Health (Page 7)

breast self exam

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In: Health, Physical Health

As many of you are aware, October is known as breast cancer awareness month. Breast cancer happens to be the most common type of cancer in females. I have no doubt, that with every article you encounter in connection to this subject, you will probably see the words “screening is important” – and I agree. Both breast self exam and medical screening are important – and this is what I will be writing about today. Women are encouraged to perform breast self exam at least once a month, and although some might feel uncomfortable touching this area, it is good to remember that that 60Read More…

music speaks Ale's Project

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In: Health, Physical Health

Driving back home following our ritualistic visit to my parents, we put on Alessia’s favourite sound track – Shrek. Alessia must have been around 2 years old at the time. Those days I used to welcome with open arms the red traffic light command. This vibrant colour, that many of us loathe seeing while driving, during this period in my life offered me the time to listen to my own breathing, it was within these brief moments that I allowed myself to reach within and reflect on my current state of being. “And then I saw her face, I’m a believer… YAY!” came the cuteRead More…

bras

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In: Fashion and Beauty, Health

Breast cancer awareness month is with us yet again, and today – we’ll be delving into the different types of bras out there – and more so, what they’re there for… Why Is The Right Bra So Important? Realistically speaking, most of us pick our bras according to availability or aesthetics – but according to experts, regularly wearing an ill-fitted bra may lead to several problems: ranging from bad posture and shoulder pain to skin irritation and scarring. Plus, not only can proper-fitting bras help women feel more confident, but they reduce premature breast sagging; reduce the deep creases and bulges around the chest; andRead More…

baby loss awareness week

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In: Health, Mental Health

Grief is all the feelings you have when someone close to you dies. You may find it hard to believe that your baby died. You may want to shout or scream or cry. You may want to blame someone. Or you may want to hide under the covers and never come out. At times, your feelings may seem more than you can handle. You may feel sad, depressed, angry or guilty. You may get sick easily with colds and stomach aches and have trouble concentrating. All of these are part of grief. When your baby dies from miscarriage, stillbirth or at or after birth, your hope of being aRead More…

mental health awareness

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In: Health, Mental Health

World Mental Health Day is celebrated every year on the 10th of October, and unlike previous years, where I try to write prior to this day to create mental health awareness, I wanted to do something different. World Mental Health Day this year has now passed, and I have to say I only saw two Instagram stories about it. Nothing else. This, in my opinion, shows that there is still not enough acknowledgment about it. And I understand – with all that is currently going on, who would choose to give importance to this day? Being frank, I did not, either. Considering that around 970Read More…

white cane

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In: Health, Physical Health

White Cane Safety Day is observed worldwide every 15th October. On this day we are called to celebrate the achievements of people with vision impairment and people who are blind, since the white cane happens to be a valuable tool that helps in restoring mobility independence. And while the use of canes for people who are blind goes back centuries ago, the white cane saw its introduction in the early 20th century, when canes were painted in white for better recognition. Typically, on White Cane Safety Day, the National Federation of the Blind, which is the oldest and largest organisation led by individuals who areRead More…

sexually transmitted infection

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In: Health, Sexual and Reproductive Health

In Malta, until a couple of years ago, sex education was aimed to terrify rather than inform. The emphasis of the subject’s curriculum focused mainly on abstinence and not getting pregnant. Thankfully this is changing and moving towards a more comprehensive view of the sex education where young people are provided with knowledge, skills, attitudes, and values to make appropriate and healthy choices about their sexual health and that of their sexual partners. It is important that we teach our kids about contraception, being safe during sex, giving and receiving sexual consent and the importance of sexual pleasure.  As a sex therapist, one of theRead More…

infertility

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In: Health, Sexual and Reproductive Health

According to the World Health Organisation, one in every four couples in developing countries are affected by infertility. This statistic is based on a biological and medical definition of infertility that looks at the inability of a heterosexual couple to conceive after a year of unprotected sex and the difficulty of a woman to carry a pregnancy to term. However, today, we are looking at a more comprehensive definition of infertility that includes queer families that are trying to have kids and single parents that would like to conceive without a partner amongst others. Infertility can affect both men and women and can be causedRead More…

HOPE Malta for fertility issues

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In: Health, Sexual and Reproductive Health

Malta has the lowest fertility rate in Europe with Eurostat reporting 1.14 live births per woman from Malta in 2019. Many women in Malta are delaying pregnancy, with 30.5 being the average age of women giving birth to their first baby. Delaying pregnancy for some women may mean increasing the risk of finding it more difficult to get pregnant and have a baby. It usually takes on average a year to get pregnant and couples should not panic if they don’t get pregnant right away. If on the other hand you have been trying for over a year (or 6 months if you are overRead More…

Pink October 2021

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In: Health, Physical Health

It’s that time of the year again… Pink October 2021 is finally with us! As you may already know, October is the month dedicated to raising breast cancer awareness, the month where across the world we remind each other about the impact of breast cancer on women. Breast cancer is the most common cancer site amongst women in Malta, having both the highest incidence rate as well as the highest mortality rate amongst all female cancer sites. While the main cause of breast cancer remains unknown to this day, there are risk factors which, when present, increase the chance of developing breast cancer. Risk factorsRead More…