Archive for the ‘Women Sexual Health’ Category

Swathed in taboos and limited to closed door discussions, it is hardly surprising how many ridiculous myths about sex are considered bible by most people. This would have been amusing if it weren’t for the serious repercussions. Examples like ‘we needn’t use a condom every time. I’m sure he doesn’t have any STD’ are a bit too familiar to be true.  

Watch some of your assumptions fall to pieces as you read on.

• ‘I will not get pregnant if…

… he withdraws before ejaculation’. This is possibly the worst birth control method. Men cannot always say when ejaculatory fluid comes out. And even the pre-ejaculation fluid containing sperms is all it can take to get you knocked up. As per research, 1 in 5 couples who use this method ends up expecting.

• If I’m not pregnant immediately after intercourse…

… then I probably won’t! Actually, sperms are not as breakable as you imagine. They can remain active and living for 1 week after intercourse. They are probably biding their time to surprise (shock?) with the happy mishap. Some studies have proved that sperm can keep on sperming for as long as 8 days and yet be viable.

• Foods with aphrodisiac properties:

Aphrodite is the Greek Goddess of love. And there have been claims since time immemorial about certain foods that can put you in the mood. Oysters, chocolate, honey, broccoli, berries- the list is endless. There is no scientific evidence to these arguments. But in a way, one can argue for this in a purely psychological perspective.

• ‘I won’t get pregnant if…

… I have sex while having periods’. False! Though a long-standing belief, it is still a myth. While chances are pretty less for a woman to get pregnant during menstruation, it is not impossible. And as mentioned above, sperms can stay active inside you for many days, particularly if your mensus cycle is shorter.

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Of course! Aerobics is the exercise to burn or lose extra belly fat. No need to squander a fortune to tauten and tone that Abs! Aerobics exercise is any physical activity intense enough to work your lungs and heart harder- resulting in increased blood circulation and fitness.

“Belly fat located deep within the abdominal cavity fills the spaces between internal organs and is linked with increased risks for heart diseases, diabetes and some cancers.” -  MayoClinic

Aerobics exercise is a safe bet to combat these risks. Let us see how.

Brisk Walk

Did you know brisk walking too is as good as aerobics? Brisk walking puts all your Ab muscles through its paces. It is important to swing your arms and pull in your tummy while at it. Walking in this manner for atleast 30 minutes a day can attain the aerobic effect. Make it a point to do this before breakfast, post lunch and after evening tea, 10 minutes each. This will largely increase the chances of you sticking to it.

Weight Train (Resistance Training)

Weight training not only boosts your metabolism, but also good for bones. It reduces the odds for osteoporosis after middle age. No, weight lifts do not make you masculine as commonly believed. Moreover, it enhances your energy level while burning most of those unhealthy belly fats. Same can be achieved through regular push-ups.

Link earlier blog on the same?

Play a sport

Playing a sport is the best bet to make one break into sweat. Not everyone may have access to tennis court, basket ball court or swimming pool. But one can easily rig up a net on a nearby ground and enjoy a spot of badminton. Same can be said for sports like cricket and football if you can gather enough people. It will set your heart racing and shed those bad fats.

Remember, you need to start somewhere and crossing the starting-trouble hurdle is a huge step. So ready to face that aerobic challenge that leaves you out of breath to make Ab fats history?

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December 1 every year, World AIDS Days is celebrated around the world. 2012 is the year of commitment by WHO (World Health Organisation) towards Aid Eradication. “Getting to Zero” with Zero new HIV infections, Zero discrimination and Zero AIDS related deaths, clearly signifies a greater push towards near-access to treatment for all by 2015.

When sex is on your mind, AIDS is surely nowhere on your brain, which is a wrong practice. Temptation cannot be overruled but protection can rule out any AIDS possibility. Unprotected sex at any time can make you an easy victim of AIDS. Aid the avoidance of AIDS with a little conscious effort from your part by being well informed. It is better to prevent and prepare, rather than repent and repair.

• Some fear is good! This fear should be ingrained in your mind that HIV virus can be easily passed to you during any unprotected encounter. Penetrative anal or vaginal sex carry the greatest risks, however, the infection can even be transmitted with oral sex.

• Always be skeptical! Ingrain some skepticism regarding not using a condom. If you cannot give away the temptation, give way to a condom. Both female and male condoms are effective in protecting HIV infection to a good extent.

• Don’t Even Think of Playing with someone who is HIV Positive! Don’t inherit the virus from someone who is carrying it by indulging into unprotected sex. Do justice to your health by staying away and protected.

• Spontaneous with your urges? Better to check your spontaneity. If you cannot, at least be prepared. Always keep a condom or two handy.

World AIDS Day

The Red Ribbon still stays as a potent symbol for this awareness day for AIDS.

• What is YOUR ROLE? Practice Safe Sex always.

• PROTECT: Yourself! By complete abstinence from unprotected sexual activities. If that is not viable, then, protect yourself by using condoms whenever you have sex with more than one partner.

• AWARENESS: Try to know the facts related to HIV. Always remember that having unprotected sex with a person who has HIV/AIDS would pass the infection to you as well.

• TESTING: If you anytime feel a strong possibility of being exposed to HIV virus, then go for Post-Exposure Prophylaxis, which can be availed from any nearby sexual clinic. This considerably reduces your chances of becoming HIV infected if you take it within the time-period of 72 hours from being exposed to the virus.

• For being tested, contact any nearby Genito-Urinary Medicine clinic.

How would you scale your knowledge on HIV & AIDS on a scale of 1 to 10?

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Pregnancy and childbirth, though one of the most precious experiences of life, leaves behind its not-so-pretty imprints on a woman’s body. Simply speaking, stretch marks are formed when the skin stretches during pregnancy as the fetus grows in size and mostly surfaces out in the 3rd trimester.

Stretching creepily around the areas of belly, breasts, hips, thighs, abdomen, arms, buttocks and even back, its hard to stop them from appearing. Initially the color may be reddish or purplish, but gradually these marks turn white. Though you cannot eliminate them from appearing, but you can certainly reduce their potency by following some simple tips.

Simple Ways to Keep Stretch Marks a Stretch Away

Are you fearful of ugly stretch marks as the byproduct of your pregnancy?

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The onset of a new life growing inside you is the time of rejoice, but are you really sure of your pregnancy? The indicators can sometimes be misleading. So, it is always necessary to go for a sure-shot pregnancy test. However, going to the doctor for a pregnancy test every time you miss a period or have vomiting and nausea is not practical. Instead, you can do the urine pregnancy test at home using the test-kits that are easily available over-the-counter.

When is the right time to go for a pregnancy test?

The infamous couple of weeks wait can be really frustrating.. The question thus arises, why wait! Check for signs, if you…

Pregnancy test at home!

If you’re wondering, ‘How to do a pregnancy test at home?’ or ‘When should I test if I am pregnant?’ and ‘What happens next?’ It’s a easy daily chemistry help in knowing if the woman is actually pregnant or not.

• When to test? At least 20 days after the previous menses or after missing a period.

• What to test? Your urine! You are actually testing for the HCG hormone, which appears in a pregnant woman’s urine after 20 days of last period.

• What time of the day is best for testing? Try to test it with the first urine in the morning to get the most accurate result.

• How to test? Pregnancy Test Kits are available at pharmacies, OTC (over-the counter) and are highly reliable. Although the pregnancy test can be done any at time, do it as soon as you get out of bed. Avoid too much water or fluids before the test for BEST results.

For example: Display of results varies in different types of pregnancy test kits.  In most of the PTK (Pregnancy Test Kit) it is displayed by colour line or bands, where in appearance of two bands show positive result and a single band display negative result.  In some of the PTKs, (+) plus means positive and (-) minus means negative signs show results while in others change in colour of urine sample is the deciding factor.

Very rarely the results can be falsely positive, but there are slight chances of its occurrence. This happens in cases where you are on certain drugs that include HCG (Human Chorionic Gonadotropin) shots. In such conditions, you must repeat the test after 72 hours. On the second thought, you should go and check with your gynecologist and ask for a blood pregnancy test to confirm a pregnancy.

What’s the good news?

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Pregnancy, a fantastic phase of womanhood, can be a tad worrisome due to fears and concerns over possible miscarriage. Statistics are not exactly comforting either, which says 1 in every 5 pregnancies ends up in miscarriage. Although miscarriages cannot be prevented, avoiding the known risks can increase chances of a safe and healthy pregnancy. The moment pregnancy is confirmed, a woman begins to get the ‘fragile’-treatment loaded with myths & restrictions, especially when it comes to the connection of certain foods with miscarriage.

For a country with as myriad a food culture as India, it is hardly surprising to have faulty but deep-ingrained myths surrounding what-to-eat & what-not-to-eat during pregnancy. Some of you must have heard nannies & ‘experienced’ moms telling the to-be-moms to stay away from fruits like pineapples, mangoes, papayas etc. Apparently these fruits can lead to miscarriage. No scientific reason, but still a widely perceived myth!

Why are the advisors eager to put plenty of distance between a pregnant woman & sesame seeds? This too is due to fear of miscarriage. They say Sesame seeds with its increased ‘heat’ can harm a baby. What they forget or rather underestimate is the power of woman’s uterus.

Pregnant ladies are often advised to take iron tablets, but they are reluctant to do so. Here’s the hilarious reason for that. Iron tablets will make baby dark! Ladies, genes and the amount of melanin decide your baby’s skin color, not the food you eat. Please don’t be anemic due to a myth.

Most untimely pregnancy losses & abortions occur as a result of genetics reasons and cannot be avoided mostly. But miscarrying once does not always mean that something is wrong with your health or that you cannot have any more kids. Nevertheless, periodic baby losses may be a sign of problems that require your immediate attention & medical help.

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Aching of the back-bone of the ‘back-bone of society’, the women, is a common phenomenon. But the worst hit arena is that of the working women. Imagining a daily schedule of a work-to-home mum explains how hard it is for a lady to cope with her responsibilities. Switching roles from being a mother taking care of her children, a wife looking after her spouse, a daughter attending to her parents, and being a professional leaves little time and attention for her own personal health.

Women know too well about being a bouncy tennis ball being whacked from home to office and vice versa. And it blurs away the personal front out in the ‘no-attention’ cloud, welcoming the mist of ailments into her body, which can turn chronic if remain unattended on a prolonged basis.

Most working women tend to face problems managing their daily schedules. Some common needs of working women start right from pregnancy, which will become even more demanding with the arrival of a child.

Common problems of a working woman:

However, all this does not mean that women should completely give up their career after childbirth, but this surely calls for a proper time-management.

Flexible Work Arrangements Can Be Helpful

A good way to help women cater to their needs is to make their work arrangements flexible. A flexibility brought into the working schedules can help them manage, both office and home with efficiency. A discussion with the HR about negotiation in terms of salary for reduced work effort. Is shifting your house to nearby office location possible for you?

Flexible working hours help a woman decide upon her daily priorities and to take time out for herself too. Getting a little time-off for doing yoga and meditation will be immensely helpful in rejuvenating the expected compromised health during pregnancy.

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Painful sex might lead to no sex at all if it is prolonged and untreated. Saying bye to pain and not to love-making will open a healthier chapter for you and even for your love relationship. For most women, especially who shy away from vocalizing their feelings, sex is another name for pain and they view it as a painful experience always. To shake hands with enjoyment and to get the most out of your love-making experience, a little attention is what is needed to make this a pleasurably wonderful experience. The word Dyspareunia perfectly describes this condition in medical diction. Don’t give any room to dyspareunia for disrupting your fun, destroying your sexual health, and dismantling your relationship.

You need to know what actually is causing this and why you are not having so much fun during intercourse? There are very many common causes for this pain. Find out what holds true in your case. As the cause, so will be its treatment.

Shedding Light on the Five Most Common Causes for Dyspareunia

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In 2008 the World Hepatitis Alliance launched the World Hepatitis day to focus for patient and people living with hepatitis B and C. It is an opportunity to raise awareness about the disease, its facets and usher in some real change in preventing the disease and increasing access to testing and treatment. With huge support from governments worldwide, NGOs and international bodies like Médecins Sans Frontières, the World Health Assembly of May 2010 agreed to recognize World Hepatitis Day on 28 July.

Almost 1 in every 12 people lives with hepatitis B or C. If left untreated/unmanaged it will lead to severe liver scarring, maybe even liver failure or cancer. People worry more about HIV/AIDS but the fact is that every year some 1.5 million people worldwide die from either hepatitis B or C and that too way faster than they would from HIV/AIDS.

World Hepatitis Day provides a scope to focus on actions like spreading awareness to strengthen prevention, screening and control of viral hepatitis and its related diseases, increasing hepatitis B vaccine coverage, and coordinating a strong global response to increase awareness and ensure treatment of hepatitis.

The different type of Hepatitis viruses- A, B, C, D and E cause acute and chronic infection and inflammation of the liver leading to cirrhosis and liver cancer. Hepatitis is a major global health risk and affects some 350 million people who are infected with hepatitis B and some 170 million people infected with hepatitis C.

The 2012 theme is “This is hepatitis… It’s closer than you think” The disease does not discriminate- against age, race or gender, economic status, nothing so just confront it – get yourself tested. You can prevent Hepatitis A with safe food habits like avoiding cut fruits, street side juices, clean drinking water and such simple steps. A 2011 study showed over 42 million Indians suffer from chronic hepatitis B infection and vaccination profiles are shockingly lows. July 28 is just a commemoration – make every other day a day against the dreaded virus and only then will it be controlled.

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Tobacco is the killer of nearly 60 lakh people every year, including 6 lakh unfortunate second-hand smokers. World Health Organization estimates this figure is likely to rise to 80 lakhs by 2030.

As every year, yet another World No Tobacco Day has arrived, requesting you to refrain from tobacco and smoking for this day. This is to show that, yes, you can have fun as well as face whatever life throws at you without the aid of nicotine jabbing your brain. And hopefully you’ll chuck this habit. Tobacco, ranging from desi bidi to high profile cigars, has no favouritism and has no qualms in harming all organs in your body. Smoking is linked to at least 15 types of cancers including lung cancer and breast cancer. Every odd puff you inhale damages your lungs, blood vessels and cells.

Quit It To Breath Life...

Young people in their 20s and early 30s may not feel any difference about their health due to smoking. Just go for a short jogging. Your 5 minutes you’ll be wheezing painfully and then you’ll realize how much your lungs are damaged. Isn’t lack of stamina in this age something to be ashamed of? Your decision to quit may have multiple reasons- to set a good example to kids, presence of a pregnant woman in the house or just to take charge of yourself.

Have you attempted this before? Don’t be disheartened, it does take time, effort and perhaps 2-3 goes to get rid of tobacco from your life. Your reasons to smoke (socializing, as stress relief etc) needs as much attention. How else will you replace cigarette with something beneficial to you like physical activities, a hobby or some smoke-free family time? When you quit, it seems like your day is one long, nonstop craving for a puff. But did you know that most cravings last only 3-5 min? this you can easily tackle by diverting yourself with a friend’s company, a hobby or physical activities like brisk walk.

Start today and stick to it. Yes, there might be a party tonight where you’d usually fag. Don’t adjourn. Do you have a post-lunch or dinner cigarette routine? A recent study says that certain foods like meat make smoking more agreeable. But foods like fruits, veggies, cheese etc make smoking horrible. So swap! Same logic applies to drinks. Smoke and alcohol is deadly combo; increases your chances of mouth cancer by 38 times. Fizz drinks, booze, tea and coffee add more kick to your cigs. So swap these with water and fruit juice. It won’t make you a big bore. This arrangement is just until you break the habit. Then you can get back to your daily dose of caffeine.

“Tobacco has already maimed my internal organs and health. Why should I quit then?” The excuses smokers come up with can be quite hilarious. But the truth is that body starts to show its gratitude in mere 20 minutes when after you quit. Your BP and pulse turns normal. After a day, your lungs begin to clear. Your body will be free of nicotine in 2 days while your senses perk up. You’ll see the difference in your breathing before 3^rd day; easy and energetic. Your blood circulation improves in no less than 2-3 months. And these benefits will only improve and increase…

So are you ready to quit smoking on the World No Tobacco Day?

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