IOL - Health - August 2022

HEALTH

IOL

AUG UST 2 0 2 2

Keeping abreast of sex health & wellness

WOMANIZER Unsplash

“Be messy and complicated and afraid and show up always.”

- Glennon Doyle Melton

CONTENTS • Tygerberg Hospital offers free breast cancer treatment • Mood-boosting food for winter • Menstruation matters with Candice Chirwa • Good vibrations?

• Medical gaslighting • Sexual health with Contro

Editors’ notes THIS month’s IOL Health digital magazine is dedicated to women and their resilience over the past three years.

It’s been a tough ride, and that’s why we wanted to celebrate the strong, empowered women in our community.

For the mothers, partners, caregivers, CEOs, mentors, etc., we thought it fitting to put a spotlight on female sexual health as we head into Women’s Month.

But our reasoning for doing so was not as cut and dry. As a generation living in a global village, it was pertinent that we address issues such as sexual pleasure and reproductive rights while the US grapples with the overturning of Roe versus Wade.

In this edition, we chat to Candice Chirwa, aka the Minister of Menstruation, about period poverty and it not just being a woman’s issue.

We’re also proud of our feature on Dr Liana Roodt and her team, who offer free breast cancer surgery at Tygerberg Hospital.

Marchelle

• Need a sleep divorce?

• Fertility education from childhood

IOL

CONTACT US PUBLISHER Vasantha Angamuthu vasantha@africannewsagency.com ACTING EXECUTIVE LIFESTYLE EDITOR Debashine Thangevelo debashine.thangevelo@inl.co.za EDITORS Marchelle Abrahams marchelle.abrahams@inl.co.za

UP UNTIL you find your place, it’s difficult to figure out where you belong. This simply implies that you will make a few errors along the way – that’s how we grow.

The same is true for driving transformational change just as character is defined through actions rather than words.

Any small task can be a pivotal building block to the future you hope to have.

In a society where there is so much negativity, I believe it is time we romanticised our well-being in order to heal and become softer versions of ourselves.

A simple act of reassessing our habits can help us embrace change, learn new things, and grow into ourselves.

If there’s one thing I’ve come to learn it is the most mundane things like taking yourself on a date is enough to have you feeling brand new.

Happy Women’s Month in advance!

Vuyile

Vuyile Madwantsi vuyile.madwantsi@inl.co.za

PRODUCTION EDITOR Renata Ford renata.ford@inl.co.za BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT Keshni Odayan keshni.odayan@inl.co.za SALES Charl Reineke charl.reineke@inl.co.za ENQUIRIES info@anapublishing.com

Cover Picture: Alexander Krivitskiy | Unsplash

AUSTIN CHMID Unsplash

DESIGN Juanita Minshull juanita.minshull@inl.co.za

MEET the healthcare workers behind free breast cancer surgeries. | SUPPLIED

TYGERBERG OFFERS FREE BREAST CANCER SURGERY Life-changing surgeries provided free of charge by incredible healthcare workers on weekends and holidays Vuyile Madwantsi BREAST cancer is the most common cancer among women worldwide, affecting 1.7 million women each year.

According to the National Cancer Registry (2017), one in every 26 women in South Africa is at risk of developing breast cancer.

It is also responsible for 16% of cancer deaths.

Project Flamingo is a nonprofit organisation that aims to reduce wait times for breast cancer patients who rely heavily on the public health system, by providing access to doctors, anaesthesiologists, and medical personnel.

These life-changing surgeries are provided free of charge by these

healthcare workers on weekends and holidays to the recipients.

Dr Liana Roodt is the founder, director and surgeon behind Project Flamingo, which was founded in 2010 and, to date, has seen over 700 surgeries successfully completed.

“The Flamingo initiative is a huge passion of mine. It's a project I firmly believe in and consider myself extremely fortunate to be in charge of.

“Our team is made up of very special people; everyone who has responded is a volunteer. No one is paid; they joined because they believe in the project and care deeply about patients and the South African healthcare system as a whole,” said Dr Roodt.

“This is a labour of love for all of us. It's amazing what you can accomplish when you work with like-minded people.”

She said they recently expanded their services to East London where they performed surgeries at Cecilia Makhiwane Hospital.

“This is a big achievement for us to offer our services in the Eastern Cape, after Livingstone Hospital in Gqeberha. We are carrying on with our list of patients in Tygerberg Hospital and Groote Schuur Hospital.”

Heidi Geysler-Steyn, a recent addition to Project Flamingo who joined a year ago, applauded the reality that medicine involves so many incredibly outstanding

people performing life-altering work all around us in addition to helping patients.

“The dedication from all members is a testament to their individual characters, and it is an absolute pleasure to work with them.”

What Project Flamingo means “Project flamingo, for me, is an opportunity to do good in a system that often has our hands tied behind our backs as we try to help our patients. It is a chance to provide our patients with the timely care they deserve and would have available if their circumstances in life were different. It is a chance to help those most in need.” – Dr Liana Roodt As our public healthcare sector faces setback after setback, and the inequalities between the public and private sector grow, it is the patients in the public sector who end up suffering long waiting times and all the problems associated with this, through no fault of their own.

“The ability to be able to shorten those waiting times and know that we are not only helping the patients operated on our lists, but shortening waiting times for all the patients in that district with breast cancer is amazing to me.

“Seeing the gratitude on the patient's faces when admitting them as they know they are on a special list is always amazing to see and such a rewarding sight. It really brings it home that we are doing something great that week.

It is also about more than just the surgery lists – the pamper packs and food parcels provide patients with a sense of hope, and it is that holistic care that we should all strive to provide.”

“I don’t think anyone can comprehend just quite how big the Project Flamingo team is, and even as someone involved in it, I’m not even sure I am always aware of just how many people are working tirelessly on various projects.

AS SOUTH Africa’s frail healthcare sector faces setback after setback, it is the patients in the public sector who end up suffering long waiting times and all the problems associated with this, through no fault of their own. | SUPPLIED

“WOW!! There is a lot happening and a lot of people involved here, always reminds me of how well this team works. With a project this big and with so many aspects to it, you would expect it to be madness, but everyone seems to do their part and come together when needed to make the whole project run seamlessly.” – Dr Michael Brombacher Dr Amy MacFarlane discussed how Project Flamingo had grown to be such a significant and integral part of who she was as a person and how it had shaped her into the doctor she is today.

Involved in Project Flamingo during her fifth year of medical school, McFarlane paid homage to being able to be a part of something that helps change the direction of women’s life. “This is something that I will never take for granted and am truly grateful for.

“When Michael Brombacher and I heard about this incredible initiative and wanted to be a part of it, we met with Liana Roodt and Michelle Rennie and launched the

Project Flamingo Student Initiative at UCT, where medical students can attend catch-up surgeries.

“Here, I was able to see, firsthand, the incredible impact this project has on the lives of women faced with breast cancer. It helps remind me why I am doing what I am doing and what the long hours and sometimes overwhelming workload are for - to help patients and help them heal, something which can be easily forgotten in a broken healthcare system.” – Dr Amy MacFarlane “We held our first list on 2 July and have three more scheduled for this year. I can’t describe how excited I am this has gotten off the ground and that we are now able to help women with breast cancer in a third city, where the need is massive. No matter where my career goes from here, seeing these East London lists start will always be a highlight and one of my proudest moments. I don’t think I will ever forget the faces of the five ladies, which we operated on that first in East London,” said Dr Roodt.

Eat to beat the winter blues with these

MOOD BOOSTERS

DID you know bananas have a lot of vitamin B and magnesium, which are important for your thyroid and adrenal glands to function properly? | DARIA SHEVTSOVA Pexels

FEELING blue as the weather gets colder? A health expert offers ways to boost your mood with different foods.

Anne-Marie de Beer, nutrition, health, and wellness manager at Nestlé East and Southern Africa, says much of what we do during this hibernation time is eat for comfort, mostly foods that are filling.

De Beer says the premise behind it is that food will, along with our heaters and fireplaces, help with the feeling of warmth, but what we don’t realise is we also need to boost our immunity during this time.

“Hearty winter food generally leaves us full and renders us couch potatoes. And before we know it, winter is over, we’ve piled on kilos and we’re feeling the post-winter weight gloom, but that doesn’t have to be the case,” she says.

Below De Beer shares some nutritious foods that can help boost not only your and your family’s immunity but your mood.

Go bananas Winter drives us all crazy – but did you know bananas have a lot of vitamin B and magnesium, which are important for your thyroid and adrenal glands to function properly? These glands help regulate body temperature.

Bananas can also boost your mood and preserve your memory, among other health benefits.

The greener, the meaner Green veggies such as spinach and asparagus are high in folate, a vitamin that may help reduce symptoms of depression. Folate is needed in the brain for the synthesis of mood chemicals like norepinephrine, serotonin and dopamine.

Bottoms up A simple way to help your body stay warm this winter is to drink water. Water keeps your body functioning at its best and helps regulate your internal temperature.

People are less likely to drink water

A SIMPLE way to help your body stay warm this winter is to drink water. It helps to regulate your internal temperature. | PEXELS

when it’s cold outside because they don’t feel as thirsty, but carrying a water bottle with you will serve as a reminder.

A glass of warmth Our bodies require amino acids, vitamins and minerals to keep strong. The intake of all necessary minerals and vitamins can require a lengthy shopping list, but one glass of a fortified milk-based drink can boost your family’s immunity and ensure added vitamins for a refreshed mood.

Warming winter mornings Start your day with a hot breakfast. Research has shown

this can improve your cholesterol and provide important vitamins and minerals while releasing the right endorphins to get your brain fuelled.

“Food is as much about our nutrition as it is about our state of mind, and during the colder seasons, this is even more so. We want warmth and comfort to help deal with the biting winter, but we should not compromise on nutrition and mood upliftment.

“After all, nutrition is about balancing your diet to support all your needs, but it doesn’t have to be boring,” she said.

Menstruation matters The stigma around menstruation is still felt in several parts of the world Vuyolwethu Fundam

PEXELS

THE stigma around menstruation is still felt in several parts of the world, where certain societies deem it to be unclean and ostracise females.

It's been reported that in Venezuela, Nepal and India, girls and women who are menstruating are forced to isolate themselves in huts for the duration of their cycle.

In Ghana, females on their menstrual cycle are not allowed to enter a house with a male, or cook food.

According to “Menstrual Health Management in East and Southern Africa”, a report commissioned by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) revealed shame and misinformation undermined the well-being of women and girls.

The study confirmed this left them vulnerable to gender discrimination, child marriage, exclusion, violence, poverty, and untreated health problems.

Candice Chirwa, a menstruation activist, said the simplest way to eradicate period stigma was to talk about it freely and honestly, with no secrecy or vagueness.

She added: “We should also refrain from using code words such as Aunt Flo, Red Robot, Time of the Month so that people can be used to hearing about menstruation as the normal and natural biological function that it is.

“Furthermore, period companies should create advertising that paints the real realities of menstruation to ensure that period myths and taboos are being debunked.”

Last month, a menstrual hygiene brand, Kotex, launched a campaign in the hope of starting conversations, raising awareness and debunking stereotypes around period.

People on social media, on the other hand, believed the campaign was not relatable and that it misinterpreted the realities surrounding menstruation.

What is the way forward?

STEPS must be taken to help destigmatise menstruation and change the narrative. | KAROLINA GRABOWSKA Pexels

Open the dialogue around the topic of menstruation Menstruators and nonmenstruators alike should freely and openly talk about menstruation and its realities.

Educational initiatives Menstruators and nonmenstruators alike, according to Chirwa, should be taught about their menstrual health through educational initiatives.

Corporate social investment

(CSI) Menstrual hygiene brands should incorporate CSI programmes that seek to build infrastructure in schools for young menstruators to adequately manage their menstruation.

The most critical aspect, according to Chirwa, is for the government and civil society to develop policies that address period poverty in schools and workplaces holistically.

LET’S END PERIOD POVERTY There’s an urgent need to get rid of the negative perception surrounding the issue VUYILE MADWANTSI

ANNIKA GORDON Unsplash

IT'S easy to hate your body for something so natural because you don’t understand it. Period talk is not a woman’s responsibility.

“You’ve probably heard a lot about menstruation, but you probably don’t know what it is, what the basics are. We are just going to start off with the fundamental basics of why you menstruate and what is menstruation” – ‘Flow the book about menstruation’.

While menstruation is a

normal and healthy part of life for most women and girls, in many societies, the experience of menstruators continues to be constrained by cultural taboos and discriminatory social norms.

Candice Chirwa is a South African menstruation activist, speaker, and academic who is working to de-stigmatise menstruation while also advocating for an end to period poverty in the country.

“We need to change the language where menstruation is concerned. Already the assumption

is that menstruation is just a woman and girl's issue, and that in itself is exclusionary” said Chirwa.

Because there are people that menstruate who don't identify themselves as women and girls, and there are transgender people who do menstruate, it is important that we remove the language that menstruation is a women and girls issue because it then places a priority as a human rights issue.

Period poverty is an issue that deserves national and international priority and solving but beyond that, think of the language we use

in describing menstruation.

Even as a product, people would say sanitary towels or feminine hygiene and that on its own implies that something needs to be cleaned and that something is dirty.

“We need to get rid of the negative perception that menstruation is a dirty thing, and we really need to get away from giving something so natural a negative connotation. There's nothing negative or dirty about periods,” added Chirwa.

We look at menstrual health as infrastructure and education.

It's a holistic way from a political perspective to unpack it, like what a menstruator requires during that time of the month, so that their period isn’t a daily obstacle from any socio-economic activities, be it school or work.

Menstrual health from an individual perspective is: what do you require outside of just period products, be it a pad, tampon, or a menstrual cup or period underwear, asks Chirwa who is also known as the Minister of Menstruation.

It's crucial that policymakers recognise the lack of infrastructure (such as a trash can, a sink, and a flushing toilet) that allows menstruators to manage their periods with dignity and care.

They have yet to witness the bullying stigma that menstruators face when they stain their clothes.

So with menstruation, you need people who are open-minded and understand that even if they do not menstruate, they must be conscious and sensitive to that.

While we acknowledge why condoms are free, we went through an HIV and Aids epidemic as a country but now what we’re saying is, if the state has the necessary infrastructure to supply free condoms, then its possible to make this a reality, especially in public institutions like schools, such as pad dispensers, local period manufactured products.

"What we're calling for, as

BLOSSOM Care Solution is a programme from Tembisa that has employed several young women.

Care sources material and machines from India for the manufacture of 100% compostable sanitary pads. | NOKUTHULA MBATHA African News Agency (ANA)

activists, is that these things shouldn't be this expensive, that we should have access to them because it's a human function, that it shouldn't be as expensive, especially for those who come from low-income households. Something as simple as having access to pads remains a challenge for many young people around the world,“ she emphasized.

With that language removed, we can then go to the actual education and awareness building.

That’s where Qrate steps in.

The initiative does menstruation workshops which are inclusive to the boy child and girl child.

How people have different menstrual experiences and being heavy on the fact that everyone who is a menstruator deserves dignity and care to menstruate.

This includes how you treat the menstruator and how you speak about or to the menstruator is really important.

They provide menstrual workshops on an awareness level with boys so that they know that they are future menstruation partners.

They are menstrual allies, future dads, future colleagues in the work

place with menstruators. They have to know how to respond appropriately and not respond in an inappropriate manner or malicious way.

“The education that children are receiving is abstinent-based education - don’t have sex, you will fall pregnant. There are a lot of consequences to that.

“Rather have comprehensive sex education, affirm empower and engage with the participants in this conversation and allow them to be part of the conversion around issues that affect them directly because, at the end of the day, puberty, sex and menstruation are inevitable things.

It's part of growing up,” she said.

There’s fear that needs to be removed.

Teachers and parents need to be equipped with the right form of training and content to educate children.

Simply having a conversation with your boyfriend about periods and challenging the narrative about why periods are seen in such a negative light or something as a simple act of just leaving a box of pads or tampons in the office bathroom is a step in the right direction.

To vibe or not to vibe?

VUYILE MADWANTSI

WHETHER you’re going solo or decided to spice things up with your partner, sexual pleasure is a fundamental aspect of sexual health and desire.

According to a study published in the Journal of Sexual Medicine 2009, vibrators improve our sexual well-being and pleasure, and they are also linked to higher sexual function.

There is a lot of conflicting information, including myths and rumours about whether using vibrators is bad for you in the sense you may become less sensitive down there after prolonged use.

Vibrators are useful for enhancing and diversifying sexual pleasure.

One of the efficacy of sexual devices is for therapeutic use and sexual liberation, including masturbation, which causes your body to release a number of

A CHANGE in sensation may happen unrelated to vibrator use. | FREEPIK

hormones like dopamine, known as a happy hormone.

Endorphins also have moodboosting and de-stressing effects.

Sex toys and sexual devices are frequently used and have a variety of indications for increasing individual and partnered sexuality as well as treating sexual difficulties. Different models equal different benefits.

Lora DiCarlo is a sex toy brand that uses micro-robotics to create toys that mimic human touch.

Filare has two balls underneath its silicone surface that swirl like a partner’s tongue. The suction vibrator cups over the whole head of the clitoris, using gentle sonic waves to generate pulsation.

Earlier studies about clinical and research concerns with vibratory stimulation: a review and pilot study of common stimulation devices have shown that sex toy users also exhibit greater sexual functioning (i.e., stronger desire, more lubrication, and a higher

frequency of orgasms) and are more proactive when it comes to maintaining their sexual health.

In a study on vibrator use in the US, which included 2 056 women as participants, 71.5% reported never having genital desensitisation with vibrator use, while 16.5% noted a mild and temporary change in genital sensation and less than 1% reported desensitisation that lasted for a day or longer.

Researchers concluded any brief changes in sensitivity that may result from vibratory stimulation were uncommon and had an effect on sensitivity similar to that of manual stimulation.

While it is possible to get used to the comfort and stimulation of a vibrator, it is also unlikely to develop a physiological dependency (i.e., a long-term change in sensitivity).

Vibrator use among women is common. Using a vibrator to train yourself to have multiple orgasms during self-pleasure increases the chances of having multiple orgasms with a partner. Moreover, they may help with pain associated with sex and pelvic floor dysfunction, too.

The genital vibrations facilitate vasodilation (the widening of blood vessels as a result of the relaxation of the blood vessels muscular walls) and blood flow to the pelvic floor, supporting relaxation and comfort.

A change in sensation may happen unrelated to vibrator use. If a person's health issues affect their ability to have sex, it’s advisable to visit your GP. Given some research suggests women’s vibratory thresholds (the degree to which vibratory stimulation is felt) may rise with age, a higher intensity might be preferred as we become older.

Research published in the Medical Journal of Australia, 2020 asserts that between 8% and 15% of all hospital admissions in the US are the result of diagnostic error, which includes missed, incorrect or delayed diagnosis.

Vuyile Madwantsi

DOCTORS are taught to take a patient’s medical history, listen carefully to what the patient is complaining about, and then examine the patient. | PEXELS

MEDICAL GASLIGHTING

and why it affects mostly women

A THOROUGH history, including information from family members and other medical professionals, and a thorough physical examination are fundamental steps that, when combined, will produce the correct diagnosis in more than 80% of cases.

By contrast, failure to follow these steps results in 40% of missed diagnoses.

Founder and chief physician of Dr Concierge SA, a Sandton-based concierge medical practice, Dr Lelo Latakgomo holds a medical degree from UCT and is an experienced family physician who is passionate about all things associated with primary health, preventative care, and optimising health for the entire family, from children to grandparents.

She spoke to IOL about medical gaslighting.

Gaslighting occurs when someone has the ability to make you doubt your own feelings and thoughts. Additionally, it may make you feel disregarded or demeaned.

Dr Latakgomo gives more insight into medical gaslighting below: “Medical gaslighting can affect anyone. However, it has been shown that it occurs frequently among women and people of colour.

“Doctors are taught to take a patient’s medical history, listen carefully to what the patient is complaining about, and then

examine the patient. Based on what they hear and see, the doctor will then give a diagnosis.

“One of two things might have caused a misdiagnosis: either the patient didn't provide enough details for the doctor to make an accurate diagnosis, or the doctor didn’t obtain a complete medical history.

“A patient may report a doctor to the medical board if they believe they are not receiving proper care on the grounds that the doctor violated the medical profession’s ethical code.

“It’s hard to discern what happens during a doctor-patient consultation, due to the fact that neither you nor we are aware of the information the patient is communicating to the physician.

“The hierarchy we use as doctors is essential because it helps us prioritise and concentrate on life-threatening symptoms before moving on to less serious ones, because we are aware of the consequences of choosing option 5 in the list of complaints instead of opting to treat the first initial symptoms you complained about.

“It’s also your responsibility as a patient to ask your doctor why they are focusing on 5 and 2, and are the rest being addressed? You need to understand. However, if your doctor is being dismissive then they are in the wrong through no fault of your own.

“It’s the doctor’s responsibility to explain why they are focusing on particular complaints and not everything all at once. And it also serves as a reminder, because at the end of the day doctors are also human. Sometimes in the crux of the emergency we focus on preserving life more than convenience.

“This is not to say that we dismiss your complaint about pain in a specific area, but it works in such a way that I am responsible for treating the cause of your pain rather than the symptoms.”

DR LELO Latakgomo, family physician. | SUPPLIED

PEXELS

Let’s talk about...

South Africans avoid talking about STIs, erectile dysfunction, contraception and more. Contro, a new online sexual health and product prescription and delivery service wants to change that Gerry Cupido

CONTRO is a new online sexual health and product prescription and delivery service Contro is aiming to take the inconvenience and awkwardness out of the in-person sexual health conversations.

This online service offers virtual private and confidential consultations with doctors who prescribe and discreetly deliver the right treatment at no extra cost.

Contro founder and chief executive Alex Schmid believes being able to address sexual health questions and concerns virtually, allows more people to take control of their sexual health and sex life without fear of judgement.

We spoke to Schmid.

Are South Africans ready for such a service?

At Contro, sexual health is not only about STIs but also UTIs, thrush, and what we like to call choice treatments such as contraceptives, hair loss and

erectile dysfunction treatment.

South Africa has always been a conservative society. However, we have multiple pandemics in the area of sexual health in South Africa going unchecked and untreated due to the fear of talking about the topic.

Regardless of whether South Africans feel ready or not we need to talk about sex, sexual health, and STIs because our biases, judgements and beliefs are causing significant harm to our society from both a health and socioeconomic perspective.

This can be shown with current statistics surrounding some of the service and treatment areas Contro assists with: When it comes to STIs, there are over 10 million active STIs per year in individuals between the ages of 15 to 49 in South Africa, excluding HIV infections. When combined with the 7.9 million HIV-positive individuals in South

Africa, the total number of STIs sits at 17.9 million active infections per year.

With a population of just over 59 million individuals, it means nearly one in three individuals will have an active STI every year. That is a pandemic. (Source: NICD) When it comes to birth control, between 2015 and 2019 there were 1.96 million pregnancies a year on average in South Africa, of which an average of 1.27 million each year were unintended. Over a third of these ended in abortion. This is a pandemic that can be addressed at the source with effective use of birth control. (Source: Guttmacher Institute) Regarding erectile dysfunction, 40% of men under the age of 40 suffer from erectile dysfunction (Source: Cleveland Clinic), and 50% of all diabetic men will experience erectile dysfunction at some point in their lifetime (Source: NICB).

Just within these three categories of sexual health, the socio-economic impact on South Africa’s healthcare systems and the economy is simply unsustainable.

Therefore, the stigma surrounding sexual health needs to be addressed immediately.

“We at Contro want all individuals to start talking about sex, and sexual health and we want to ensure greater access to affordable, convenient and discreet healthcare for all those in South Africa, the company said.

“The good news is that we have already started to make an impact.

We have already assisted over 1 500 individuals to access the sexual health treatment they need. Our customers span from Sandton to Soweto, Clifton to Khayelitsha, and even to the borders of South Africa.

“In fact, individuals residing in townships account for nearly 40% of our total customer base and we’re exceptionally excited to fulfil our mission of creating greater access to healthcare in South Africa for all.”

For many people doing something as basic as online shopping and payments is daunting. How do you possibly convince someone to do something this “invasive”?

Accessing birth control or treatment for erectile dysfunction and even STIs is a choice, one that is often made difficult due to the various barriers to accessing sexual healthcare.

Arguably the two most difficult hurdles for individuals to overcome are firstly approaching a healthcare facility or practitioner to gain access to treatment. This hurdle requires an individual to not only find accessible healthcare facilities but also, open up about their sexual health in the physical presence of a stranger who may or may not judge them for their actions or choices.

Secondly, the cost of not only a doctor’s appointment and the potential prescribed medication,

SOUTH Africans avoid topics surrounding sexual health. | PEXELS

but also the travel between each establishment and the time it takes to get through the traditional process, makes it even more daunting for individuals who are seeking and need help.

“Contro removes all of these barriers by utilising the power of technology through our platform, creating more accessible access to licensed healthcare professionals and treatment options with our discreet virtual consultations, which can be done from anywhere through a phone or laptop, and our discreet free nationwide delivery anywhere in South Africa, including townships. Therefore Contro makes sexual healthcare and the treatment of specific areas non-invasive compared to the traditional physical process,” the company said.

When it comes to erectile dysfunction, most men are not even willing to admit to having a problem. Would your service make that easier?

“We agree. Men don’t talk enough about erectile dysfunction (ED), especially considering how common a condition it is. We’re here to change that. As previously mentioned, 40% of men under the

age of 40 have erectile dysfunction, and 70% of men at the age of 70 have erectile dysfunction (Source: Cleveland Clinic),” the company said.

Therefore, it’s time we change the narrative around ED and start encouraging conversations about the topic rather than continuing to stigmatise it.

The whole process of obtaining ED treatment through Contro is affordable, convenient and discreet.

From their virtual consultations to a free nationwide delivery offering, they’ve ensured that individuals can get access to non-judgemental and non-biased medical professionals and ED treatment on their terms, from their homes with complete privacy from only R150 per month.

When it comes to birth control, how do you know what’s best for that person?

“When assessing patients, our processes and our partner doctors don’t only consider the individual’s health but also their financial capabilities to ensure the correct method, type or brand of birth control is prescribed for the individual’s unique body, budget and lifestyle,” the company said.

How can you assure patients’ confidentiality?

“Our customers’ data and confidentiality is our highest priority. We use industry-standard best practices when it comes to securing customer information. The Contro platform is POPI and GDPR compliant.

“All information remains encrypted at all times with bankgrade processes, and access to data is strictly limited to a minimum number of applicable individuals and subject to confidentiality commitments. Our security posture is regularly reviewed and we have advanced monitoring in place to detect malicious attempts against our systems, which are also able to automatically remediate these actions,” it said.

Is a sleep divorce for you?

VUYILE MADWANTSI

A STUDY published by the Library of Medicine in 2016 found when it comes to a bed companion, men and women behave differently.

These variations in sleep patterns could be attributed to cultural norms or parenting in women, the urge for group sleep in men, and the fact men and women typically have different nocturnal preferences and cycle phases.

More often than not, people are now re-evaluating “normalcy” – the heteronormative ideal of sharing one bedroom in one home, to married but living apart.

They are getting the best of both worlds - all the benefits of coupledom without sacrificing individualism.

However, too little importance is attached to the link between couple

TO PREVENT feeling distant from your partner, identify what brings you together and make the most of it. | FREEPIK

sleeping and couple functioning.

While sleeping in different beds may be excellent for your sleep, it could be detrimental to your relationship. If the couple agrees to sleep apart, there are several crucial steps that need to be taken to reduce some of that risk.

The fundamentals of good sleep hygiene are straightforward: try to maintain consistency while minimising distractions and maximising comfort.

But how does sharing a bed with a person, who may have their own disruptive sleep problems and irregularities, factor in sleep divorce? What should you do, then, if your relationship suffers because what's best for your sleep is in conflict with theirs?

There are many different sleep disorders and things that can affect our partner’s sleep or our sleep.

Some people are just light sleepers: from snoring, insomnia, getting up to go to the bathroom, tossing and turning, or having restless sleep, even in the absence of sleep disorders.

A slight disturbance may be the cause of your next fight.

If your partner’s sleeping habits keep you awake at night, it may be time to consider a sleep divorce.

Twelve percent of US couples have requested a sleep divorce, and 30% have discussed it, according to a Slumber Cloud survey.

In order to avoid the risk of emotional intimacy being impacted by couples choosing to sleep apart, experts say a bedroom is a sanctuary, a place to reconnect, and it’s important for couples to examine aspects of their lives that are inextricably linked and maximise on that.

Talking about pleasure during sex ed can

ENCOURAGE SAFE SEX New research has said that sexual health programmes that included sexual desire and sexual pleasure can improve knowledge and attitudes around sex, as well as condom use, compared to those that do not.

WHILE it is important to be aware about sex, so as to prevent STDs, it is also important to be educated about it.

New research has said sexual health programmes that included sexual desire and sexual pleasure can improve knowledge and attitudes around sex, as well as

BILLIONS of dollars are spent around the world each year on sexual and reproductive health and rights services and programmes. | ASIAN NEWS

condom use compared to those that do not.

The research was published in the open access journal PLOS ONE. The meta-analysis of research literature from 2005-2020 found that incorporating pleasure in such programmes can have positive effects on attitudes and safer sex

behaviour and recommended revisiting sexual education and health intervention approaches that do not acknowledge that sexual experiences can be pleasurable.

Billions of dollars are spent around the world each year on sexual and reproductive health and

rights services and programmes.

Yet with fewer than 10 years to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals, which target sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights, there is still a huge global burden of sexually transmitted diseases and HIV. Researchers from The Pleasure Project, WHO’s Department of Sexual and Reproductive Health and Research and colleagues, reviewed 33 unique interventions targeting STI/HIV risk reduction that incorporate pleasure, and meta-analyse eight.

They found evidence that including pleasure can have significant positive effects across information- and knowledge-based attitudes, including participants’ self-belief in behaviour change, and motivation to use condoms, as well as in behaviour and condom use.

While the authors searched for interventions across a spectrum of sexual health interventions (including contraception and family planning interventions), the review ultimately included only STI/HIV-related programmes targeting populations traditionally considered “vulnerable”.

The authors noted that future work was needed to incorporate and evaluate pleasure-inclusive interventions in the reproductive health space and for general populations.

The team argued that continuing to avoid pleasure in sexual health and education risks misdirecting or ineffectively using resources. The researchers called for a fundamental rethink of how programmes are oriented.

The authors added, “Pleasure has been over-looked and stigmatized in health promotion and sex education, despite its obvious connection to sexual health and well-being.

“Our systematic review and meta-analysis, the first of its kind, shows that including sexual pleasure considerations in sexual

EXPERTS say pleasure has been over-looked and stigmatized in health promotion and sex education. | HUNTER NEWTON Unsplash

and reproductive health services improves condom use and so may also improve sexual and reproductive health outcomes.”

They also said, “Policymakers and programme managers should more readily acknowledge that pleasure is a key driver of sexual behaviour, and that incorporating it in sexual and reproductive health services can reduce adverse outcomes.

“Eight years out from the Sustainable Development Goal deadline, innovative strategies that can accelerate progress towards SRHR targets, including for STI and HIV prevention, are urgently needed.

“Programmes adopting a sex-positive and pleasureinclusive approach is one such innovation that should be urgently considered.” | ASIAN NEWS