Sunday August 11, 2013
Kaieteur News
Worrying increase in road fatalities involving children The Guyana Police Force in a recent press release indicated that since the period of January to July 2013 there have been a total of 61 deaths on the country’s roadways thus far, six of which involved children. According to the report, compared to the 2012 report, for 2013 there has been an increase of fatal accident by 18%, an increase of death by 20%, and a 200% increase of road fatalities involving children. However, there was a decrease in serious (17%), minor (14%) and damage (26%) accidents for the year thus far. During the period mentioned, the police have recorded a total of 162 accidents of a serious nature, 213 minor accidents and 358 damaged accidents. Speeding according to the police, was recorded as the number one cause out of three for road fatalities, with a total of 43 accidents caused by speeding drivers. Inattentiveness was recorded at a total of 14, while failing to conform to a sign had only one report. According to a chart, categories of road users killed between January 01 and July 31, 2013 were; 21 pedestrians, 11 motorcyclists, 10 pedal cyclists, 7 drivers, 6 passengers who were in motor cars, 3 who were in
motor lorries/vans, two who were pillion riders, and one who was a passenger of a minibus. During the seven-month period so far, a total of 87 vehicles were involved in accidents - with a total of 27 private cars. Apart from hire cars, a total of 13 motor cycles, 10 pedal cycles, nine motor Lorries, nine hire cars, eight mini buses, three motor tractors & trailers, three motor vans and one motor jeep were recorded in that category. In the release, police said that traffic enforcement has so far resulted in a total of 50,530 cases against motorists for breaching the traffic laws during the period January 01 to July 31, 2013. Some of the offences and number of cases made were: Speeding - 12,842; Breach of Condition of Road Service License /Music 1,675, Driving under the influence of alcohol – 321, Using cell phone while driving – 601, Breach of Traffic Light Signal – 903, Tinted Motor vehicles – 722, Unlicensed Driver – 847, Fail to wear Seat Belt - 1,607; Dangerous Driving – 573, Careless Driving – 202, Fail to Wear Safety Helmet – 193, Overload Minibus - 5,682, Obstruction - 4,066 Fail to Conform to Sign - 3,816 and Crossing Double Yellow Line - 3,349.
Miss Emancipation Pageant 2013 set for tonight The stage of the National Cultural Centre will come alive this evening as eight beautiful and equally talented AfroGuyanese women - Franale Holder, Jennel Lovell, Shanice Bourne, Shevona Jerrick, Sunaika Adolphus, Miracle Hilliman, Joelly Valentine and Makida Blake - vie for the title of Miss Emancipation 2013 Commencing at 20:00hrs, the pageant will feature three segments- evening wear, business wear, and talent piece. Their onstage presence, their smiles, and the general way in which they portray elegance and grace, will all be scoring points for these beauties as they try to convince the judges that they deserve the much coveted title of Miss Emancipation 2013. In addition to this prestigious title, the winners will receive monetary prizes. The queen will be awarded $100,000, while the first runner-up will receive $75,000, followed by the second runner-up with $50,000 and the fourth with $25,000 along with other hampers and prizes. Meanwhile, in keeping with the United Nations Day of the Woman, the delegates will be choosing a strong woman of African descent to speak on as their respective platforms. Via this pageant, these beauties will be assisting to send to school, at least 12 young ladies of Mali, sub-Sahara Africa, where education for girls is not free. This initiative is expected to equip the Mali girls with much-needed facilities to explore their senses and exploit their skills. Tickets for the pageant cost $1000, $1500 and $2000 and are available at the National Cultural Centre; Nigel’s Supermarket, Robb Street; Jones Beauty Salon, D’Urban Street; Ashmins Trading, High Street and Upscale Restaurant and Sport Bar, Hinck Street, Georgetown.
Page 53
Doctors urge caution about common practice By Kiana Wilburg For those not familiar with the term, “douche or douching,” it refers to the process where a mixture of solutions, usually prepackaged, is inserted or squirted into the vagina. It is believed that the liquid is intended to cleanse that part of the anatomy, leaving behind a pleasant odour. On Friday last, this newspaper opted to interview several women around the city to find out their thoughts on to the topic at hand, and these are a few of their comments; “Douching is extremely safe and should be done at least twice a month”; “Every healthy woman should douche, it is a tradition passed down from the older generation of women in my family and so far I have never encountered vaginal issues since I’m douching”; “Douching is safe, I remember I had a slight itching with a discharge and I douched until it went away, now I only see that highsmelling odour after my menstrual cycle.” Considering the fact that the vagina is a “self-cleaning organ,” in light of the previous comments, the question that was of much concern was, “Is douching a safe health practice? Well, tradition or not, douching is not as safe as some may think. In fact, according to Dr. Yezmin Alvarado-Rivas, a gynecologist at the Eureka Medical Laboratory on 263 Thomas Street, Georgetown, “douching does more harm than good, if any at all.” Dr. Alvarado-Rivas explained that there is no need to douche. Douching, she said, actually affects the normal, delicate flora (micro-
organisms living in the vagina) of the vagina. “In the vagina, there is good and bad bacteria and douching can seriously affect its normalcy. When that normal state is changed in any way, with douching for example, bad bacteria can spread where they shouldn’t be and an overgrowth can be caused. Douching also rinses the vagina and removes good bacteria, which leaves the woman very susceptible to other infections.” She added, “Let’s say there is a case where the woman has an infection, when she uses the douche, she can spread the infection to other parts of her vagina like the fallopian tubes and the ovaries, thus making the problem even worse.” Supporting her position was William A. Boyle, Microbiologist and Director of Eureka Medical Laboratory. Boyle said, “Douching gives a false sense that everything is fine as it leaves behind a pleasant odour. But it must not be misunderstood that because it covers up a bad odour, if one was previously detected, that it gets rid of an infection. If anything, douching only makes the problem worse.” In short, Boyle, Dr. Alvarado-Rivas and a medical practitioner at the Woodlands Hospital, Thomasine Aaron, have essentially objected to the use of douche. Notions such as, “douching cleans the vagina, gets rid of rank odours, prevents pregnancy, or removes fungal infections,” can once and for all be cradled into the “myth basket.” The gynecologists said that according to their medical records, apart from sexually
A disposable douche transmitted diseases, fungal infections and in particular, Bacterial Vaginosis (BV) is extremely prevalent among women in Guyana. Bacterial Vaginosis, she noted, is a vaginal infection caused by an imbalance of bacteria in the vagina. A woman’s vagina normally contains many different kinds of bacteria and when the natural balance of those bacteria is disturbed, some types die off while others multiply. While men don’t contract BV, Dr. Alvarado-Rivas noted that Bacterial Vaginosis brings with it a gray vaginal discharge accompanied by a foul-smelling odour, especially after sexual
intercourse. There can also be swelling in the vaginal area and a burning sensation while urinating. The doctor made mention of this infection for the simple reason that most women conform to the notion that douching helps this condition. But guess what? Contrary to belief, douching actually plays a part in the development of this infection. To be absolutely certain that you have contracted an infection and to know what treatment is needed, medical practitioners of the Woodlands Hospital and the Eureka Medical Laboratory are strongly advocating that women avoid douching and see a doctor instead.