20 wonder women
The HEALTH | OCTOBER , 2018
20 wonder women
Can you contract STIs through same sex relationships ?
ACCEPTANCE of same-sex sexuality has been recently debated , which reflects an enormous cultural change in our society . Although it seems like a safe bet , the question that often arises is whether one could contract sexually transmitted infections ( STIs ) as the partner is of the same sex .
KPJ Tawakkal Specialist Hospital Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist Dr Patricia Lim Su Lyn clarified that male – male , woman – woman and heterosexuals are all at risk of STIs .
“ Basically , STIs can be passed through just contact – not necessarily that you have penetrative intercourse . For example , female to female relationship , they may be using sex toys – so there is an exchange of body fluid . That is how they could transmit one disease to the other .”
“ Human Papilloma Virus ( HPV ) can cause cervical cancer , vulva cancer and anal cancer . It can also cause viral warts . So genital warts can be a problem .”
As to whether they are at risk of other infections , Patricia explained that if one partner is infected – you can pass it to the other irrespective of their gender .
“ The key point is the exchange of bodily fluids . Either they are kissing – saliva through to the secretion to toys . If both of them are healthy and in a stable relationship , then it is ok . However , they would be at risk if they have more than a partner ,” she said .
Degenerative disc disease
When backaches become unbearable
by NURUL AIN HUDA ABDULLAH
ainhuda @ revonmedia . com
WOMEN are more prone to backaches compared to their male counterparts . Anatomically and structurally , all the ligaments in a female are inherently more flexible – more lax . So , they are more prone to injury . In terms of muscle strength , we are weaker , therefore when performing the same activities as men , we are more prone to injury such as sprains .
University Technology Mara Specialist Hospital Orthopedic surgeon Dr Ferdhany Muhammad Effendi explained that lower back pain are multi-factorial in nature depending on the age group .
“ In the younger age group – injury might be caused due to heavy lifting , poor posture and sports activities . In the older age group above 40 years of age – joins are degenerated whereby the fluid inside the joins becomes less and the cartilage becomes thinner and it causes pain . As a woman approaches menopause , she suffers from hormonal imbalance where the bone becomes more brittle and more prone to injury .
Degenerative disc disease ( DDD )
Most common symptoms include lower back pain between the junction of the spine and the pelvis and is aggravated by activity such as bending forward , twisting , standing and walking for a prolonged period of time , changing posture from laying down to sitting up or from sitting down to standing up .
“ In severe cases , the pain is caused by the irritation of the nerve coming out of the spinal cord which causes radiation - a sort of tingling sensation towards the right or left – unilateral or both sides of the legs . This can be associated with numbness , weakness of the lower limbs , and at the end of the spectrum , one might suffer from urinary incontinence , faecal incontinence or faecal constipation .”
“ The spine is a complex structure that consist of bones , disk , nerve and the ligaments . So , when one of this structure in the spine is problematic , it can cause back pain . In degenerative conditions of the lower back , the facet joints which contains fluid become less , the cartilage becomes thin and with movements causes pain .”
“ Ninety per cent of the disk is made of water so when water is reduced in the ageing process , the shock absorber capability of the disk becomes less . When it becomes compressed , it can bulge and pinch on the nerve which is manifested with weakness or numbness of the lower limbs .”
In order to compensate and to stabilise the spine – the bone undergoes a process where it overgrows and form spurs . This spurs pinches the nerve which again causes similar symptoms . So the pinching is not only from the disk but from the bone spurs as well .
Other complications may include the canal that contains the spinal cord
Dr Ferdhany Muhammad Effendi .
Color X-Ray of low back showing DDD .
to become narrower , which again causes pinching or compression of the spinal cord itself .
“ In severe cases , patients will have claudication pain which is characterised by pain that progressively becomes severe upon motion . This is relieved by rest – by laying down whereby we restore the normal alignment of the spine which reduces the compression , giving relieve to the symptoms .”
The misleading concept of finding a soulmate |
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ADULTS in their mid to late 20 ’ s have another major life challenge – overcoming feeling of isolation and achieving intimacy with another person .
Prince Court Medical Centre consultant psychiatrist Dr Lu-Ann Chong pointed out that most of her clients who are in their mid-20 ’ s and early 30 ’ s talk about this frequently .
“ Many have disappointments , ranging from finding out about infidelities to breakup of a long-term relationship . Those that don ’ t deal with rejection , abandonment and loss well are the children who come from broken families themselves .”
“ Many women who enter into abusive relationships are often a result of a vicious cycle of abuse they themselves have encountered as young children . Modern society makes demands of one finding a soul mate , someone that “ completes you ”. This is a misleading concept .”
“ One should be independent and confident on their own and their life-long partner is one that compliments them , not complete them . These feelings of loss and abandonment can lead to clinical depression .”
Bacterial vaginosis and its effect on childbearing
THE most common cause for an infection among women is bacterial vaginosis ( BV ). It accounts to 40 per cent of all vaginal infections , 30 per cent mixed infections , followed with fungal infections and other smaller infections .
KPJ Tawakkal Specialist Hospital Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist Dr Patricia Lim Su Lyn explained that BV is actually a normal flora .
“ The vagina has both good and bad bacteria . In the normal pH where it is acidic , they are all in balance .
But when a lady is under stress for example during pregnancy , low immune status or douches , this can change the pH and that is when BV proliferates .”
Classically , BV affects the reproductive age group between the ages of 20 to 40 years old . Common complaints include a discharge that is greyish in colour with a fishy smell plus itching .
“ The discharge might be quite watery . When this happens , our Malaysian population would usually head to the pharmacy to get an
anti-fungal which is the wrong thing .”
“ BV has to be taken seriously as it affects a woman ’ s childbearing potential . BV has been seen to cause miscarriages , preterm birth , complications such as infection of the womb while she is pregnant and after delivery .”
“ There has also been several studies that show women who have failed in their attempt for an In Vitro Fertilisation ( IVF ), are infertile or those who do not have successful pregnancies due to BV . Once the BV were treated , success rates were higher .”