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HEALTH |
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BODY&MIND
Lets talk about sex!
Tripti Nath
It is possible to have names of India’s qualified sexologists on your fingertips. India has only five to six qualified sexologists to address the sexual and reproductive health needs of a population that has crossed one billion. The reasons are not far to seek. Sexology is a neglected discipline as neither the Medical Council of India nor the Union Health Ministry has taken any steps to ensure its inclusion as a separate discipline in the curriculum of medical colleges.Mumbai-based Dr Saroj Gumaste, who enjoys the distinction of being India’s first and only female sexologist, is unhappy with the state of affairs. Dr Gumaste was here recently to organise the 19th annual conference of sexology and pre-conference workshop. The conference was organised by CSEP (International) and supported by the National Association of Sexology. The CSEP, established in 1982 is a national corps of health professionals, who are committed to promote sexual and reproductive health. Dr Gumaste’s recent paper ‘When women say no’ was awarded the best scientific paper at the National Conference of Sexology in India. Her areas of academic interest include effect of genital mutilation in women and its effect ion sexual life of a couple, sexual practices and beliefs in Indian society and in the Arab world and sexual function following major pelvic surgeries. She recommends sex education at the kindergarten stage to enable a child understand how to protect himself. This is all the more important as cases of ‘Child Sexual Abuse’ are on the rise everywhere. According to Dr Gumaste, one in every three children in this country has been sexually abused. She is, however, happy that the National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO) has started a programme in secondary schools in Mumbai, to disseminate information on sexual health. Dr Gumaste, Honorary Secretary of the Council of Sex Education and Parenthood International, was invited by NACo to address one such programme recently in Nanavati School in Ville Parle in Mumbai. After addressing 400 students of class XII on anatomy and physiology, changes during puberty, emotional changes, age of attraction and penetrative sex, Dr Gumaste found that although her audience received the information in a very scientific manner, it nursed wrong ideas about pregnancy. For instance, most girls were not aware that they could get pregnant with a single intercourse. Some think that masturbation will affect their health and may break the hymem. Dr Gumaste also runs a free telephonic helpline called ‘DASH’ (Discuss About Sexual Health). Started on January 19, the telephonic counselling is offered from 4 pm to 6 pm from Monday to Saturday. She gets 4-5 calls everyday from confused teenagers, newly wed couples and unwed mothers. “I want to promote healthy sexuality but this should not be confused with promiscuity.” A gynaecologist and an obstetrician, Dr Gumaste holds a diploma from American Board of Sexology. At present, she is engaged in a research on the sexuality of tribals of Bastar. She is fascinated by their unique way of imparting sex education to their children in Ghotuls, which have existed for centuries. She will make a presentation on her findings at the Asia Pacific Conference on Sexology scheduled next November in Mumbai. Dr Gumaste says that she decided to study the tribals of Bastar, as they are the oldest tribe in the world and find a mention the Ramayana. A British anthropologist, Velver Elvin also chose the Bastar tribals for his research. He married a tribal woman there and stayed on. Dr Gumaste’s study will touch upon various interesting facets of the life of the tribals - how they impart sex education, use of natural contraceptives and natural herbs for treating sexually transmitted diseases.
Doctors and delegates at the training course on
‘Interventional Nuclear Medicine’. |
Interventional nuclear medicine:
The Rajiv Gandhi Cancer Institute (RGCI) and Research Centre in North-West Delhi is eagerly awaiting the arrival of delegates from 12 countries for a four-day regional training course on ‘Interventional Nuclear Medicine’ for nuclear medicine physicians.Mr S. P. Aggarwal, Principal Secretary, Health and Family Welfare, Delhi government, will inaugurate the course at India Habitat Centre on Monday. The Vienna-based International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has chosen RGCI for hosting the event as part of its activities of the 2003 Regional Cooperative Agreement. Dr P. S. Choudhury, Consultant, Department of Nuclear Medicine at RGCI is the director of the course. According to Dr Y. P. Bhatia, Chief Executive Officer of RGCI, the prime objective of the course is to train nuclear medicine physicians in the field of diagnostic and therapeutic nuclear medicine with focus on treatment of liver cancer, painful joint diseases and detection of sentinel lymphnode in management of breast cancer. Delegates from Bangladesh, China, Indonesia, Republic of Korea, Malaysia, Mongolia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam have confirmed their participation during the course. Experts from Germany, India, Italy, Netherlands, the UK and Vienna will conduct the training course. Training camp on hemophilia:
Hemophilia Federation (India), a self-help organisation working for the cause of hemophila patients, is holding a physiotherapy training camp at Hemophilia Society of Delhi at Lion’s Hospital, New Friends Colony on Sunday to mark the beginning of 20th anniversary celebrations. The camp will help patients with moderate and severe hemophila and convince them of the importance of physiotherapy. Former captain of the Indian Cricket team, Bishen Singh Bedi, will be the chief guest at the camp. Hemophilia is a rare genetic bleeding disorder. A person with Hemophila (PWH) bleeds excessively. If the bleeding is not controlled immediately, it can pose a threat to the normal functioning of the affected limb or even life. Although, it is a lifelong incurable disorder, it is manageable to some extent. The only remedy is infusion of blood, plasma of Anti-Hemophilia Factor (AHF) when bleeding occurs. Frequent bleeds inside the joints and muscles, eventually leads to physical deformity. Hemophilia treatment is very expensive and the cost of stopping a bleed runs into thousands of rupees. But, the patient’s good muscle time can reduce the number of internal bleeds. “Hence the importance of regular exercise for PWH. Physiotherapy is vital for hemophila treatment. It helps by strengthening the body’s muscle tone and prevents muscular atrophy, which reduces bleeding episodes. It also aids concentration, increases skill coordination and stamina of the PWH,” explains Krishan Nagarwal, physiotherapist at Hemophilia Society of Delhi. Collection centre in Leh:
SRL Ranbaxy, a well-known clinical reference laboratory of South East Asia, recently announced the launch of its collection centre in Leh. The initiative to extend such crucial healthcare delivery system at one of one of the highest altitudes in the country has fetched SRL Ranbaxy the credit of overtaking other players in the Indian diagnostic industry. Samples will be flown to Delhi and Jammu and people will get results within 24 hours. The launch of the centre is part of SRL Ranbaxy’s expansion plans aimed at providing international quality diagnostic facilities at affordable prices to the people of Leh.
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