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Say No To FGM

Speak Wednesday – Female Genital Mutilation

Following the expository overview of the practice of female genital mutilation (FGM) last week, there is no gainsaying the fact that FGM has no health benefits for girls and women, but rather constitutes a major risk for women and children who are affected.

Today on Speak Wednesday, we will be discussing one of the long-term complications of FGM which is child delivery complications. There is a high probability that women with FGM tend to experience complications during childbirth. This depends on the type of FGM, meaning the more severe the type of FGM, the more serious the complications.

A study coordinated by @WHO in 28 obstetric centres in 6 African countries including Nigeria shows that deliveries of women who had undergone genital mutilation were significantly more likely to be complicated by caesarean section, postpartum haemorrhage, and prolonged maternal hospitalization than those of women who had not.

Besides being associated with childbirth complications, FGM could lead to obstetric complications that can result in a higher incidence of infant resuscitation at delivery and intrapartum stillbirth and neonatal death.

There is no justifiable reason for FGM. It is a crime against nature’s integrity and a violation of human right, with the risk of causing trauma and leading to problems related to girls’ and women’s mental health and well-being. (WHO,2020)

#EndFGM #SpeakWednesday

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MONDAY HEALTH BURST – HIV/AIDS Common Myths and Facts

On today’s Monday Health Burst, find out some HIV/AIDS common myths and facts. This topic is of great importance to the ending of AIDS because false myths arise due to lack of facts or having inaccurate information.

Myth 1: HIV can be cured.

Fact: There’s no cure yet for HIV, but antiretroviral treatment

Myth 2: I can get HIV by being around people who are HIV-positive.

Fact: HIV is not spread through touch, tears, sweat, saliva, or urine

Myth 3: Mosquitoes spread HIV.

Fact: Several studies show that mosquitoes do not spread HIV, even in areas with lots of mosquitoes and cases of HIV.

Myth 4: I don’t need to worry about getting HIV. Drugs will keep me well.

Fact: Antiretroviral drugs (ART) improve the lives of many people who have HIV and help them live longer. But many of these drugs are expensive and have serious side effects. Prevention is cheaper and easier than managing a lifelong condition and the problems it brings.

Myth 5: I am HIV-positive. My life is over.

Fact: ART allows people with HIV or AIDS live longer, normal, and productive lives when taken correctly and in time. One may live as long as s/he would have without the virus.

Myth 6: Now that I have HIV, I can’t have kids.

Fact: When pregnant, a doctor will prescribe HIV drugs to protect the mother and baby. The baby may also be given medication after birth. This will help protect the baby from being infected with the virus.

Myth 7: HIV is a spiritual curse.

Fact: HIV is not a spiritual curse, it is a disease contracted via unprotected sex, sharing of infected sharp objects, blood transfusion, exchange.

Join us next week on #MondayHealthBurst as we shall be discussing Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP).

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SPEAK WEDNESDAY – PREDIABETES

PREDIABETES – YOUR CHANCE TO PREVENT TYPE 2 DIABETES

According to Centre for Disease Control (CDC), prediabetes is a serious health condition where blood sugar levels are higher than normal, yet not high enough to be diagnosed as type 2 diabetes. If one has prediabetes, it shows that the cells in the body do not respond normally to insulin. Hence, the pancreas makes more insulin to try to get cells to respond and eventually will not be able to keep up. The blood sugar then rises, setting the stage for prediabetes and type 2 diabetes.

Studies have shown that 1 in 3 American adults have prediabetes. In Nigeria, the prevalence of prediabetes is also high with hypertension emerging as the possible driving force. Though the exact cause of prediabetes is unknown, family history, genetics, lack of regular physical activity and being overweight with excess fat around the abdomen appear to be important factors. Other factors include ever having gestational diabetes (diabetes during pregnancy) or giving birth to a baby who weighed more than 9 pounds and having polycystic ovary syndrome.

Often times, one could be with prediabetes for years with no clear symptoms, so it often goes undetected until serious health problems such as type 2 diabetes show up. However, some people experience increased thirst, frequent urination, excess hunger, fatigue, blurred vision, and darkened skin on certain parts of the body (neck, armpits, elbows, knees and knuckles).

To reverse prediabetes, keep an active lifestyle by getting at least 150 minutes a week of brisk walking or a similar activity, avoid refined carbohydrates, cut back on sugar, eat healthy foods, drink less alcohol, get sufficient sleep, reduce food portion size. More so, periodic screening is key to detecting and reversing prediabetes. Simple Blood Sugar Test done in time could stop prediabetes from developing into type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and stroke.

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MONDAY HEALTH BURST

Signs and symptoms of Hepatitis

You may be surprised that a lot of persons even with the emergence of the spread of hepatitis are still oblivious to this viral infection. In Nigeria, about 15 million people are unaware that they are infected with hepatitis. Some still believe it to be an illness of the bourgeoisie in the society and so are immune. However, this is not the case.
Viral hepatitis is responsible for over 1.34 million deaths each year, more than HIV/AIDs, Malaria or Tuberculosis. It is also responsible for two of every three liver cancer deaths according to World Health Organization.
Different types of viral hepatitis A, B, C, D, and E are caused by a different type of virus. Hepatitis A Virus (HAV) is always an acute, short-term disease, while Hepatitis B Virus (HBV), C (HCV), and D (HDV) are most likely to become ongoing and chronic. Hepatitis E Virus (HEV) is usually acute and is considered particularly dangerous in pregnant women.
Unlike the infectious forms of hepatitis that are chronic and whose symptoms do not appear in the beginning until the damage affects liver function, like hepatitis B and C, the symptoms of the acute forms of hepatitis do appear quickly and they include: fatigue, flu-like symptoms; dark urine; pale stool; abdominal pain; loss of appetite; unexplained weight loss; yellow skin and eyes among others.
A lot of persons die slowly from chronic hepatitis because its symptoms are often too subtle to notice but with regular checkups, proper vaccination and timely treatment, we just could outsmart this silent killer.
Join us next week on Monday Health Burst for more interesting episodes.

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SPEAK WEDNESDAY

SPEAK STORY

Have you ever wondered why a lot of women and mothers, in particular, are forced to put up with the ills around them despite the harm it could cause or causes them???

In today’s Speak Wednesday we would talk about the inhumane condition a mother is forced to condone, if help is not forthcoming, this may be her fate for the rest of her life and her children.

CFHI has been privy to the knowledge of a mother of four girls (Name withheld) within the environs of Abuja who is married to a businessman for over 15 years. This mother who has had her own fair share of misfortune in life is forced to live with her husband who for most of their marriage sexually abuses his children (four daughters).

According to the mother, for as long as she can remember, her husband has been abusing their four daughters sexually, and all attempts to stop him have proven abortive. She claims to have reported these atrocities to the police on several occasions, but after the husband is apprehended, he is released afterwards when he bribes the police officials. In her own words, which is paraphrased “I no longer seek their help or anyone’s but have left all to fate to take its place in my life”.

This mother reportedly has sought the help of the elders in her hometown, has even travelled to her hometown for the elders to call her husband to order, instead, the intensity of his abuse increases every time she returns to Abuja.

One may ask why she wouldn’t just leave him. Truth is, on the occasions she had tried, she realized that the burden of fending for her children and herself was unbearable with utterly no means of livelihood and no financial support from anywhere.

This story is disheartening because this is just the case for so many other women out there. The cycle of abuse normally leaves women with no money and nowhere to go because oftentimes, they are fully dependent on men to provide for their every need. This is why the need for women to be financially literate so that they can stand for themselves when all odds are against them can never be overemphasized.

Over the years, CFHI has provided thousands of women small grants to start-up businesses that can make them financially independent. Join us every Wednesday on all our social media platforms for more episodes of Speak Wednesday.

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The Financial/Economic Challenges of Widowhood

Widowhood, the death of a spouse is often considered one of the stressful events that can take place in a person’s life. Widowhood has been found to have a negative association with the financial well-being of women. When a woman loses their partner the burden of catering for the home becomes unbearable most especially in cases where the woman was a full-time housewife, comes from a cultural background where the properties of her husband are confiscated by the in-laws or where the woman is quite aged.

According to Sevak et al in the paper “The Economic Consequences of a Husband’s Death”, In the 1970s, 37 per cent of new widows became poor after widowhood. By the 1990s, this rate had fallen to between 12 per cent and 15 per cent. Nevertheless, widowhood remains an important risk factor for transition into poverty. Faced with the loss of resources in widowhood, women have only a few options available to improve their economic status”. This excerpt shows that indeed there is a financial burden associated with the loss of a partner.

According to the World Bank Organization, one in ten African women above the age of 14 is widowed, and six per cent are divorced. In Nigeria, about 1 per cent of all Nigerian men are widowers while 9 per cent of women are widows. Strikingly, while the share of widowers among men aged 75 and older is about 11 per cent, it is 77 per cent for women of the same age. In Nigeria, the socio-economic status of widows is incomparably stressful due to certain traditional barriers to assessing the land, capital, credit, employment, housing, and other means of livelihood. In other words, Widowhood, therefore, deprives women of homes, agricultural land and other assets. This often limits the ability of widows to become economically secure.

The poverty level of widows is exacerbated by factors of illiteracy and lack of education and training. Long-drawn out and rigid and expensive burial rites further compound the economic condition of widows (Research on Humanities and Social Sciences, 2013). In certain parts of the country, it is observed that during the mourning period a widow is unable to engage in any economic venture nor carry out any personal work to earn an income. However, she is expected to bear the financial burden expected of widows to make an elaborate party for the outing ceremony after her mourning. These women often times are made to spend all they have left in shouldering this responsibility. This inevitably marks the beginning of a terrible financial crisis for the widow and her children.

For many widows in Nigeria, the implications of poverty include withdrawal of children from school and the adoption of coping strategies such as engaging in exploitative informal work, engaging the children in child labour and hawking, begging and sex work (Research on Humanities and Social Sciences, 2013).

As a society, we need to be more intentional about alleviating the hardships of widows. This could range from advocating for policies that address systemic inequalities which enable women to support themselves in the face of marital dissolution. This could include reforms to credit markets, where women are particularly disadvantaged; ensuring equal ownership and inheritance rights for women. (World Bank Organization, 2018), encouraging qualitative female education at an early stage, enhancing women economic empowerment through enlightenment programs and vocational skills acquisition, particularly widows, for them to become self-reliant and cater for the needs of their immediate families.

Also, through advocacy and public health awareness campaigns, the enlightenment of the public about the plight of the widows should be intensified in order to eliminate the dehumanizing traditional practices to which Nigerian widows are often subjected.

Speak Wednesday is an initiative of Centre for Family Health Initiative (CFHI) to address issues around gender-based violence and gender bias. Join us every Wednesday on all our social media platforms for more interesting episodes.

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MONDAY HEALTH BURST – The Effects of Illicit Substance Use During Pregnancy

It is often the desire of many couples to conceive and bear their child. While some due to one medical situation or the other find it impossible, and have to resort to adoption, surrogate mothers, etc., others are often fortunate to bear a child. Dr Kristen Cherney in a 2019 Health line publication defined pregnancy as a process that takes place when a sperm fertilizes an egg after it is released from the ovary during ovulation. The fertilized egg then travels down into the uterus, where implantation occurs. A successful implantation results in pregnancy. On average, a full-term pregnancy lasts 40 weeks.

Many factors can affect a pregnancy. When a woman is pregnant, everything that goes into her body has the potential to affect her unborn baby. Smoking, drinking alcohol, abusing prescription drugs or using illicit drugs can all pass through the placenta and have a negative effect on her and her baby. According to Florida Health, illegal drugs such as marijuana, cocaine, and methamphetamine aren’t the only drugs that are harmful to fetal development; Commonly used over-the-counter medicines, along with substances such as caffeine and alcohol, can have lasting effects on an unborn child.

It is possible that one may not have a serious or long-lasting problem after using drugs. But the same is not always true for a fetus. Studies show that using drugs — legal or illegal — during pregnancy has a direct impact on the fetus. If a pregnant woman smokes, drink alcohol, or ingest caffeine, so does the fetus. If she uses marijuana or crystal meth, her fetus also feels the impact of these dangerous drugs. And if she is addicted to cocaine — also called coke, snow, or blow — she is not only putting her own life on the line, but risking the health of her unborn baby. The consequences of using cocaine include heart attacks, respiratory failure, strokes, and seizures. And these life-threatening health problems can also be passed to an unborn baby.

According to an article titled “Drug Use and Pregnancy” by WebMD, taking drugs during pregnancy also increases the chance of birth defects, premature babies, underweight babies, and stillborn births. Exposure to drugs such as marijuana and alcohol before birth has been proven to cause behaviour problems in early childhood. This article also went further to elaborate that these drugs taken by a pregnant woman can also affect the child’s memory and attentiveness. For instance, babies who are exposed to cocaine tend to have smaller heads that indicate a lower IQ. Other effects of illicit substance use include injury to the fetus by the forceful contraction of muscles of the uterus, the dysfunctional placenta usually caused by blood vessels constricting, thus reducing the supply of oxygen and nutrients to the fetus, etc.

Illicit substance use in pregnancy remains a significant public health problem, which can lead to several harmful maternal and neonatal outcomes. Which drug is being used and the degree of use, as well as the point of exposure, all influence the effects of drug use in pregnancy. In addition to the direct effects of drug exposure in utero, several other variables are associated with deleterious maternal and infant consequences, including psychiatric comorbidity, polysubstance use, limited prenatal care, environmental stressors and disrupted parental care. In conjunction, these factors can negatively influence pregnancy and infant outcomes, and should be taken in to account when interventions and programs for prenatal substance use treatments are developed.

Monday Health Burst is an initiative of CFHI to address issues of basic health concerns. Join us every Monday for more interesting episodes.

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Stroke – Men’s Health Month

A stroke is also known as a cerebrovascular accident (CVA) or “brain attack.” Dr Benjamin Wedro defines stroke in an article published in 2019 titled “Stroke definition and facts”, as an occurrence when part of the brain loses its blood supply and the part of the body that the blood-deprived brain cells control stops working. This loss of blood supply can be ischemic because of lack of blood flow, or hemorrhagic because of bleeding into brain tissue. A stroke is a medical emergency because strokes can lead to death or permanent disability. According to the World Stroke Organization, there are three main types of strokes: Ischemic stroke, Hemorrhagic stroke and Transient ischemic attack and all involve blood deficiencies in the brain.
Stroke is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, and it is likely to worsen in developing countries over the next two decades based on projections by the World Health Organization (WHO). Findings from Komolafe et al in 2015 in their research, “Stroke risk factors among participants of a world stroke day awareness program in South-Western Nigeria” shows that the prevalence of crude stroke in Nigeria is 1.14 per 1000 while the 30-day case fatality rate is as high as 40%. There are over 13.7 million new strokes each year. Globally, one in four people over age 25 will have a stroke in their lifetime; with almost 60% of all strokes occurring in people under 70 years of age. Each year, 8% of all strokes occur in people under 44 years of age, 52% in men and 48% in women. Stroke is the fifth-leading cause of death in men. Men are more likely to have a stroke in their younger years than women, but they’re less likely to die from it, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), however, men and women can have some of the same signs and symptoms.
Having a stroke is one of the most frightening prospects of ageing. Strokes can come on suddenly, stealing the use of an arm or the ability to speak. According to a 2019 WebMD publication, about half of all strokes are caused by atherosclerosis — the same process of narrowing and hardening of the arteries that causes heart attacks. Atherosclerosis progresses silently, without symptoms, putting our brains and our independence at risk. Each type of stroke has a different set of potential causes. Generally, however, stroke is more likely to affect a person if they: have overweight or obesity; are 55 years of age or older; have a personal or family history of stroke; have high blood pressure; have diabetes, cholesterol, heart disease, carotid artery disease, or another vascular disease; are sedentary, consume alcohol excessively, smoke, or use illicit drugs.
Stroke treatment depends on the type of stroke. For Ischemic strokes and TIA which are caused by blood clots or other blockages in the brain, use of anticoagulants and clot breaking drugs are used for their treatment. Other treatment options include mechanical thrombectomy, stents and surgery. For hemorrhagic strokes which are caused by bleeds or leaks in the brain, medication, coiling procedure, clamping and surgery are usually done (Healthline, 2019).
Knowing your stroke risk factors, following your doctor’s recommendations and adopting a healthy lifestyle are the best steps you can take to prevent a stroke. If you’ve had a stroke or a transient ischemic attack (TIA), these measures might help prevent another stroke. The follow-up care you receive in the hospital and afterwards also play a vital role.

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The Psychological Effects Of Widowhood

The Collins dictionary defines a widow as a woman whose spouse has died and who has not married again. On the other hand, widowhood according to the Merriam-Webster dictionary is the fact or state of being a widow. In general, the term widowhood relates only to married couples. However, with the growing incidence of cohabitation, civil unions and partnerships, some countries have broadened the concept of widowhood to include those who have survived the loss of a long-term partner (IPSNews, 2020). The estimated number of widowed persons according to an Inter-State press report for 2020 was approximately 350 million worldwide, with the large majority, approximately 80 per cent, being widowed women.#

In many developing countries, the exact numbers of widows, their ages and other social and economic aspects of their lives are unknown. Almost worldwide, widows comprise a significant proportion of all women, ranging from 7% to 16% of all adult women (UN Division for the Advancement of Women, 2000). However, in some countries and regions, their proportion is far higher. In developed countries, widowhood is experienced primarily by elderly women, while in developing countries it also affects younger women, many of them still catering for their children (Ibid). Irrespective of region, level of development, government, culture, etc., women are substantially more likely to experience widowhood than men. In countries such as China, Nigeria, Pakistan and the United States, where overall widowhood rates are lower, women’s widowhood rates according to an IPS 2020 study, are more than double those of men.

The loss of a spouse is one of the most negative life events, next only to the loss of a child (Bennett et al., 2005). Ironically, the disorganization and trauma that follow the death of a spouse seem to be greater in women than in men whenever either loses their spouse (Fasoranti et al., 2007). Many studies have concluded that a higher rate of mental illness exists among the widowed than their married counterparts. Even a study conducted by Chen et al., (1999) concluded that widows had higher mean levels of traumatic grief, depressive and anxiety symptoms (compared to widowers). Another problem associated with widowhood is loneliness. Many widows live by themselves. They suffer the fear of being alone and loss of self-esteem as women, in addition to the many practical problems related to living alone, they feel the loss of personal contact and human association; therefore, they tend to withdraw and become unresponsive (Fasoranti et al., 2007). The greatest problem in widowhood is still emotional. Even if it had been a bad marriage, the survivor still feels the loss- The role of spouse is lost, social life changes from couple-oriented to association with other single people; and the widowed no longer have the day-in, day-out companionship of the other spouse that had become an intrinsic part of their lives. Behavioural changes are often observed in women after divorce or bereavement. These changes are often overlooked and assumed to be a normal reaction to an adverse life event. It is now known that the changes may be due to an underlying psychiatric disorder.

In all, more attention or awareness needs to be given to women facing psychological issues so that the suffering women may receive appropriate care and treatment.

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HEALTH CONDITIONS ASSOCIATED WITH DRUG ABUSE

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders fourth edition (DMS-4) defines drug abuse as “a maladaptive pattern of substance use leading to clinically significant impairment or distress.” Drug abuse also known as substance abuse refers to the use of certain chemicals to create pleasurable effects on the brain. Drugs most often used include alcohol, amphetamines, cannabis, cocaine, hallucinogens, and opioids.

Globally, some 35 million people are estimated to suffer from drug use disorder according to the latest World Drug Report, released by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). The report also estimates the number of opioid users at 53 million, up 56 per cent from previous estimates, and that opioids are responsible for two-thirds of the 585,000 people who died as a result of drug use in 2017. According to a survey led by Nigeria’s National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) and the Center for Research and Information on Substance Abuse, over the past year alone, nearly 15% of the adult population in Nigeria (around 14.3 million people) reported a “considerable level” of use of psychoactive drug substances—it’s a rate much higher than the 2016 global average of 5.6% among adults. It showed the highest levels of drug use were recorded among people aged between 25 to 39, with cannabis being the most widely used drug.

Addiction to any substance, whether legal or illegal, can in some cases lead to serious health conditions. The effects of drug abuse according to Medical News Today 2018 publication, depend on the type of drug, any other substances that a person is using, and their health history. Abusing a drug, or misusing prescription medication, can produce other short-term effects, such as changes in appetite, sleeplessness or insomnia, increased heart rate, slurred speech etc. On the other hand, experts have linked chronic drug use with the following health conditions:

  • Cardiovascular disease: Stimulants, such as cocaine and methamphetamines, can damage the heart and blood vessels. The long-term use of these drugs can lead to coronary artery disease, arrhythmia, and heart attack.
  • Respiratory problems: Drugs that people smoke or inhale can damage the respiratory system and lead to chronic respiratory infections and diseases.
  • Kidney damage: The kidneys filter excess minerals and waste products from the blood. Heroin, ketamine and synthetic cannabinoids can cause kidney damage or kidney failure.
  • Liver disease: Chronic drug and alcohol use can damage the liver cells, leading to inflammation, scarring, and even liver failure.
  • Overdose: Taking too much of a drug or taking multiple drugs together can result in an overdose.

Drug addiction is treatable and starts with detox under medical supervision. Family and friends can begin the healing process through group therapy, counselling, and talking to others in peer support groups or meetings and drug addiction forums.

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