” Cancer in South Africa is an emerging health problem, with breast cancer being one of the leading cancers in women, following similar worldwide statistics.” The incidence of breast cancer in women showed slight fluctuation for 70 years before 1973 and remained almost unchanged since 1914. ¹ Then, 40 years ago, there was an abrupt change when breast cancer increased 4-fold; breast cancer is expected to account for more new cancers since 2014 than the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th most common cancers combined. https://breast-cancer-in-young-women.canceraustralia.gov.au/statistics What are the reasons for the increase? A delay in having children: If you have your 1st child…

“I’m so good at beginnings, but in the end, I always seem to destroy everything, including myself.” Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) is a severe emotional condition with the following characteristics¹: Out-of-control emotions Unstable interpersonal relationships Fear of abandonment Self-damaging behaviour Impulsivity Often accompanied by depression, anxiety & anger Individuals with borderline personality disorder grow up being emotionally unstable, hostile and impulsive. It is only diagnosed in early adulthood. The behaviours occur at home, at work and in the community. These actions significantly disrupt everyday social and occupational functioning. Symptoms of BPD Impaired Emotional Control: excessive, poorly regulated emotional responses, especially…

What is learned helplessness? Definition: a condition in which a person suffers from a sense of powerlessness from a traumatic event or persistent failure to succeed. Uncontrollable adverse events that occur frequently or continuously in people or animals cause them to believe they are helpless to control essential outcomes in their lives. It causes them to lose motivation to control or manage situations. Instead, they become conditioned to believe that a dangerous position is unchangeable or inescapable. It’s not an innate trait. No one is born believing they have no control over what happens to them. Ít is learned behaviour.…

Cording is a common side-effect that develops after surgery for breast cancer. It feels like a tight, painful cord or web of ligatures that run from the mastectomy wound or drain wounds via the armpit and upper arm to the hand. Cording can also run across your chest. It develops right after surgery or even weeks or months afterwards. Cording is also known as axillary web syndrome or AWS. It is thought to be caused by inflammation and scarring of the tissues surrounding the lymph vessels, blood vessels, and nerves. Though most women experience cording after breast surgery – there is…

Gender-based violence is a systemic pattern of controlling, coercing, and violent behaviour intended to punish, abuse, and ultimately control thoughts, beliefs, and actions. It is about power and control. It includes emotional, physical, verbal, sexual, and financial abuse. It encompasses intimate partner violence, child abuse, elder abuse, and violence between siblings. If you’re afraid of your partner, that’s a big red flag.  Main image: Pixabay

Which types of abuse are considered to be gender-based violence? Physical abuse is defined as any deliberate act, behaviour or physical force by an individual (perpetrator) against someone (victim). It causes the victim bodily harm, injury, trauma or put their lives in danger. Methods are kicking, punching, burning, and using a knife gun to cause physical damage. In most cases, physical abuse plays a role in the cycle of domestic abuse. However, more often than not, it goes hand in hand with controlling behaviour, emotional and verbal abuse, and other forms of violence like stalking, sexual assault, and murder. Signs of…

Did you know: Domestic violence has the most repeat victims of any other crime in that a victim suffers 35 assaults on average before reporting it to the police the first time. 0.3% of women in South Africa report gender-based violence to the police. Four women are killed by their partners in South Africa every day. The second most common cause of these deaths occurs when women decide to end their relationships. Sexual offences against women increased from 31,665 in 2015/16 to 70,813 in 2016/17. South Africa’s female homicide rate is six times above the global average. South Africa has the highest level of adult per capita alcohol consumption in Africa. Alcohol…

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Music therapy has proved to help people with various psychological conditions, from depression and anxiety to autism. Social anxiety is one of the most common mental health issues in South Africa. According to recent research, the lifetime incidence of a social anxiety disorder (SAD) in South African adults is approximately 2.8%. The South African Depression and Anxiety Group (SADAG) estimates that at least one in every five South Africans undergo some form of anxiety, social anxiety being one of them. The statistics are even more staggering when you consider that social anxiety is often underreported or misdiagnosed, meaning the numbers…

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”Until you get comfortable with being alone, you will never know if you are choosing someone out of love or loneliness.” Quotemaster Although there’s no clear-cut definition, rebound relationships occur when someone fresh out of a long-term romantic relationship gets involved with someone else even though they haven’t yet emotionally healed from their breakup. Breakups tend to spark negative emotions like sadness, anger, hurt, guilt, and embarrassment, naturally making rebounding a preferable distraction instead of dealing with these emotions. However, forming healthy new emotional attachments that meet your needs can be challenging without self-healing. Signs of a rebound relationship No rebound…

Are you ready for a divorce? Your marriage is in question, and you’re facing a real dilemma. You may be the one who is deciding whether you should stay or go. Or you may be the one who has just heard that your spouse wants a divorce. Most couples who begin a divorce are unprepared and are often not even on the same page when they start. This lack of preparedness and readiness for a divorce either causes marriages to end prematurely or divorces to deteriorate into competitive contests. The decision to obtain a divorce is one of the most…

Circumcision removes a simple fold of skin (the `foreskin’ or `prepuce’) that covers the head (glans) of the un-erect penis in a male, fully exposing the head of the penis. Medical Male Circumcision is preferably performed at a hospital or clinic by a qualified medical professional. Fast facts about circumcision 1. 80% of the world’s males are not circumcised. 2. Though many people associate circumcision with Jews, most circumcised males are Muslims. 3. Circumcision is painful. Only 45% of doctors who do circumcisions use any anaesthesia at all. 4. A circumcision with adequate anaesthesia takes a half-hour – if they…

“The art of conversation is the art of hearing as well as of being heard.”  William Hazlitt The conversation should be fun. One of the best conversational rules is never to say anything that any company wishes would have been left unsaid. –  Jonathan Swift The conversation is supposed to be an opportunity to meet someone new, bond over shared interests – and feel the spark of connection. It’s supposed to feel natural and flowing, where the right thing to say comes effortlessly. It’s supposed to be anxiety-free, where you can focus on connecting with the other person instead of…

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Chancroid is a highly infectious bacterial infection that spreads through sexual contact. It is caused by Haemophilus ducreyi. It is a tender, elevated bump, or papule, that becomes a pus-filled, open sore with eroded or ragged edges in the groin area. It is soft to the touch (unlike a syphilis chancre that is hard or rubbery). The bacteria causes painful ulcers or sores in the genital region. Chancroid is a risk factor in the transmission and acquisition of HIV infection. The bacteria are more likely to invade the sexual organs at the point of a pre-existing injury, such as a…

Can art be used as a weapon to combat stress and anxiety? As many as one in six people in South Africa are battling anxiety, depression, or substance abuse problems and stress – which is also prevalent – can be a trigger for these issues. In addition, many physical conditions can be linked to stress, including cardiovascular disease, Type 2 diabetes, and obesity. If you have a high-stress job or you notice that you have been more stressed than usual, complementary therapies like art can be of aid. Read on to discover how it can help you achieve a happier,…

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Would you like to quit smoking? https://youtu.be/Y18Vz51Nkos Fast facts: 1. Smoking tobacco killed 100 million people during the 20th century. 2. Smoking tobacco is the world’s leading cause of preventable death. 3. Smoking tobacco kills prematurely – smokers lose 15 years of life prematurely. 4. Every day, another 80,000-100,000 people become addicted to smoking tobacco. 5. Second-hand tobacco smoke kills 600,000 people per year – including 165,000 children. 6. Smoking tobacco use costs the world an estimated $500 billion each year in health care expenditures, productivity losses, fire damage and other costs 7. 25,000 people die annually in South Africa…

Disruptive, Impulse Control, & Conduct disorders¹ involve behaviour that violates central social norms and the rights of others by lacking self-control over emotions and behaviours. It is characterised by callous and unemotional contact with people, cruel and or unlawful behaviour. Kleptomania and pyromania fall under these disorders.² The behaviours of people who have these disorders are more extreme than typical behaviours.² The behaviours:  are frequent are long-lasting occur across different situations cause significant problems What are the characteristics of each disorder? 1. Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD): Main symptoms:  Angry, irritable mood / Argumentative defiant behaviour / Vindictiveness Signs of the…

 ‘’Parents do matter’’. Every word, facial expression, gesture, or action on the part of a parent gives the child some message about self-worth. It is sad that so many parents don’t realize what messages they are sending.  Virginia Satir Attachment disorder – a result of child neglect The time between birth and five years is critical in a child’s life. During this time, the child learns to bond with his/her parents, the child’s primary caregivers. If a child is neglected during this time, it can lead to lifelong insecurity and affect all future relationships. The ability to form bonds (to love…

Infection of the liver is known as Hepatitis.  Three different viruses cause hepatitis. Each hepatitis virus is different, but they all share a target: the liver. The liver performs more than 500 vital functions in your body. Many of the liver’s functions involve cleansing blood, fighting infection, and storing energy. A hepatitis virus threatens the liver’s ability to function. The main hepatitis viruses fall into five types: A, B, C, D, and E. The most common types are A, B, and C. Hepatitis B and C present more severe risks to the patient. Although Hepatitis A, B, and C can…

Anger doesn’t solve anything. It builds nothing, but it can destroy everything. Anger is one of the biggest causes of violence in South Africa. Anger is a negative emotion but also a completely normal human emotion. When a person thinks that someone or something has done something wrong or bad that puts them in danger, they want to protect themselves or punish the person for what they have done. Anger ranges from fleeting annoyance to full-fledged rage. A recent study of violent crime described the normalization of violence in South African society, contributing to a culture of violence. Fast facts…

How does a pregnancy develop? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K7kaw40pPYw&sns=em Fast facts about pregnancy: Women are most fertile during the 14 days before their menstrual cycle is supposed to start. Changes in the cervical mucus can determine ovulation – mucus is thin, and there is a marked increase. Implantation of the blastocyst (fertilised egg) into the endometrium can cause cramping and spotting (bleeding). Implantation happens 5-6 days after fertilisation. After implantation, HCG is released, which is the hormone home pregnancy tests recognise. HCG is human chorionic gonadotropin, a hormone produced during pregnancy. Pregnancies last 40 weeks or about ten months, not nine months. A…

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Obsessive-compulsive Disorder is characterised by excessive thoughts (obsessions) that lead to repetitive behaviours (compulsions). Obsessions and compulsions are the two primary symptoms of OCD. What are obsessions? Obsessions¹ can be described as thoughts, images, ideas or urges (for example, to self-harm) that are persistent. The thoughts intrude uncontrollably on consciousness and, because of that, cause significant anxiety or distress. The individual tries to ignore or suppress the intrusive thoughts. What are compulsions? Compulsions¹ are repetitive behaviours or mental acts that a person feels they must perform. The individual aims to reduce anxiety or prevent a dreaded event by performing the compulsion.…

Does the father have to pay child support if not married? Or if he is unemployed? Being married or not married is irrelevant to a child support order determination, as is whether you wanted the child. Even if you made it clear you did not want to have a child, the court could order you to pay support unless you can relinquish your parental rights. The law requires that all parents have a financial obligation to their children. If your child isn’t living with you, you are required to make child support payments unless the custodial parent waives that right…

”Dead girl walking”, the boys say in the hall ”Tell us your secret”, the girls whisper. One toilet to another I am that girl. I am the space between my thighs, daylight shining through. I am the bones they want, wired on a porcelain frame. Laurie Halse Anderson, Wintergirls Eating disorders describe illnesses characterized by irregular eating habits and severe distress or concern about body weight or shape. Eating disorders can develop during any stage in life but typically appear during the teen years or young adulthood.¹ Anorexia Nervosa has the highest mortality rate of any psychiatric disorder (Arcelus, Mitchel, Wales…

HPV is a viral infection which commonly causes skin or mucous membrane growth (warts). It is the most common STD globally, and at least 50% of sexually active people will get it at some time in their lives. HPV is easy to contract because the virus lives on the surface of a person’s skin. It means that someone can contract the virus through skin-to-skin contact with a person’s feet, hands, penis, mouth, vagina, or another mucus cavity. The body usually clears HPV on its own without causing any problems, but HPV can lead to certain kinds of cancer. Symptoms There…

”The evil deny the suffering of their guilt – the painful awareness of their sin, inadequacy, and imperfection – by casting their pain onto others through projection and scapegoating.”  People of the lie. M. Scott Peck ”Psychopaths & Sociopaths” What are the key features of this disorder? an impairment to form positive relationships with others a tendency to engage in behaviours that violate the rights of others a focus on doing whatever it takes to gratify one’s desires People with this disorder are deceitful, repeatedly lying or conning others for personal profit or pleasure. They may commit serious violent crimes against…

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Bacteria cause gonorrhoea, and it is one of the most common STDs. Worldwide, the number of cases is estimated at 80 million annually.  It can lead to infertility in men and women. It is both treatable and preventable, though scientists have discovered new strains of gonorrhoea (SUPER GONORRHOEA) that are resistant to most currently utilized antibiotics. The new mutations of the bacterium cause multidrug—and cephalosporin-resistant gonorrhoea, which is very hard to treat. This organism has become resistant to every antibiotic used against it, so the bacteria are free to keep multiplying. Neisseria (N.) gonorrhoea bacterium Antibiotic resistance (AR) is the…

Shyness – a social phobia: Fear becomes a phobia when it stops you from enjoying things or doing them easily. Shyness is a mild fear, which can become a phobia. Shy people tend to worry too much about what people think of them or embarrass themselves somehow in front of others—nearly 50% of college students identify as being shy. Meeting new people makes them nervous, and so do unfamiliar situations. Shyness becomes a problem when you become so preoccupied with worries about such events that you avoid social encounters. Social anxiety phobia creates a severe disruption in a person’s daily…

A cyber predator is a person who engages in sexual activity with a child/children as part of an online act or fantasy. It is estimated that more than half a million cyber predators are online every day. Before the internet, predators who wanted to engage with children sexually had to go where children are, for example, a zoo, playground or amusement park. The virtual world today makes it alarmingly simple for paedophiles to make contact and track children.  There are two types of predators on the internet: 1. Those who seek face-to-face meetings with children 2. Those who are…

There’s no cure for HIV/AIDS, and there are only a few drugs that are available to control the virus. Why is medication (ARV drugs) to fight HIV so important? The main goal of ART is to reduce a person’s viral load to an undetectable level. The lower your viral load, the better. What is a normal CD, 4 Count? The CD4 count is a test that measures how many CD4 cells you have in your blood. A normal CD 4 count is from 500 to 1,500 cells per cubic millimeter of blood. When the viral load in your blood is…

Anorexia kills people. In fact, this disease enjoys the highest fatality rate of any psychiatric disorder. Anorexia nervosa is a serious eating disorder that results in unhealthy, often dangerous weight loss. While it is most common among adolescent women, anorexia can affect women and men of all ages and is characterized by a refusal to maintain healthy body weight, an intense fear of gaining weight, and a distorted body image. For some people, restricting their food and weight can be a way of controlling areas of life that feel out of their control and their body image can come to…

Infectious diseases & the 21st century The coronavirus made sure 2020 will be remembered as the year of major upheaval and change. Lockdowns are being reintroduced in some countries, extended in others. Whether we want to know it or not – our lives have changed forever. Felissa R Lashley wrote a paper on Emerging infectious diseases at the beginning of the 21st century. She stated:  ”The emergence and re-emergence of infectious diseases involve many interrelated factors. Global interconnectedness continues to increase with international travel and trade; economic, political, and cultural interactions; and human-to-human and animal-to-human interactions. These interactions include the…

Living of a Blesser = “A shortcut to a short life” Slogan borrowed from A production by the National Children’s Theatre What is a “Blesser”? Technically, a blesser can be a male or female of any age. “Blessers” is a slang term for a “rich” person who offers support (typically financial and material) to control a younger companion in exchange for sex and friendship.   In men’s case, they generally married older men who prey on poor and financially needy girls and young women. They provide them with gifts in exchange for sex and other favours. “For young women, getting into…

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Stage 1: Primary infection (0-3 months)  “Early” stage consists of 2 events: Window period Seroconversion Window Period: Primary HIV infection is the first stage of HIV disease when the virus first establishes itself in the body. Some researchers use the term acute HIV infection to describe the period of time between when a person is first infected with HIV and when antibodies against the virus are produced by the body (usually 2 – 12 weeks). During this time, the body is trying to fight the virus and make antibodies to help. The person looks healthy and is usually symptom-free. At…

Are you one of the thousands of learners who, when hearing the word Mathematics, immediately experience negative thoughts and emotions? Are you scared of Mathematics? Are you feeling inferior and stupid when others discuss their brilliant Mathematics marks? Do you believe you cannot do it? Do you wish you did not have to take Mathematics as a subject? You can overcome these thoughts and emotions! The number one rule is to remember Mathematics cannot or should not control you. You should control it! All of us can do Mathematics, some are, however, better at it as some are better…

The 4th Industrial Revolution – Threat or Opportunity Dr Suzette le Roux “The 4th Industrial Revolution” (4th IR) has become one of the buzz-phrases of our time. To learn more about it visit our Facebook page www.Facebook.com/edu-revolution Source of picture: Salesforce.com How will the 4th IR influence future employment? And, more importantly, how will it impact our ability to earn a living? There are those who view this phenomenon as a threat to their ability to earn a living as there will undoubtedly be a complete change in the job market. Employment as we know it is not here to…

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