides to provide more accommodating housing arrangements for students is a good start to a program he hopes will expand in the future. “Having more options, especially in the housing model, is always a good thing,” he said. “Everyone is different, and there are people with different needs or preferences.” Wasiolek added that the University is “approaching gender-neutral housing in the right way.” Locating the housing option on a small part of Central for its inaugural year will al-

drones from page 6 Radio Formula that the intelligence gathered by the drones had contributed to the arrest of drug lords. The Times story said a U.S. Homeland Security drone had helped Mexi-

low the University to be sensitive and aware of what students want in the future, she noted. Williams said although students have been “very receptive” to the new housing option, RLHS has received several questions about whether the program will remain opt-in only and if it would be extended to East Campus. RLHS also encouraged students who plan to participate in genderneutral housing to have a discussion with their parent or guardian about their housing choice, she added. In addition, RLHS is offering co-ed housing space—defined as same-sex roommate pairs living next to pairs of the opposite gender—on West Campus. These rooms will be available during the single-room and double-room selection windows of RoomPix and offer single-sex bathrooms, though some sections offer bathrooms without gender designation. This co-ed housing option, formerly referred to as gender-neutral, was established three years ago to accommodate transgender students, Williams said. Campus Council also recommended its continuation in October. RLHS will not know the number of students selecting co-ed housing until the completion of RoomPix, Williams noted. Students desiring to live in co-ed housing will be accommodated on the third floor of Kilgo Quadrangle’s Houses O and P, the basement of Few Quadrangle’s Houses GG and HH and the fourth floor of Keohane Quadrangle 4B, she added. can authorities locate several suspects in the slaying last month of Jaime Zapata, a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent. Matthew Chandler, a Homeland Security spokesman, declined to comment, citing the ongoing investigation into Zapata's slaying.


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