Posts Tagged ‘Consequences’
Abortion – the right to decide
Recent events have left me pondering a topic that I have tried to avoid discussing due to its controversial nature – abortion. But, I feel I should put down some of these thoughts as it might encourage a discussion of it.
Abortion is a highly emotive topic and one that cannot be entered into lightly. I have never had to face the issue first-hand and I really thank God that I have never been put in that position. But I know people who have. None of them, however, chose abortion. I only know second-hand about their own feelings. Since I have not known anyone personally who chose abortion, I cannot present their side.
I know women who do choose abortion have their reasons for doing so, and I know the anti-abortion activists have much to argue against in that. However, I am not here to preach either side. I am not the one to live with the consequences of the decision these women make.
The point I do want to make is that women shouldn’t be forced into one decision or another. The pro-choice advocates would cheer for that, but I don’t think they get the point, either. It seems the general public only hear about women being coerced (by various groups) into keeping their child. They don’t hear about women who are bullied into having abortions.
Three women of my acquaintance have had to face the “choice”. All three were in stable marriages, so the situation is rather different from the young unmarried mother. One was much older and couldn’t face the idea of having another child late in life. Furthermore, she was getting very sick from the pregnancy. She didn’t know what to do and chose to wait it out. The decision was eventually taken out of her hands when she miscarried.
The other two discovered that their foetuses had birth defects. One was in her early twenties, the other in her late thirties. The younger one couldn’t and wouldn’t believe the diagnosis, but the older one realised it was due to her age. Both were very religious, though they adhered to different religions and different theological beliefs. That may have contributed to their decision not to have an abortion.
What distinguished these two from the first one was that their doctors continually advised them to have abortions throughout the pregnancy. They were both made to feel as if their opinions and beliefs were insignificant. In this day and age, this is unforgivable in the medical profession. The prognosis for the first child was extremely poor, the second barely less so, but this did not excuse the behaviour of the medical team. By the end of the pregnancies, the doctors were forced to accept that they would be delivering either a stillborn or a child expected to die.
Both sets of parents were prepared for all eventualities. The first was able to hold her child as he took his last breaths, the second delivered a stillborn daughter. Neither regretted their decisions. They were able to carry their child to term, felt all the movements the child made and developed a bond for the unborn, and then grieve a natural loss.
These women were able to stand up to their doctors and make their own decisions. But, how many other women are coerced into having abortions? How many of them regret it?
Male contraceptive jab goes on trial
Now that they’ve come up with a male contraceptive jab, they are looking for volunteers in order to test it.
The hormonal injection is given every 8 weeks and causes sperm production to decrease. Previous research has shown that the injections are safe and that sperm count does return to normal months after discontinuing the injections.
The research is being conducted at the University of Manchester in England, but other international sites are also involved. They are asking for men in stable relationships to come forward. The trial will last for 6 months, and they require that the couple use no other methods of contraception. This means that volunteers will need to be prepared for whatever consequences may result from potential failures.
Sleep deprivation linked to hyperactivity in children
It is a well-known fact that sleep deprivation affects your mood. So the recent Finnish study that reported children’s behaviour worsened with inadequate sleep should come as a no-brainer. However, it made news because most reports on sleep focused on adults.
But, now we know better. Children who do not get enough sleep may not show signs of sleepiness, but often they do. However, they may be very irritable and hyperactive, instead. Some, for those unfortunate parents, may show all these signs. It is difficult for most parents to gauge the amount of sleep their children are getting. Just because they’ve sent their children to bed does not mean that child fell asleep. Some children may have difficulty falling asleep while others purposely stay awake to do something else. The consequences are usually the same. Yet, it may be difficult to persuade children that if they had enough sleep, they would feel better.
The children in the Finnish study did not have ADHD, but when they had less than 8 hours of sleep, they began to display symptoms of ADHD. Perhaps, there is a connection somehow. It seems that more and more children are being diagnosed with ADHD recently. Many are treated; some may be inappropriately treated. Though the studies showed that 8 hours was the threshold for sleep adequacy, experts warn that not all children need 8 hours. The Healthy Blogger would agree. Some may need much more. On the other hand, some may function very well with less. This is less usual and would probably be more appropriate for older children. The same criteria can be applied to adults. Most require 8 hours, some may do with less, some will require more. And, usually the elderly do better with frequent short spurts of sleep.
However you look at it, we all need adequate sleep. How much is adequate is individualised. You can always tell when you’ve not had enough. Now, you know how to spot it in children as well.
The dangers of internet drug sales
The internet is a very powerful tool. So powerful, in fact, that it can kill. I have read so many cases recently about deaths related to buying drugs online. I’m not referring to online legitimate pharmacies that require prescriptions from legally registered and practicing doctors. I’m referring to many websites that sell drugs, some that require prescriptions (but these websites do not ask for them) and some that are downright illegal. These illegal drugs include those that are proscribed from being sold online, those that are banned, and those that are unknown. “Unknown” are those that have not been studied, so their claims of safety and effectiveness are essentially unknown.
I have always cautioned people against using many over-the-counter herbal concoctions because many of them have not been tried and tested. However, they are available as “supplements” and government agencies eventually get around to investigating one or two once in a while. If they are sold in pharmacies, usually the pharmacists will have some idea of the safety of some of these herbals. But the internet bypasses these safety barriers by selling directly to consumers.
Despite the intelligence of most online consumers, for whatever reason, they are taken in by these drug websites. Perhaps, they feel that they are intelligent enough to self-diagnose and treat. Or, perhaps, they have already been diagnosed by a doctor but feel they can self-treat. Again, maybe they want to self-treat for a condition which they are uncomfortable discussing with a doctor. They are more comfortable sitting in front of a computer and ordering drugs that claim they can treat whatever condition the user is looking for.
The products are relatively inexpensive and the advertising looks great. When they receive the pills, they look, feel, smell harmless. They take a pill and suffer no consequences. But, unfortunately, it does not seem very effective either. So they decide to take more. Before you know it, they have overdosed. Or, even worse, they suffer adverse reactions so severe they have to be hospitalised. Though some have survived, others have suffered damage to the point that they are incapacitated, some have died.
There is no regulation of internet sales of drugs. That’s why consumers need to be wary of these online drugs. They are not worth risking your life for. There is a now old adage, “Don’t believe everything you read on the internet”. This is especially true about drug claims. Never buy any medications online unless it is a legitimate pharmacy.
