Pre-marriage sex counselling comes of age

Pre-marriage sex counselling comes of age
Young men and women are keen to get rid of misconceptions about sex before getting married

Devanshi Joshi. Vadodara/DNA
Friday, December 26, 2008

Even in the 21st century, sex is a term that is best kept under wraps in our society. Though we claim to have become modern, talking about it openly, is still a taboo. The preset medieval thinking that we still nurture has led to many a problem in families as a result of which, dreams of happily living ever after is turning out more of nightmares than before for the conjugal life. However, now, young educated couples have started opting for pre-marriage counselling to clear misconceived notions and fears about sex, than live a discordant marital life later on.
With the three-letter word dominating almost every sphere of visual medium, from television to the Internet, sex often becomes more of a misconceived notion borne out of suppressed curiosity. “The knowledge of sex is very limited, thanks to the rigid societal norms,” said Dr Surekha Vinod, a Vadodara-based gynaecologist, while talking to DNA. Therefore, couples intending to marry should avail sexual counselling to remove these false notions, she said.
When these couple come for the counselling, doctors give them separate or joint session depending on their flexibility. “Generally girls are shyer than boys, but boys have wrong perceptions about private body parts. The counselling is not only about understanding physical aspects but also improving their mental level,” said Dr Meeta Saija, a gynaecologist at Waghodia.Rahul and Avani a betrothed couple from Vadodara found the pre-marriage sexual counselling very helpful. “Being a science student, I thought that I don't need to undergo any sex counselling but acting on the advice of my US-based friend, my fiancé and I consulted a sexologist who counselled both of us separately and the sittings were very informative. We have become familiar with many things and notions which we did not know earlier,” said Rahul, who is an IT professional in a city-based MNC.
With the wedding season in top gear, brides and grooms to be are busy with their wedding preparations, which now also include the counselling sessions. “Though the number of young boys and girls coming for the sex education before marriage has increased by 10%, it is still not a significant increase. Only well educated and modern youngsters come for it and that too in small numbers. Surprisingly, despite high education, their knowledge of sex relationship is shallow. They have some vague idea about sex and family planning, these are often mired in notions, which may prove dangerous. Counselling gives proper guidance but our society is still open to the concept unlike in foreign countries,” lamented Vadodara-based sexologist, Dr Vinit Shah.

Wine keeps your heart healthy

Research shows drinking small amounts of wine everyday is beneficial

Devanshi Joshi. Vadodara/DNA
Friday, December 12, 2008
Consuming small amounts of red and white wine everyday can benefit one's health. According to research conducted by a US-based doctor, the daily consumption of red and white wine with food can prevent obesity, cardiac arrest, hypertension and ageing.Dr Nilanjana Maulik, of the department of surgery at the University of Connecticut's school of medicine in Farmington, was in Vadodara on Thursday to participate in a symposium on translational research in cardiovascular medicine. Dr Maulik, who has authored 140 papers on different subjects, has been studying the effects of wine for the past 10 years. Research conducted by her suggests that white and red wine ward off cardiovascular diseases. “White wine contains tyrosol, which is acts as a cardioprotective, while red wine contains only 6% of alcohol and is made from good quality grapes. So, a combination of white and red wine gives good results. It also controls glucose, and is thus helpful for those with diabetes.” As an anti-oxidant, Tyrosol can protect cells against injury due to oxidation. Its presence in white wine could be responsible for the protective effect, said Dr Maulik, whose team led the research at the University of Connecticut's Health Center in Farmington.She also commented on Gujarat's status as a dry state. “Limited consumption of alcohol can help fight many diseases, and so the state should have a liberal policy regarding wine. Good quality wines cost more and so are less available in India, compared to some countries, such as France,” she said.

Viral infection sweeps Vadodara

Drop in temperature at night, dust-laden garba grounds and pollution to blame

Devanshi Joshi. Vadodara/DNA

Saturday, October 11, 2008

Vadodara is now in the grip of common cold, thanks to the prevailing weather conditions in the city for the past few weeks. And with Diwali just round the corner, city doctors also warn people of more of such infections during the festival period. Sore throats, viral fever, cough and common cold are common complaints that doctors are receiving from people.“The drop in the temperature at nights, dust-laden garba grounds and pollution due to traffic jams are all conditions that can cause common cold and throat infections. Those susceptible to allergic reactions should take special care to avoid such conditions,” say doctors.For the past 10 days, general practitioners and pediatricians in the city are reporting a rise in the number of patients coming in with symptoms of cough and cold. City chemists too have reported an increase in the number of people seeking medication for common cold and sore throats. The erratic weather condition of last week, when rains led to increase in humidity coupled with heat, might have led to the increase in the infection, say doctors. Common cold can result either due to viral infection or due to allergic reaction to the humid weather. Says Dr Nitin Shah, a general practitioners: “Many of these infections continue for seven days. However, antibiotics are not required in most cases. Sometimes such infections can lead to bacterial infections due to lowered resistance power. But such secondary infections are rare and take place only when immunity levels become too weak.” “Children are more prone to infections. In the past 15 days, the city has witnessed cloudy skies alternating with bright sunlight. The contrasting weather condition is the main reason for infection,” says city-based pediatrician Dr Rajiv Kodnani. “If a patient shows a particular trend and regularity in infections during certain weather conditions, then it can be assumed that his problem is caused due to allergy,” he added.ENT specialists in the city also warn of ear infections due to common cold. “Sometimes congestion can choke the ear tract and lead to infections. In case of intense pain in the ear, an ENT specialist should be consulted,” said Dr Viral Rathore, an ENT specialist.

Urban slum women still in the dark about periods

Survey reveals lack of awareness about menstruation and hygiene

Devanshi Joshi. Vadodara

Wednesday, July 16, 2008

The Population Research Center at MS University recently conducted a study on women from urban slums in Ahmedabad, Surat and Vadodara, about the level of awareness about menstruation as well as hygiene. The results came as a shocker. It revealed some appalling statistics about the level of awareness about the monthly cycle. The study which was done on 600 un-married women in the age group of 15 to 24 found that 69% of them was unaware of menstruation and the practices till they had their first monthly periods. What was more shocking was that 90% of the women use cloth or home-made pad during the monthly cycles. When it came to health matters, about 88% reported that they experience weakness or get tired easily. Out of this, 31% have been experiencing the problem for less than a year, while 26% have been suffering from it from two years since the start of menstruation cycle. However, as many as 43%, has been suffering from the problem for more than two years.Urvi Shah, a research investigator of at the center said, "Women in the slums feel awkward to speak about menstruation and other sexual issues due to social stigma. I feel a mother should talk about menstruation issues openly with her daughter(s) even before they attain puberty to make the girl prepared for it. Schools too should teach students about such issues as well as its biological implications."Among the various other problems reported, about three fourths of the case studies have experienced painful periods followed by 15 % who reported delayed periods, 11% experience excessive bleeding, while 6% have very less bleeding and only 5% have prolonged bleeding. While surveyed for health problems, particularly reproductive health related problems among these young women, the tacit acceptance of these menstruation-related problems makes it evident that majority of the women 72% have not sought any advice or treatment.The survey found that knowledge regarding physiological changes due to the onset of menarche is also not complete. Dr Binal Shah, a gynaecologist at Karelibaug in Vadodara said, "Our society is steeped in religious believes connected to menarche and menstruation. Due to the increasing level of education, people are becoming more open about sex education but the socially backward classes still feel uncomfortable talking about physical problems. Unawareness about menstruation practice brings unhygienic issues which can turn in to problems related to the reproductive organs."

Is your computer harming your eyes?

Working for long hours in front of the PC may lead to computer vision syndrome

Devanshi Joshi. Vadodara

Wednesday, July 02, 2008

After working for long hours in front of a computer if you feel that your eyes are strained, your vision is blurred and you cannot focus on any subject, you must be suffering from computer vision syndrome, which is a temporary vision problem.Improperly placed computers, reflection of light, too dim or bright images and often blinking visuals are the main reasons for this syndrome. As the number of people working on computers has gone up, the number of people with temporary vision problem has increased too. Nimita Makhija works in a private firm at Alkapuri. She said, "My work demands me to sit in front of computer for eight to ten hours. I often feel that my eyes are dry and vision in not good for sometime. When I couldn't find any solution for my problem, I went to a doctor and he diagnosed it as computer vision syndrome. Now, I am following doctor's instructions and taking proper care of my eyes."Like Nimita, Aditya Shah, an IT professional, too suffers from the same symptoms. He said, "My work demands sitting in front of computer for long duration. I need to take care of my eyes more but work routine keeps me engaged for longer hours and as a result I feel dryness in eyes, irritation and blurred vision." Dr Chaitanya Buch, a medical practitioner and vice-chairman of computer society of India said, "When you look at a distance, your eyes are relatively relaxed. But while working on computers, muscles in your eyes have to work harder to keep a clear vision. Continuous work in front of computer creates temporary vision problems."Staring at computer screens may aggravate the problem leading to burning sensation, dry eyes and irritation. "As you sit for longer hours in front of computers, the blink rate drops by 50%, so instead of 15 blinks a minute your eyes blink only 7.5 times in a minute," he said. Dr Bipin Shah, an eye specialist, said, "Dry eyes can also occur because we tend to blink less as we concentrate on our computer screen and keep our eyes wide open when working on a computer." Is there any solution? Experts suggest some steps we should follow to tackle computer vision syndrome and keep our eyes strain-free. Keep your computer screen in such a position that the centre of the screen is 4-8 inches below your eye level. Keep a viewing distance of 20-28 inches. Take frequent break in between the work as ten minutes break after 30 to 45 minutes of continuous work reduces strain in eyes. Avoid sitting in a draught or near an air vent, direct draught makes eyes dry. Use glare filters over your computer screen to minimize radiation effect.

Urban Gujarat battles with obesity

Food habits and lifestyle in urban areas are making Gujaratis overweight and prone to diabetes, blood pressure, high cholesterol, and heart attacks

Devanshi Joshi. Ahmedabad/DNA

Wednesday, July 02, 2008

Obesity has become one of the most serious public health problems in India. More than one third of Indians are overweight and about 1.15 billion people in developing countries suffer from severe obesity.Gujarat is also facing a problem of obesity. As per 2005-2006 National family Health Survey (NFHS), males in Gujarat are on the 10th rank in India for being obese while females in Gujarat are on the 7th ran. In urban areas, obesity is higher than in rural areas. Obesity is prevalent more in women than in men. According to the NFHS, 20.3% of women in Gujarat are overweight or obese. The occurrence of obesity in urban women is 20.5% higher than that in women living in rural areas. The survey says 15.5% men in Gujarat are overweight and obesity in urban males in the state is 15% higher than men in rural. Dr Sanjiv Haribhakti, says, "Genetic heritance is not the only cause of obesity but food habits and life styles also play an equal role in occurrence of obesity."As compared to people in western countries, people in India are shorter and they have less muscle mass which in turn puts in our population to a very high risk of developing diseases like diabetes, blood pressure, high cholesterol, and heart attacks," he says. Most people are not aware of their BMI (Body Mass Index) which gives an idea of the ideal weight of an individual in proportion to his or her height. Ideal BMI should be 19-24.9. The higher BMI often becomes the cause of obesity. BMI greater than 40 shows high risk. As BMI increases, the chances of early death also increase. More than fifty percent of the adults in India suffer from obesity. About 55% adults have BMI more than 25.The higher rate of BMI requires treatment. Dr Harshad Soni says, "Obesity is a disease and it needs to be cured. A reasonable goal to reduce weight might be to make changes in lifestyle, increasing physical activity and limiting intake of calories. The initial goal for reducing weight should be to improve health rather than achieving ideal weight."

Every unsafe abortion risks 2 lives

About 80,000 women die every year because of unsafe methods adopted to terminate unwelcome pregnancy

Devanshi Joshi.Ahmedabad/DNA

Friday, June 27, 2008

The World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates that, worldwide, one in every 10 pregnancy ends in an unsafe abortion. The death of nearly 80,000 expectant women (which is around 13% of all such deaths) is caused by unsafe abortions. In Gujarat, too, unsafe abortions are on the rise with a growing number of women seeking the services of quacks and untrained midwives to terminate unwanted pregnancies without publicity. Dr Namita Shah, a gynecologist in the Satellite area of the city, said that the number of unwed girls becoming pregnant has been increasing in the state. "When girls get pregnant before marriage, they generally opt for abortion. However, instead of consulting a gynecologist who can ensure a safe abortion, they turn to quacks who prescribe unsafe medications," said Dr Shah. "Abortions performed by quacks frequently end up in dangerous complications which sometimes prove fatal for the girl." Some girls try self-medication which is no less dangerous. Desperate to terminate an unwanted pregnancy in absolute secrecy, they try strange methods out of ignorance. Not only are these methods ineffective, they are extremely dangerous as well. These procedures include inserting a sharp object into the uterus, swallowing large doses of oral contraceptives, and drinking or flushing the vagina with caustic liquids such as bleach. In other cases, pregnant girls jump from high places, take to vigorous dancing, or have sustained and vigorous sexual intercourse in the hope that one of these will terminate the unwelcome pregnancy. Dr Ruby Mehta, a gynecologist in Ambavadi, said that even the least damaging of unsafe abortions can cause infection of uterine tissues with attendant symptoms of fever, chills, foul-smelling vaginal discharges and uterine tenderness. "Unsafe abortions frequently cause death of the pregnant girl," said Mehta. Heavy bleeding results when an untrained person dilates the cervix with a sharp object to scrape out the contents of the uterus. This bleeding must be stopped if the pregnant woman is to survive. Such unsafe procedures can cause irreparable damage to other organs such as ovaries, bowel, bladder, and the rectum. Abortions performed by quacks are usually 'incomplete' in that some tissue gets left behind in the uterus even after the abortion. Symptoms of incomplete abortions include abdominal pain, vaginal bleeding; and an enlarged uterus.Girls should be warned against unsafe abortions because they can cause infertility or complications even during future pregnancies.

Dev should keep pace with climate change'

Innovative practices in agriculture can minimise losses to human health, says US scientist

Devanshi Joshi

Thursday, June 19, 2008

Climate is a dynamic phenomenon and natural variables and human inducement lead to climate change. But human beings should adapt to climate change and look for development in a way that should help in minimising losses due to climate change.This was opined by Dr Shiv Someshwar, a research scientist and director of institutions and policy research, Asia-Pacific region, Columbia University. "Climate is not static but a completely dynamic phenomenon. Natural variables and human inducement lead to climate change but we should adapt to climate change and look for development in a way that should help in adjusting to climate-change losses," said Someshwar who was in the city on Wednesday.According to him, changes in average climate conditions affect different sectors of economy - water resources, agriculture, and human health. Many of the problems associated with future climate change are already characterised by problems faced by human beings.Intergovernmental panel on climate change (IPCC) has given the outline on agriculture, water resources and human health by adapting those climate-change losses, he said. "Water resources should be used at optimum level. Enhance conservation of freshwater supply as an option for extreme water-stress conditions. Flood protection system should be developed to manage the rivers.'' Appropriate measures for protection against soil erosion should be used. "Conserve groundwater supply, and make efficient water recourse system. Flood and drought control measures require improvement with the enhancement of flood warning and forecasting system,'' the scientist said.For agriculture sector, practices such as heat-resistant crops, water efficient cultivation with resistance to pests and diseases, soil conservation should be adopted. "Adjust cropping calendar and crop rotation. Develop and promote use of high-yielding varieties and sustainable technological applications.''Adaptation of suitable crops and cultivators and optimum use of fertilisers and adaptation of agro technologies would be helpful. "Shift from conventional crops to intensive greenhouse agriculture/aquaculture and protection against soil degradation should be helpful in productivity,'' the scientist said."Improved sanitation facilities and increase in infrastructure for waste disposal can decrease the adverse effect,'' the researcher said.