Health (Page 8)

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…

depression

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In: Health, Mental Health

I have been wanting to write this article for a while now, but fear of being called ‘overdramatic’ or inappropriate won over me. I also wanted to wait for the right time – a time where I can say that I am clinically diagnosed with depression, something that for some might not seem ‘huge’ or ‘important’. The term depression is used loosely on several occasions, including to explain how sad we are at the moment and how stressed we feel. In the past academic year, a lecturer actually pointed out to us students that by not knowing the answer to her question we would beRead More…

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In: Fashion and Beauty, Health

September is finally here – and with autumn right around the corner – it’s time to talk trousers. Now, I get it… trousers may or may not be “your thing” – but I promise, all you need is to find the right type of trousers to flatter your figure and once you do, you’ll be fashionably set for life! And I might not be a pro-stylist or anything, but I am a 20-year-old woman with thick thighs, wide hips, a bum, and a passion for fashion – so I know the struggle and how hard it can be to find the right pair of pants…Read More…

world contraception day 2021

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In: Health, Sexual and Reproductive Health

Artificial contraception empowers girls and women, it allows for us women to plan our lives and to control the number and spacing of our children. However only condoms prevent sexually transmitted infections and diseases that are rampant in Malta. I believe that in Malta we still don’t give enough importance to contraception, especially to condoms and we do not discuss the fact that condoms are still not widely used by many boys and men in Malta. In fact, statistics show that 75% of Maltese sexually active people do not use condoms. Very worrying too is the recent study by the World Health Organisation called theRead More…

world contraception day

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In: Health, Sexual and Reproductive Health

The month of September is known for many reasons – for some it can be a month filled with anxiety and excitement since a new scholastic year would be starting for their children or even themselves; others might experience certain melancholic feelings due to it being a month known for suicide awareness. September is also known for the celebration of another ‘special’ day – no, we do not throw a feast for this day, however we usually get more information about necessities which not only improve our lifestyle to a certain extent, but also reduce some anxieties and fears. The 26th of September is WorldRead More…

vaginismus

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In: Health, Sexual and Reproductive Health

Netflix Sex Education Season 2 finale opens with a sex scene between Lily and Ola who had in the previous season admitted they did not want to remain “just friends”. All seems well until Ola unzips Lily’s silver skirt and inserts her hand. “Ow” Lily shouts, “Did I do something wrong?” asks Ola? “It’s not you, it’s me. I have something called vaginismus. My vagina is like a venus flytrap”. Vaginismus, or what is now part of the Genito-Pelvic Pain Penetration Disorders consists of an involuntary spasm of the vaginal muscles causing the vagina to close, resulting in penetration being painful, difficult or at timesRead More…

world suicide prevention day

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In: Health, Mental Health

The 10th of September is known as World Suicide Prevention Day – some may also look at the month of September as a month of awareness for such a matter. This day or month, depending on what way you’d like to see it, not only increases awareness, but also helps in diminishing the detrimental idea that talking to each other about mental health issues as well as suicide, is some sort of taboo. When speaking about such an important and life-threatening issue we helps in reducing the stigma and feelings of shame and at the same time reducing the risk. Communication is a very importantRead More…

pro-choice

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In: Health, Sexual and Reproductive Health

It is undeniable that the abortion debate has been sitting in the hotseat for a while now, but many seem to confuse the term ‘pro-choice’ with ‘pro-abortion’, even though they aren’t the same – or at least the way I see it… Pro-choice to me means exactly what it sounds like. It is about ‘choice’ in the very sense of the word; about recognising that women have the right to say if and when they will bear children and demanding that this right be respected. Pro-lifers often talk about abortions and people who are pro-choice as if it is enjoyable to see such procedures happenRead More…

contraception myths

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In: Health, Sexual and Reproductive Health

Whilst a lot of contraceptives and birth control methods are considered to be very effective in preventing pregnancy, there is also a lot of unfounded contraception misinformation out there that can hinder the associated prevention success rates. For this reason, we at wham thought of compiling a list of contraception myths along with the rationale for each, to prevent misinformation from leading towards unwanted surprises. Myth #1: “I’m breastfeeding, I cannot get pregnant”. Breastfeeding may prolong the return of your period. However, whilst there are women who experience months or even a year or two period-free whilst still breastfeeding, there are women who get theirRead More…