Tag: Hepatitis B

Contraception- to ignore it or tackle it…that is the question!

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Its one of those issues that confront women at one time of their lives or another. It just wont go away! Atleast not while sex continues 😉

Many ignore it at their peril. Others barely tolerate it as a necessary evil.

Where do you stand?

Consider my discussion with Amina below (name changed to protect patient’s confidentiality).

Amina looked at me, her eyes filled with tears.

“I need your help, doctor, I’m pregnant again.” She paused as though the fact still amazed her, as if she was hearing the news for the first time.

I waited patiently as she fought with her emotions. When she started to speak again, the words tumbled out of her in a rush.

“It’s my fifth pregnancy, doctor… we had planned to stop… we really can’t afford another baby… I don’t have a job and my husband’s company is making people redundant so we are not sure of his job either…”

She grabbed the tissue I held out to her and dashed it to her eyes.

“I feel terrible. I had an abortion just four months ago.

“It’s… We… I just can’t have another baby.” The tears overflowed again.

When the storm had calmed, I gently enquired what contraception she was using.

“We use condoms… Sometimes.”

“At other times?”

Silence.

And then: “Nothing,” she confessed.

“I just didn’t think it would happen again so soon, doctor.”

The statistics speak for themselves!

Consider the fact that in 2012, in England and Wales, 49% of black women having an abortion had a previous abortion. This is well above the national recurrent abortion average of 36%.

Black women are ignoring contraception with resulting serious consequences. Unplanned pregnancies, soaring abortion rates, HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis and other sexually transmitted infections continue to rule the day.

We must stop and take stock of where we are, Black sisters. Together let’s explore our issues and begin to make changes that will bear fruit.

understanng contraception

buy nowCLICK HERE TO GET IT ON AMAZON

HIV? Me? No, I’m married! (2)

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After Mma left, I sat thinking. It all started coming back to me. It must have been like eighteen months ago or more that Mma and her children had come to register at the surgery having recently moved into the area from Africa.

positive steps

She had told me then that they had come overseas due to her husband’s job. He  worked with one of the oil companies, she said, and he had been posted abroad for four years.

She was a linguist with excellent command of Chinese and German and was hoping to get a job teaching these in one of the academies. A very pleasant woman, I recall thinking.

Her children were aged twenty-two, twenty and seventeen. The first had been due to get married in a few weeks.

Dike came to register almost six weeks after his family came. He had only come because his boss had insisted he needed to be registered with a surgery while in the UK. A complete waste of time, he told me.

He fidgeted while I went through my new patient’s routine. I was used to men feeling that coming to see the doctor was unnecessary.

Blood pressure check. Height check. Weight – a little overweight but nothing that a bit of exercise wouldn’t shift.

“Do you smoke?”

“Just when I am out in the rigs.”

“How many a day?”

“Ten sticks a day.”

“Have you ever considered  stopping?”

“Maybe one day,” he glanced at his wristwatch. “Are we done now?'”

“Almost. I would like to offer you testing for blood borne viruses like HIV,  Hepatitis B and C.”

“Why?” he asked surprised.

Would you have HIV and Hepatitis tests even if you believe you are not at risk??

Contraception- to ignore it or tackle it…that is the question!

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Its one of those issues that confront women at one time of their lives or another. It just wont go away! Atleast not while sex continues 😉

Many ignore it at their peril. Others barely tolerate it as a necessary evil.

Where do you stand?

Consider my discussion with Amina below (name changed to protect patient’s confidentiality).

Amina looked at me, her eyes filled with tears.

“I need your help, doctor, I’m pregnant again.” She paused as though the fact still amazed her, as if she was hearing the news for the first time.

I waited patiently as she fought with her emotions. When she started to speak again, the words tumbled out of her in a rush.

“It’s my fifth pregnancy, doctor… we had planned to stop… we really can’t afford another baby… I don’t have a job and my husband’s company is making people redundant so we are not sure of his job either…”

She grabbed the tissue I held out to her and dashed it to her eyes.

“I feel terrible. I had an abortion just four months ago.

“It’s… We… I just can’t have another baby.” The tears overflowed again.

When the storm had calmed, I gently enquired what contraception she was using.

“We use condoms… Sometimes.”

“At other times?”

Silence.

And then: “Nothing,” she confessed.

“I just didn’t think it would happen again so soon, doctor.”

The statistics speak for themselves!

Consider the fact that in 2011, in England and Wales, 49% of black women having an abortion had a previous abortion. This is well above the national recurrent abortion average of 36%.

Black women are ignoring contraception with resulting serious consequences. Unplanned pregnancies, soaring abortion rates, HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis and other sexually transmitted infections continue to rule the day.

We must stop and take stock of where we are, Black sisters. Together let’s explore our issues and begin to make changes that will bear fruit.

My blog is committed to informing and equipping black women with the skill and knowledge they need to make positive decisions concerning their sexual health. I encourage black ladies to: implant

 Make the right decision for themselves concerning Contraception and Reproductive Health care.

 Reduce Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) rates.

 Knock down Unintended Pregnancy and Abortion rates

 Avoid early teenage Sexual activity and Teenage Pregnancy prevention

 Encourage testing for Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), Hepatitis B and C HIVhepatitis

 Ensuring that early diagnosis of the above infections result in effective treatment and therefore better health for the affected.

Join me as we take this journey. Stay tuned to the blog as I am sure you would love to know what Amina decided to do. Don’t forget to leave a comment as I would love to hear from you (Yes! Your opinion matters!). Like the page on facebook (Why not spread the news?).  Follow the blog so you don’t miss any juicy bits.

Till next time, keep shining!

Dr Adaeze Ifezulike