School_Hygiene_Can_Be_Difficult_Without_Soap

School Hygiene Can be Difficult Without Soap Posters in Broward County urge the use of good hygiene to control the spread of germs. However, this can be difficult due to the simple fact that many schools have a limited supply of toilet paper and soap. According to Nanci Hunt, a librarian at Meadowbrook Elementary, paper towels, toilet paper, and soap are in such short supply that teachers and student are forced to bring their own materials from home. The shortage on bathroom supplies is a problem because we are currently in flu season and it very important for students and staff members to wash their hands, to prevent the spread of germs. Without toilet paper the students will not be able to wipe after urinating or defecating which can also lead to major health issues. Washing your hands is the best tactic to prevent the spread of germs. Schools are full of germs and it is important for students to wash their hands because there are a number of infectious diseases can be spread from one person to another by contaminated hands, particularly gastrointestinal infections and hepatitis A. Washing your hands properly can help prevent the spread of the organisms that cause these diseases. Some forms of gastroenteritis can cause serious complications, especially for young children, the elderly or those with a weakened immune system. We are currently in the flu season and there is a highly contagious flu that has been being spread around since April 2009. According to Emma Lloyd, the H1N1 Virus, also known as the swine flu, is a new influenza virus causing illness in people. The virus is spreading from person to person worldwide. It is often said that washing your hands with anti-bacterial soap and water is a very important step to preventing the spread of the virus, and without soap in school bathrooms how will the students and staffs wash their hands. This lack in bathroom supplies increases the risk of spreading viruses. As a female I know how important it is to use toilet paper after urinating. Leaving urine residue on the vaginal area can lead to infections, such as yeast infections. According to Amber Piller “vaginal yeast infections are caused by Candida albicans, which is a type bacteria that can thrive and grow in moist and warm areas.” Women have the highest risk for these infections because of our anatomy. The most reliable way to prevent vaginal infections is to effectively dry the vaginal area after urinating. Not having bathroom supplies increases the chances of contracting not only vaginal infections but all the other millions of bacteria that travel and grow in moist areas. The use of soap and water together is what kills bacteria. “If there is no soap they might as well not even bother," says John Cmar, M.D., an internist at LifeBridge Health's Sinai Hospital of Baltimore and expert on infectious diseases. "Washing with water alone does not get rid of microbes the action of working up lather with soap, and then rinsing it off, is what washes them away. Plus, by touching the sink faucet one of the dirtiest things in a restroom these people could be adding even more germs to their hands." These experts have done studies and experiments on the effective use of good hand hygiene and without soap and paper towels there is no need to even rinse your hands with water because the bacteria is not being removed from your hands. There are many reasons why paper towels, soap, and toilet tissue are essential to control the spread of disease. Broward County Schools should not have posters in every hallway on hand washing when the supplies are not available for students and faculty to do so. It is unfortunate that the United States economy has changed for the worse causing a decrease is school budget. Even though the budget has decrease there is no excuse for not having sanitary products in school bathrooms. Every child of school age deserves the opportunity to attend a school with a healthy environment that will support good health and decrease their risk of contracting viruses, germs, or lead to other personal health issues. Without school bathroom supplies, good hand and body hygiene are hard to perform. As you can see my essay explains how important it for schools to have toilet paper, napkins and soap. Not only because germs will be spread around when hands are not washed however also because not using toilet tissue lead to health issues. Works Cited Piller, Amber. Some Broward Schools Go Without Toilet Paper and Soap. Fort Lauderdale. 2010. www.sun-sentinel.com