Health (Page 8)

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…

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…