User:Remycrowley/Mary Guinan

Mary Guinan has worked to eradicate smallpox in India and worked with the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to find ways to prevent the spread of AIDS when it first became a major concern worldwide (around the 1980s). She then went on to work for the CDC, with her scientific work on AIDS was presented in And the Band Played On (film). In 2011, she became the first female to become the State Health Officer underneath the Nevada government. She also became president of the American Medical Woman's Association, after 40 years of membership. In 2016, she published "Adventures of a Female Medical Detective: In Pursuit of Smallpox and AIDs," and is working on a second publication currently.

In talking about giving back to the medical community and her work, Guinan has stated, "I grew up with parents who were immigrants from Ireland, and they always told me that I was in the greatest country in the world and that I should be giving back what I was given." In presenting to the Nursing School at the University of Kansas, Guinan has recalled, "I remember my days working with AIDS, when I had to watch my patients have babies that were infected with a life-long disease, and it's happening the same way now... That's one reason I came to Kansas: you aren't yet as affected as some other states, and you still have an opportunity for prevention." She continues to advocate for female access to contraceptives in the prevention the effects of using opioids on newborn children. She specifically speaks of long-acting reversible contraceptives such as Intrauterine device s, as they do not require a woman to remember to take any sort of medication regularly.

Guinan pursued a career in medication after working in a Chiclet factory developing various flavors and shortly afterwards realizing that her male coworkers were making higher salaries. She then considered pursuing a career in space-related endeavors at University of Texas in Galveston, but learned females were not even allowed within a vicinity of men for fear of distractions. It was then she turned her sights on medicine.

Guinan's work with small pox included a small mud hut in India, a Jeep, and a translator to accompany her on her endeavors. She offered a reward of 10 rupees for any local citizens able to look at a picture of small pox and identify someone who was suffering. After examining the patient, they would vaccinate everyone in the local area (usually a 10 mile radius). Her international health endeavors continued with a trip to Pakistan in 1980 to assess the health of refugees.

Mary took interest in herpes after suffering from bouts of cold sores, which are caused by the Herpes virus. She has also contributed to efforts regarding Ebola. From her efforts in 2014, she has said, "“One can only be in awe of the many dedicated workers who have volunteered to serve in such a dangerous environment. Not the least of these are the medical detectives who collect clues, analyze data, investigate suspected cases, and carry out their public health mission”.