HEALTH & WELLNESS: Here's the truth about bacterial vaginosis.

 Author: S. Gordon-Jeffery

Bacterial Vaginosis is a bacterial infection that mainly affects women. Men don't really get BV because it isn't a venereal disease, but we'll get to that shortly.

According to statistics found on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website, about 21.1 million (29.2%) women in America are affected by the infection, but surprisingly, of that number, 84% of them don't know they have it! [1] This is a worrying trend because this infection can lead to fertility issues in women. The CDC also notes that women of color are more likely to be affected by this infection than Caucasian women. 

COVID DATING: Five (5) tips on where to go and what to do on a pandemic date.

Author: S. Gordon-Jeffery 

What interesting times we've been living in! The COVID-19 pandemic has affected every facet of human life and existence. Telling people that are used to being close to each other in social gatherings/interactions to keep 6 feet apart, not hug or touch is easy, actually doing/enforcing the distancing is the hard part. Even after a year of Covid-19 protocols, we still can't seem to get it right. 

What an intrusion this virus has been! For some of us in relationships, it may be a time of grave conflict and mental/emotional strain between spouses. Combined with the loss of income, some couples find themselves teetering on the brink of break up or divorce.  

COVID-19: The South African Covid-19 variant: Here's what scientists know so far.

 

Image of Covid-19 structure courtesy of American Society
 for Microbiology

The scientists call it 501.V2 or B.1.351 Variant. It was first detected by the KwaZulu-Natal Research Innovation and Sequencing Platform (KRISP) and was discovered after health officials noticed a sharp upsurge in new coronavirus (what is termed a second wave by the authorities) cases, especially among young people. 

The South African variant emerged in the Nelson Mandela Bay in the Eastern Cape province, and has since spread rapidly and is now wreaking havoc in the country's Western Cape.