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RNZ News
3 hours ago
- RNZ News
Wee chat: What you're afraid to ask about your pelvic floor
It's an issue that affects one-in-three women - or more than 200 million people worldwide - but isn't widely talked about: urinary incontinence. Dr Jenny Kruger is a researcher in the area of pelvic floor and muscle function and dysfunction in women and has led the Pelvic Floor Research Group at the Auckland Bioengineering Institute since 2011. Hannah Orr has had over 15 years of experience as a pelvic floor physiotherapist. Both of them will be part of a panel discussion being held in Auckland for Women's Health Week that looks at everything from incontinence to prolapse and pelvic pain. They join Susie to talk about moving beyond stigma and what people can do to strengthen their pelvic floor. To embed this content on your own webpage, cut and paste the following: See terms of use.
Otago Daily Times
6 hours ago
- Otago Daily Times
'Like you've been put through a meat grinder': Dengue fever victims describe symptoms
Dengue fever cases in Aotearoa have surged as people return from overseas travel with the virus, but what is it like to have the illness, sometimes referred to as breakbone fever? As it turns out, two of RNZ's own business journalists have had the viral infection spread by mosquitos, with both getting the illness twice. It comes as dengue cases in the Pacific are at their highest level in almost a decade, with Samoa particularly affected with more than 2000 cases reported and multiple deaths since an outbreak was declared in April. What is it like to have dengue fever? Former Star News reporter and RNZ business journalist Anan Zaki was hospitalised after a second bout of dengue fever while holidaying and visiting family in the Maldives. It was 2015, and Zaki said when he first got sick it felt as though he had a typical flu that he couldn't shake. 'I didn't even think of dengue then… I got better and a month or so later I felt like I was getting sick again.' This time his symptoms were much more serious. 'I deteriorated quite quickly… I was vomiting, had an intense fever, serious joint pain, I couldn't get out of bed because I was so fatigued, and my muscles were so sore. 'I went to the doctor three times and on the third visit they did a blood test which came back as dengue fever.' Zaki was immediately taken to hospital as he could no longer keep fluid down. 'At day five or six it was touch and go – they weren't sure if I would survive. 'They had to overdose me on Paracetamol to bring down the fever which ended up damaging my liver in the process. 'It was pretty bleak.' He described having dengue fever as feeling like having a flu, Covid-19 and a severe stomach bug all at once. 'Mentally it was really hard, but time is a good healer.' Zaki said it took him about nine months to fully kick the illness. 'I just got unlucky … The doctor told me I had it twice and the second time it just came back harder. 'I was immunocompromised for the next year or so and would get sick very easily.' Jeffrey Halley, also a business reporter at RNZ, has also had the virus twice – once in Jakarta, Indonesia in 2020 and again in Bali in 2022. 'I didn't have to be hospitalised, but I spent a whole week just sleeping.' Halley said a nurse would come to his home in Jakarta twice a day to test his blood and make sure his platelets didn't drop too low. 'I had flu-like symptoms, fatigue, sore joints, headaches and ended up going to hospital when I became really sleepy.' Blood tests confirmed he had the virus, and he was given papaya juice to help ease his symptoms. The second time he caught the virus was during a holiday in Bali after doing outdoor yoga and he immediately recognised what it was when the symptoms began. 'Both times I slept for like a week straight… Whenever I got up, I'd feel dizzy and fatigued, then around day three or four your blood vessels start bursting which causes this red, itchy rash. 'It feels like you've been put through a meat grinder. 'I'd never been so tired, so weak and fatigued in my life…There's nothing really like it.' What are the symptoms of dengue fever? Dengue fever can't be caught in New Zealand as there are no mosquitos that transmit it, but it can be caught while travelling abroad in an area or region that has infected mosquitos. Symptoms of dengue fever include a sudden high fever, intense headache, pain behind the eyes, muscle and joint pain, tiredness, nausea, vomiting and a fine rash which may be itchy and usually begins on the extremities, but spares the palms and soles of the feet. Many people will only have mild symptoms, but a small number of people may get severe dengue which could lead to hospitalisation or even death. Health New Zealand on its website, said many people with dengue may have no symptoms at all or only feel a bit unwell, but symptoms did usually start three to 14 days after being bitten by an infected mosquito. 'People with symptoms can sometimes have severe muscle and bone pain similar to the feeling of breaking a bone,' it said. More severe symptoms that needed hospitalisation included severe abdominal pain, persistent vomiting, bleeding gums, blood in vomit or poo, rapid breathing, extreme tiredness and restlessness. Dr Susan Jack, national clinical director for National Public Health Service, said people over 60 years old and children aged 10 and under are also at greater risk of severe illness from dengue. How can you protect yourself against it? Zaki said he now always brings mosquito repellent with him while travelling and makes sure it is tropical-grade DEET that is applied liberally and often. Dr Jack said people travelling overseas to parts of Africa, Asia, Central and South America, the Caribbean, the Pacific Islands and some southern areas of North America should protect themselves by keeping screens or doors and windows closed while indoors. They should also wear light coloured protective clothing, including hats, long sleeves and trousers when outdoors. Wear a repellent cream or spray containing less than 35 percent diethyltoluamide (DEET) when outdoors and avoid places where mosquitos are most active such as swampy areas or places with standing water. Halley noted anyone travelling to areas where dengue fever was present should make sure they have travel insurance prior to leaving New Zealand. 'It's important to have travel insurance, hospital bills could be huge otherwise.' What to do if you think you have it Halley said anyone who thought they might have dengue fever should seek medical attention immediately. Health NZ's advice to New Zealanders who had arrived back in the country from a place that had dengue and felt sick within three weeks, should visit a healthcare provider. 'Get medical advice quickly if you have dengue symptoms while you're travelling.' If anyone was unsure what to do, they could call Healthline for free advice at 0800 611 116.
Otago Daily Times
7 hours ago
- Otago Daily Times
Neurodivergent student quits uni after cheating claims
By Tim Brown of RNZ A neurodivergent adult student has abandoned his degree after being accused of cheating by the University of Canterbury. David* is an adult student with Asperger's syndrome and ADHD. His conditions meant he was allowed use a computer for spell-checking in exams, but he was accused of accessing the internet during an exam in June. It took six weeks for the university to clear him of wrong-doing and David said the process was drawn out, lacked inclusivity, and the stress it caused him affected his physical and mental health. But the University of Canterbury defended its handling of the matter, saying its standard processes were followed. 'He actually found his place' David's early years of schooling were marred by memories of shame and being treated as the "naughty boy" due to his conditions. But now in his 30s, after encouragement from his wife, he decided to become the first person in his family to go to university. The first year and a half of his study went well, reaffirming his decision to pursue a Bachelor of Arts. "It took me probably a good year to convince him to go to university and give it a go," his wife, Margaret*, told RNZ. "I went when I was in my 20s, so I'm like 'I know you, you're very intelligent, you will thrive there' and he was. His first year and a-half was great. Everybody was saying he actually found his place. "I'd spent a long time in my life working menial middle-range jobs and I thought why not give it a shot, and I've thrived up until this point. I'm sitting on a decent GPA, which is sort of unexpected," David added. However, it was not without its difficulties and his neurodiversity entitled him to use a computer for spell-checking during his exams. That was where the problem arose. While sitting a 200-level closed-book exam on June 9, an exam officer told David he had seen him access Google using the computer. David said he had no intention of going into Google and he believed it opened as a result of a hyperlink in the word processing programme he was using for spell checking. After explaining that to the officer, he assumed that was the end of it. More than two weeks later, on June 25, he received an email: "I have had a matter referred to me by the Proctors Office. The allegation against you is that you accessed the internet on two separate occasions in a closed book exam". David met the proctor the next day. "I said 'if anything's happened, it's purely by mistake. It might have accidentally opened an external tab. That wasn't my intention'," David said. "She turned round and said to me 'well, look, sometimes we make mistakes. We all make mistakes and sometimes it's easier just to own up and admit it and we can make this go through a lot smoother'." David said he reiterated his innocence and the proctor responded by telling him "well the process is going to be a long, drawn-out one then". He left the meeting feeling as if his guilt had been decided. "I said to [my wife] they're going to find me guilty anyway," he said. "We even started putting together an appeals process because that was the opinion I got when I met the proctor - they had already determined my guilt." Then came silence. David received his exam results, but his grade for the paper in question was not published. On July 8, he reached out to the proctor. "I am still investigating this case and waiting for a reply to an internal email I sent on 30 June. This process may have been delayed due to the term break and colleagues taking annual leave. I have followed up with the colleague concerned and hopefully I receive a reply soon," the proctor's response said. Margaret said the stress and anxiety it caused David was difficult to watch. "This has been really heartbreaking to see him just lose all this faith in this institution and just crumble beneath the really poor policies," she said. David said he felt awful. "Disenfranchised. Embarrassed. I try to keep my neurodiversity hidden and the fact that I opened myself up enough to tell UC, I feel like they abused my trust," he said. By July 13, his GP was so concerned he wrote a letter to the university on David's behalf. "Based on [David's] account, these allegations appear to be unfounded and the way they have been handled has had a profound impact on both his mental and physical health," the letter said. "[He] reports that he was given very limited support when informed of these accusations, and the process appears to have lacked appropriate sensitivity. He has since experienced severe psychological distress, including panic attacks, and I have noted a marked deterioration in his overall well-being." Finally, on July 24, four weeks after his meeting with the proctor, David received an email clearing him of wrongdoing. "Thank you for taking the time to meet with me on 26 June 2025. I appreciate the honest and open conversation and as discussed; I am following up formally advising you of the outcome of this referral," the letter started. "As indicated at our hui I have investigated this allegation and gathered the necessary information required to make an informed decision regarding this referral from UC Concerns. I appreciate your patience while I have done so and with the information before me, I have reached the decision that you did not breach the University Academic Misconduct Regulations." No apology There was no apology and no further explanation. "No sorry for the stress. No sorry for the accusation. Just we carried out our process and we consider it the end of the situation," David said. The University of Canterbury needed to assess whether its processes were suitable for neurodiverse students, he said. His treatment meant he no longer felt safe to pursue his studies and he would not be returning next year to complete his degree. Instead, David had used his credits to attain a certificate and diploma of arts. "It feels like they've actually stolen part of my future identity because I'm actually the first person in my family to go to university," he said. "I was hoping that some of the nieces and nephews would actually follow me in, but not after this experience." University responds The university did not directly address RNZ's questions about whether an apology was warranted. But on a statement, the University of Canterbury defended how it handled the situation. The response has been edited for length: "[David]'s case was managed in line with our normal academic misconduct process, which, by necessity, takes time to investigate thoroughly and ensure fairness. "[David] participated in a closed book exam on 9 June. For closed book exams, students are advised that they may not refer to any course materials or other resources during the exam. The two exam supervisors reported that during the exam, on two separate occasions, they observed [David] opening an internet page on the device he was using during the exam. "It is usual process for students to be invited to attend a meeting with a Proctor to discuss an allegation of academic misconduct, and they are able to bring a support person. "The UC Proctor's recollection of the meeting differs from that of [David]. The Proctor explained that this was an initial meeting to discuss the allegation and to give [David] an opportunity to respond. "At the time of the first meeting, the Proctor did not have access to [David]'s neurodiversity information, as this is securely managed through UC's Accessibility Service for formal exam and learning arrangements. [David] shared this information with the Proctor during the meeting to explain why he had special exam arrangements in place. "The academic misconduct process that was followed in [David]'s case has been reviewed by UC's Head Proctor, in response to the concerns raised by [David]. The review confirmed that UC's standard processes were followed and that [David] was given a fair opportunity to respond. "Following the completion of the investigation, the Proctor determined that academic misconduct had not occurred. "[David]'s privacy complaint has been investigated by UC's Privacy Officer, and a response has been provided to him on 4 August. The Privacy Officer determined that no privacy breach occurred." David and Margaret have also complained to the Human Rights Commission and the Ombudsman. *Not their real names
