NHS Grampian calls for more egg donors as demand increases
She has donated three times - the maximum number permitted."For me it is just a really nice thing that you can do, to help someone going through a really traumatic event in their life, where they are having to go through IVF," she said."You can actually help someone get the family that they want."I really wanted to do it and I wanted to do it as many times as I could."The only information donors can find out is whether or not a child has been born as a result of their donation. However, donor-conceived children can access their donor's name and last known contact details when they reach their 18th birthday.
Genetic and psychological tests are carried out before the actual process begins, something which Emma told BBC Scotland News was "very easy". She added: "It involves injections for two weeks, then the egg retrieval, you are not in pain during any of it. "I did it three times so I think that shows it is not painful or anything like that."Emma said that knowing at least one child had been born as a result of her donation was "amazing".She said it was a "really nice feeling" to help someone have the "family of their dreams".
'Realise their dream'
Donor conception - using donated sperm and/or eggs - accounts for one in 170 of all births in the UK, according to NHS Grampian.The health authority said there was a particular shortage in donors from different ethnic backgrounds.There is no payment for donation in Scotland.Dr Nicola Marconi, a consultant for NHS Grampian, said: "I think one reason for the increase in demand is that there is more awareness nowadays about the possibility of what we can do in the hospital. "So more people are coming and our goal is to keep improving our service and help more people realise their dream."Anyone wanting more information should contact the Aberdeen Fertility Centre .
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Metro
2 hours ago
- Metro
‘I put my 13-year-old daughter on Mounjaro - I have no regrets'
Emma put her daughter on Mounjaro as a last resort to manage her weight struggles. Though unconventional, she has no regrets(Picture: Getty Images) Asking her daughter Hayley* to look away while she's injected is the hardest part of Emma's week. There's always a wince of pain and sometimes tears. But Emma* isn't giving Hayley jabs through necessity – the 13-year-old is perfectly healthy. Instead, she is injecting her daughter with Mounjaro which she bought over the internet after lying about who it's for. 'We've tried everything to get Hayley's weight down. Diets don't work, she exercises but it never changes her weight and she's miserable about her size compared to her friends,' explains Emma, 43. 'Our GP always suggested diet and exercise, but that hasn't been that helpful at all. Mounjaro is a last resort, yes, but it's working and she's already lost almost a stone.' At 5ft 4in and 80kg, Hayley is obese according to the NHS BMI calculator, but with a BMI of 30.3 she doesn't qualify on the NHS for the weight loss injections which are costing Emma, a teaching assistant from Plymouth, hundreds of pounds. According to NHS statistics, the teenager is one of 15% of children aged between 2 and 15 who are living with obesity in the UK. While some NHS Trusts approve sameglutide GLP1 injections for children and teenagers, Psychologist Dr Carolyne Keenan is horrified by Emma's actions and says that illegally buying these drugs online could be catastrophically damaging for a child's mental health. Hayley* is obese per the NHS BMI calculator but didn't qualify for NHS injections, so Emma* bought the drug online, lying about the recipient (Picture: Peter Dazeley via Getty Images) 'When considering pharmacological interventions, it is crucial that these are closely monitored by doctors and delivered on a case-by-case basis,' she explains. 'Children are still developing physically and emotionally, and any medication must be used with great caution. Identity formation during childhood and adolescence is deeply tied to body image and self-worth. Introducing weight loss injections could inadvertently reinforce harmful beliefs about food and body image, leading to long-term issues with self-esteem and disordered eating patterns.' While it's estimated around 2.6% of teens in the UK are living with an eating disorder – an increase from 0.5% in 2017 – Dr Keenan warns weight loss jabs for teens will have long term effects, whether they're prescribed or bought illicitly online. 'We've seen the negative consequences of well-intentioned but poorly managed approaches in the past. In the 1990s and early 2000s, the US trend of sending children to 'fat camps' aimed to tackle weight concerns through intensive diet and exercise regimes was popular,' she explains. 'However, many of those children reported long-lasting shame, body dissatisfaction, and unhealthy relationships with food as a result.' Despite keeping the injections from her family,Emma* believes that the weight loss drug has been transformative for Hayley's confidence (Picture: Getty Images) While Emma has decided to keep Hayley's injections a secret from her extended family, the mum strongly believes she's doing the right thing. 'Hayley was so low about her weight for years. She'd cry and get upset that she couldn't buy or wear the same clothes as her friends because of her weight,' she remembers. 'That's changing now. I'm losing the sullen, quiet, sad teenager and she's growing in confidence, that's the only measure I need that I'm doing the right thing.' The teenager tells Metro that she hasn't told her friends about her injections either. 'It was my idea and I asked Mum if we could look into it. I was a bit worried about being injected and I couldn't do it myself but I love the fact I'm losing weight,' she adds. 'My friends have all noticed and are complimenting me on it which feels really nice.' Psychologist Dr Joanna Silver – who specialises in eating disorders – says weight loss jabs aren't the right answer for children like Hayley who need help improving their own body image. 'It makes sense to want to ease your child's pain, but before trying medication, it is important to find out why your child is struggling,' she explains. 'Have they faced bullying? Do they feel ashamed of their body? Are they using food to handle emotional pain? GLP1s might help with weight but they don't fix the deeper emotional issues. The best way is a team approach that includes psychological support. 'Giving medication without knowing the root of their pain can make shame worse and suggest the body is the problem. Similarly, leaving children with insecure body issues is worrying. We need to help children find healthy coping mechanisms to manage their challenges.' Weight loss injections were approved by NHS watchdog the National Institute for Clinical Excellence in 2022 and figures from last December show over 500,000 people in the UK are using the jabs with a staggering 95% percent of them buying the medication online like Emma does. Despite being approved by the NHS watchdog, professionals are concerned about the physical and mental health side effects that come with the injections (Picture: Getty Images) Nutritionist Marcelle Rose tells Metro that she's witnessing more people who have decided to ditch the weight loss injections after ending up with mental health issues as a consequence of their use. 'I'm seeing an increase in clients who have tried these medications and stopped due to side effects,' she says. 'Once discontinued, many experience rapid weight regain and a sense of feeling completely out of control around food. Their body image often deteriorates because they were sold the idea that the injection would solve all their problems. 'More worryingly, I'm beginning to see people who became addicted to the weight loss itself. For some, the sense of control or validation they felt led them to push their weight lower and lower and they've ended up with an eating disorder.' While Emma insists this isn't the situation for her daughter, she is aware of potential issues. 'I know Hayley's confidence and self-esteem improvements have come from her weight loss,' she admits. Emma* plans to maintain Hayley's weight with diet and exercise, and hope that she will never regain after coming off the drug completely (Picture: Getty Images) 'While I love how happy she is, I don't like that it's tied to her body image but then she's not alone in that – we all feel more confident when we look good. 'I've never bought up her weight with her, we only ever talk about it if she raises it and make sure I praise her for other things outside of her appearance. When she said she wanted to try them I did a lot of research online and yes, I had to pretend they were for me, but they're from a reputable online chemist.' Emma adds that she hasn't thought too much about what they'll do when Hayley gets to her target weight. 'We'll cross that bridge when we come to it. I know we can go down to a maintenance dose but at some point she'll have to come off them all together,' she explains. 'Right now, I make sure her diet is as healthy as I can and we exercise together, so I hope the injections are enough of a reset that maybe coupled with a growth spurt, she'll never put the weight back on.' However, regardless of Hayley's well-meaning intentions, Dr Keenan warns that any parents thinking of getting weight loss injections illegally for their children should exercise extreme caution. ' Addressing childhood weight issues, particularly through medical interventions like weight loss drugs, is highly complex and must be approached with sensitivity and a strong, evidence-based framework,' she says. 'For weight loss injections to have genuine long-term benefits for children, they would need to be integrated into a multidisciplinary care plan.' *names have been changed to protect identities Arrow MORE: I didn't know why I was uncontrollably sobbing – then came the diagnosis Arrow MORE: Forget the Gen Z stare, I'm worried about Gen Alpha's rudeness Arrow MORE: I tried an AI therapist for a month – here is my verdict
BBC News
a day ago
- BBC News
The teenager who set up a diabetes charity at primary school
Since he set up a charity to help diabetics Lochlan Murdoch's journey taken him to classrooms across the country - and even to 10 Downing well as meeting the then Prime Minister Theresa May the 16-year-old, from Cumnock, has been honoured with a British Services Citizen Award for services to the Lochlan, who launched his charity while still at primary school, is even prouder of something else, beyond the told BBC Scotland News: "We've done stuff in schools and hearing some of them say they think I'm cool, and just helping them acknowledge they can do things despite being diabetic - that's really big". Lochlan was only a week into primary school when he started experiencing a number of health was thirsty all the time, continually tired and needed the toilet much more than usual. His mother Lesley and father Scott wondered if it was because of warm weather, or maybe anxiety about starting the problems persisted, and the truth soon emerged - Lochlan was a type1 diabetic, meaning his pancreas was not producing recalls: "We handed a sample of his urine in at the surgery and within 20 minutes we were on our way to A & E, where the diabetes team were waiting on us."His blood sugar levels were through the roof." The condition means that Lochlan has to rely on other ways of taking insulin, whether through pumps - which he is now on - or manually injecting it into himself with needles, through an insulin pen there are other aspects too, from constantly monitoring levels via finger prick tests to checking what food could send levels rocketing upwards.A 2023 survey found around 36,000 Scots have the in those early years, thoughts of helping others with the condition were far from Lesley and Lochlan's minds, as they tried to adjust to a major change. "It can be a lot of pressure on your shoulders as a parent," says Lesley. "You're monitoring their blood sugars all the time, and there's a fear when you put them to bed they'll have a hypo [a sudden drop in blood sugar levels] and won't wake up."Lesley also noticed that there was a lack of knowledge about type 1 diabetes among people she included some conflating it with type 2 diabetes - a version of the condition that can often be handled through diet rather than injections."It can be quite challenging to bite your tongue sometimes," she says."When you're a parent and you're hearing things like 'did he eat too many sweeties' or 'it could be worse, it could be something like cancer' - you wouldn't say that to someone with another condition. "The big thing for me is trying to reduce that stigma. "For example, taking part in football and exercising does help type 1 diabetics, but it's nothing to do with losing weight, which you'll often hear people assume." 'You have to trust a new person to look after you' The way Lesley and Lochlan aim to reduce stigma is through Lochlan's charity has its roots in an incident that changed Lochlan's life for a second 2018 the football-daft youngster broke his leg while playing the sport with friends. Stuck indoors in what the teenager jokingly calls "the middle of nowhere", his mental health declined, something accelerated by his diabetes."When he went back to school after the summer, and you're type 1, it can be difficult", says Lesley. "You have a new teacher and you have to trust a new person that will look after you."He was doing that while recovering from a double leg break, and we noticed a decline in his personality and moods. "We thought he was either going to burst into tears or get angry at some point – luckily it was the first one, and a really good classroom assistant, Sarah Taylor, was there."She got him to talk. He was using parts of the diabetes to avoid doing stuff." One place he found an escape was going to see Kilmarnock at Rugby Park. That love of football helped turn his depression into something more positive, as Lochlan created a stadium marathon challenge for saw him walk around all 12 of the SPL's football grounds, plus Hampden Park and Townhead Park, the home of Cumnock raised over £10,000 for charity and earned him a trip to Downing there, another guest suggested to him that he keep going with helping by the time Lochlan's train had rolled back into Scotland, the charity idea was in bloom."We can't quite believe how far the charity has come," says Lesley."Our son allows us to tell the whole story, including the good, the bad and the ugly of diabetes – we don't hide the cracks." In recent years the charity has held information sessions, workshops and fun days, all aimed towards spreading awareness of diabetes and what it means.A number of athletes with type 1 diabetes, including Hibs defender Jack Iredale, Raith Rovers winger Paul McMullan and golfer Hannah McCook, serve as also offers a CPD accredited course in understanding diabetes for sports Lochlan's hard work has placed him on the shortlist for the BBC's Make a Difference awards, in the Active winners will be unveiled at a ceremony in Glasgow next month, with results then announced on BBC Radio Scotland's Mornings programme with Kaye Adams on 29 he wins in his category or not, for Lesley, the charity has been a massive benefit to Lochlan over the years."He's much more confident – he doesn't feel the need to hide this condition. "Type 1 diabetes has changed our lives completely, but in a lot of ways it has given us opportunities we would never have had otherwise. It doesn't stop you doing anything."
Daily Mail
a day ago
- Daily Mail
The ludicrous health claims celebrities WISH they could RETRACT
Calvin Harris this week shocked fans after sharing photos of his wife Vick Hope 's placenta, in a post announcing the birth of their first child. Instagram images appearing to show the organ being de-hydrated and turned into pills—which have since been hit with an age restriction by the social media site—sparked debate online. Some people claim that eating the placenta after a baby is born has a range of health benefits for new mothers—replenishing iron levels after giving birth and lessening symptoms of post-natal depression. But health bodies including the US Centre for Disease Control (CDC) have long warned there is little evidence at all to support the claims and could even lead to dangerous infections. Since the Scottish DJ's post, several doctors have criticised the move, arguing 'no healthcare professional with any integrity would endorse these pills'. It has also sparked renewed debate around health information—or misinformation—shared online to millions of people. Experts have long warned that growing levels of celeb health endorsements can pose a risk to wellbeing—surveys also suggest that just two per cent of health advice published on social media aligns with public health guidelines. Here, the Daily Mail reflects on five celeb endorsed health claims that have since been debunked by medical professionals. Gwyneth Paltrow's 'garbage' Goop egg In 2017, Gwyneth Paltrow's lifestyle brand Goop infamously released $66 jade 'Yoni eggs.' Goop claimed its jade and rose quartz eggs, which are inserted into the vagina, could balance hormones, regulate menstrual cycles and strengthen pelvic muscles. A since-deleted Goop article also claimed the eggs were 'ideal for detox' and create 'kidney strength.' But soon after the product launched world-leading gynecologist Dr Jen Gunter warned the jade egg could lead to toxic shock syndrome, pelvic pain or painful sex. In an open letter, the author of bestselling books, The Vagina Bible and The Menopause Manifesto, added: 'I read the post on GOOP and all I can tell you is it is the biggest load of garbage I have read on your site since vaginal steaming. 'It's even worse than claiming bras cause cancer. But hey, you aren't one to let facts get in the way of profiting from snake oil.' In 2018, Goop faced legal action, brought by California's consumer protection office, over its unscientific claims about the vaginal eggs and agreed to pay $145,000 (£108,000). Kim Kardashian's 'damaging' weight loss advice In 2018, Kim Kardashian faced fierce backlash over a controversial Instagram post promoting a lollipop which acts as an appetite-suppressant. Kardashian shared an image of herself sucking on the diet snack alongside the caption: 'Plugging the product she captioned the shot: '#ad You guys… @flattummyco just dropped a new product. They're Appetite Suppressant Lollipops and they're literally unreal. Months later, she promoted meal replacement shakes by the same company, claiming she was 'already feeling so good'. At the time, experts argued there was no evidence that this type of diet works well to improve health or even weight loss long term and is only likely to be recommended for severely obese individuals who are at risk of developing diabetes. Even then, this would be done in a controlled environment with medical experts, they added. Months later, following a slew of similar posts by other celebrities, England's top doctor even urged social media companies to ban 'damaging' celebrity-endorsed social media ads promoting weight loss aids. Professor Sir Stephen Powis, the now former NHS medical director, said: 'If a product sounds like it is too good to be true, then it probably is. 'The risks of quick-fix weight loss outweigh the benefits, and advertising these products without a health warning is damaging. 'Highly influential celebrities are letting down the very people who look up to them, by peddling products which are at best ineffective and at worst harmful. 'Social media companies have a duty to stamp out the practice of individuals and companies using their platform to target young people with products known to risk ill health.' 'Snake oil' ear seeds backed by Steven Bartlett Health experts were also stunned last year after Giselle Boxer, from Sheffield, received offers from all six judges on the BBC show Dragons' Den, for a stake in her business Acu Seeds. The mother-of-one ultimately accepted £50,000 from Dragon Steven Bartlett for 12.5 per cent of the business, which sells packets of gold – or silver-plated 'ear seeds' for £30. The seeds, acupuncture beads placed in the ear which falsely claim to cure chronic fatigue condition myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME). ME—myalgic encephalomyelitis—is a disabling, complex illness that affects 250,000 people in the UK. Also known as chronic fatigue syndrome, or ME/CFS, symptoms include pain, brain fog, fatigue and an inability to recover after expending even small amounts of energy. The episode prompted a furious backlash from doctors and ME patients, who accused her of selling 'snake oil' preying on the 'most vulnerable and horribly ill people in society' with no scientific backing to help ME. Such was the furore that it sparked complaints to both the BBC and the Advertising Standards Authority. At the time, Professor David Strain, senior clinical lecturer at the University of Exeter told the Daily Mail: 'There is evidence to suggest acupuncture helps with some types of pain. And some patients I've worked with have said acupuncture has helped with their fatigue. 'There's next to zero evidence ear seeds actually have the same effect as acupuncture.' Tom Cruise's antidepressant rant In a 2005 interview, Tom Cruise criticised actress Brooke Shields' memoir 'Down Came the Rain,' in which she admitted she was prescribed antidepressants to help treat her postnatal depression. He said: 'Here is a woman, and I care about Brooke Shields because I think she is an incredibly talented woman. You look at, where has her career gone?... These drugs are dangerous. 'The thing that I'm saying about Brooke is that there's misinformation. 'She doesn't understand the history of psychiatry... she doesn't know what these drugs are, and for her to promote it is irresponsible.' He added the drugs 'don't cure anything' and said: ''You can use vitamins to help a woman through those things'. Cruise was widely slammed at the time, with Shields taking a swipe at his Scientology beliefs: 'Has he had a baby? Tom should stick to saving the world from aliens and let women decide which treatment is best for them.' In 2006, Shields revealed Cruise had come to her house to personally apologise. Under NHS guidance, antidepressants may be recommended for postnatal depression, particularly for moderate to severe cases or when other treatments, such as talking therapy, has not helped. Doctors will prescribe medication that is safe to take while breastfeeding. Kourtney Kardashian's vaginal wellness gummies She might be one of the world's most famous reality TV stars, but Kourtney Kardashian has since moved into the world of wellness. In 2022, she launched a line of supplements called Lemme, but a year later a new addition to her range—vaginal wellness gummies—sparked fierce backlash from experts. The probiotic claimed to 'specifically target vaginal health and pH levels to support freshness and odour'. But gynecologists said there was 'no merit' to the claim that the tablets can 'target' vaginal wellness. Dr Jen Gunter said: 'Anyone who suggests that your vagina isn't fresh or needs an improved taste is a misogynist and awful person.' LloydsPharmacy also said it was 'normal for vaginas and vaginal fluids to have a slight smell, which will vary according to hormones, activity, hygiene and diet'.
