A New Year for A New You

Week 1

As we start of the year wishing happiness and success to one another we are full of hope and enthusiasm to try new things or accomplish activities previously started. January is a period when we set ourselves goals in our personal and or professional life. I have for a long time abandoned new year’s resolutions; however this year 2014 I am making a change.

World AIDS Day 2013

Hayat Ahmed an NHS Health Advocate/Clinical Haematologist supports Ms Rose Blossom education team and discusses problematic blood cells in relation to HIV/AIDS.

HIV/AIDS

HIV is a virus in the group of viruses called retroviruses. The acronym stands for Human Immunodeficiency Virus these viruses attack and destroy cells in the body called CD4 T cells. AIDS is acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, which is where the immune system is weakened causing illness and infections as a result of HIV. The term AIDS is now more known as late stage HIV because of the ART antiretroviral medication.HIV and AIDS are not the same and having HIV treatment early can prevent late stage HIV.

Tesco and Diabetes UK: Type 2 diabetes risk awareness campaign

The Cry, The Call of Dr Phoebe Abe and Leyla Hussein

End FGM not Female Fertility

Dr Phoebe Abe

This week the nation focuses on National Infertility, in Philappa Roxby’s (BBC health reporter) recent article infertility is regarded as a taboo subject for women. In a talk last Saturday by Dr Phoebe Abe a GP who also campaigns internationally against FGM, she talks poignantly on the unnecessary health conditions and major consequences of serious illness from the impact of FGM, such as Kidney failure. In Dr Abe’s work she informs her peers, surgeons in the medical profession as to the seriousness of FGM, many of whom are unaware of stitched women who are in labour and then proceed to Cesarean section. Outside of her surgery hours she passionately holds grassroots meetings with women to discuss the harm, the legal implications on those found guilty of the practice as well as political activism and lobbying.  

Holly McNish Breast feeding

Natural v Sexual

                                                              Holly McNish

October is national breast cancer awareness month and I want to blog about the nature of the breast function as opposed to it being only an object of sexual gratification. On national poetry day poet Holly McNish waxed lyrical on the topic of breastfeeding on a spoken word piece entitled Embarrassed. Her poem was written from her experience of wanting to breast feed her baby daughter in an open space but had to resort to the ladies toilets, so not to annoy the public. She rants about the way “tits” are displayed in billboards all over the country, yet when she needs to fulfill her natural responsibility society shuns it, therefore encouraging more formula milk.

Miss Representation

Age Discrimination

Earlier on in the month I attended a screening hosted by UN Women,  KPMG Network of Women (KNOW) and the International Women’s Forum (IWF) from the award winning Jennifer Siebel Newsom’s film Miss Representation which highlighted the dire issues of inequality of women in USA. Key points that were alarming were girls and women with eating disorders, the limited amount of women that are protagonists in films, and few women directors or writers. What stood out for me were the remarks on women and ageing, exemplifying that woman at a certain age are marginalized and fade into the background, because of age discrimination.

United we stand

One world and one race is the binding factor to tie us together in one love, sharing and supporting each other in this life. Opposing views and values are divisive yet inevitable and healthy for democracy and freedom, however when we are working towards the same or similar goals there is a powerful force and greater impact when all participants pull together and work cohesively.