Women’s Health 

Assignment- The Case of Joy

Assignment Content

1. Greetings Students,

   This week’s reading taught you how and why certain women use, misuse, or abuse various substances. Additionally, you reviewed the economic and health impacts of substance usage among impacted women.

   For this assignment, you are to read the below case scenario and write a 2-page paper sharing three reasons advising Joy on why she should not engage in opioid usage, aka “speedballing” with her boyfriend. In your response, you are also required to include the following:

   -Explain what speedballing is.
   -Explain how stimulant and depressant usage can negatively impact the health of women
   -Share 1 to 2 reasons why women engage in speedballing
   -Your thoughts if whether you believe or not Joy is being domestically abused by her boyfriend

   You do not need to include a cover page for this assignment, but an APA 7th edition formatted Reference page is required. 

   Do visit the Monroe College Online library to find and include at least three scholarly and peer-reviewed articles in your paper. 

Case Scenario

Joy, a 19-year old white woman, was brought to your program by her mother and stepfather for treatment for her drug and alcohol use disorder. She is insightful, verbal, and personable, but flunked out of her first year of college. Joy admits to regular, heavy use of alcohol, marijuana and occasional cocaine use since middle school. She had a history of serious emotional problems and instability, including a suicide attempt in high school. Following her suicide attempt, Joy felt betrayed and judged by her mother and many close friends. She was especially hurt by her mother’s reaction to her suicide attempt, which she felt conveyed frustration and anger, rather than love and compassion. Joy gravitated to peers who used drugs, especially one male named Nick, who she says, “shows me the love and attention I’m not getting at home.” Joy is aware that Nick frequently uses heroin and sometimes speedballs. She has used cocaine with Nick and is thinking about doing a speedball with him as “it doesn’t seem too harmful and will bring them closer together.” 

Case Scenario Reference

Harm Reduction Scenarios. (n.d.). Praxis. Retrieved March 26, 2023, from https://c4innovates.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/PRX-243-Harm-Reduction-Scenarios-v2.pdf

 Required Text or E-Book: Alexander, L., LaRosa, J., Bader, H., & Garfield, S., Alexander,W. (2007). New Dimensions in Women’s Health, 7th ed. Sudbury, MA: Jones and Bartlett.ISBN# 978-1284088434

Speed-bailing: Mixing Stimulants & Opioids Presented by Florida Alcohol and Drug Abuse Association

Review PowerPoint Presentation by downloading the attached presentation or by clicking link to learn more: https://www.training.fadaa.org/Speedballing/Speedballing_PPT.pdf