EXCLUSIVE I was on a family holiday when I noticed an embarrassing sexual symptom (and it's not ED). By the time I saw a doctor, it was almost too late - here's what men should never ignore
It was 2023 and Tim, his wife Bridget and their two children, Clancy and Maeve, then aged six and eight respectively, were ticking a major item off their family bucket list: a 'lap of the map' in Outback Australia.
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Telegraph
23 minutes ago
- Telegraph
TikTok natural contraception trend ‘fuelling unwanted pregnancies'
Birth control advice promoting natural contraception on TikTok is putting women at risk of unwanted pregnancies, a study has found. Researchers in Australia found more than half of content creators on the social media platform reviewed (53 per cent) rejected hormonal methods of contraception, while just over a third (34 per cent) expressed distrust in health professionals. The team analysed 100 TikTok videos on contraceptive health that had collectively gained nearly five billion views and 14.6 million likes. Fertility awareness and cycle tracking (38 per cent) and the Pill (35 per cent) were the most frequently discussed subjects, according to the findings published in the journal Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health. Dr Caroline de Moel-Mandel, the lead researcher from La Trobe University, said TikTok was a growing source of contraceptive information for young adults, but much of the content was 'unreliable' and of poor quality, putting pressure on young people to sort fact from fiction. She said: 'Many TikTok creators promoted natural contraceptive methods like fertility tracking without disclosing their limitations, which include accurately tracking hormone fluctuations, motivation and partner cooperation. 'Importantly, they failed to mention that these methods are generally ineffective when used on their own. 'This kind of misinformation, combined with a growing distrust in healthcare professionals can result in unsafe decisions and ultimately, unplanned pregnancies.' Most influencers aren't health professionals Only 10 per cent of the analysed videos were created by health professionals, while the rest featured first-hand experiences and beliefs from influencers and general uploaders, or advice from self-proclaimed 'hormonal health coaches' or wellness educators with significant reach. Megan Bugden, the study's co-author and lecturer in public health at La Trobe, said that while videos by health professionals gained on average more likes and followers, TikTok's algorithm amplified influencers' voices with greater reach over medical experts. She said: 'Social media is reshaping health care providers' relationships with patients. 'We encourage health professionals to rebuild trust through shared decision-making on contraceptive options, which may increase patient satisfaction and mitigate unreliable information posted online.' With TikTok's widespread reach, Ms Budgen said women's and public health organisations also have a 'significant' role to play in countering misinformation. She added: 'Young people deserve accurate information to make informed contraceptive health decisions, regardless of background or resources. 'Public health organisations should collaborate with social influencers to promote safe and effective contraceptive information through messages that resonate with younger audiences.'
The Guardian
3 hours ago
- The Guardian
Northern Beaches hospital agrees settlement after claims newborn left with lifelong disabilities
Sydney's Northern Beaches hospital has settled outside court with a family after claims their baby was born by emergency caesarean at 25 weeks and left with lifelong disabilities. Court documents seen by Guardian Australia reveal the baby's mother presented to the hospital's birthing unit in 2022, complaining of lower abdominal pain on her right side. The woman – who cannot be named for legal reasons – says she was sent home without being given an ultrasound or undergoing any further investigation. When she presented to the hospital again two days later with worse symptoms, an MRI revealed she had acute appendicitis. During surgery to remove the appendix, it was found to be perforated and had a gangrenous tip, with free pus also found in the woman's pelvis. She was discharged from the hospital after three days without being provided with oral antibiotics, according to her claim. Also, she did not undergo CRP testing, which can detect signs of inflammation or infection, and was not assessed by the obstetrics and gynaecology registrar before her discharge. Less than a week later she presented again at the hospital feeling feverish and experiencing pain in her right flank, and suffering from diarrhoea and nausea. Sign up: AU Breaking News email She was transferred to Royal North Shore hospital, where she was diagnosed with sepsis and chorioamnionitis, an infection of the placenta and the amniotic fluid, and underwent an emergency caesarean. An amended statement of claim filed for the child on 20 June this year, with the mother acting in his place, alleged Northern Beaches hospital breached the duty of care it owed the child by failing to take 22 precautions. Those included failing to diagnose the mother with appendicitis on the day she first presented to the hospital and failing to perform the surgery to remove the appendix immediately. After the surgery, the precautions taken should have included performing blood tests, white blood cell count, CRP testing, an assessment by the surgical team, an ultrasound examination and an MRI investigation, the statement of claim alleged. The documents alleged the mother should not have been discharged when she was, as the hospital should have considered her perforated appendix, its gangrenous tip and the free pus and checked her inflammatory markers. She should also have been provided with antibiotics on discharge, the statement of claim alleged. The hospital's failure to take those precautions caused or materially contributed to the child suffering injuries, including the consequences of being born significantly prematurely, and general bodily trauma and shock, the statement of claim alleged. A statement of particulars filed on 24 May 2024 gave further details of the consequences of the alleged medical negligence on the part of the hospital. The document outlined claims that the child had experienced 'continuing disabilities' and 'loss of enjoyment of life', including continuing restriction on the enjoyment of and participation in normal social and recreational activities such as socialising with friends and family, domestic activities and recreational travel. The district court declined to allow access to the hospital's defence to the statement of claim. Sign up to Breaking News Australia Get the most important news as it breaks after newsletter promotion The statement calculated the expenses the family would have for medications and doctors' visits for the rest of the child's life. The documents also alleged that the child had 'suffered a general diminishment in [his] ability to earn income and … is no longer able to compete evenly on the open labour market … in the future'. On 31 July the parties agreed to settle the matter, with the Northern Beaches hospital to pay a sum without admission of liability. The family requested that the amount not be made public. Northern Beaches is the only hospital in NSW where public services are provided by a private company, Healthscope, under a complex contract. After years of mounting debt and a string of complaints about care standards – including the death of two-year-old Joe Massa and a woman whose baby died in childbirth because an emergency caesarean was offered too late – the hospital went into receivership in May. The NSW government is trying to buy it. NSW Health referred a request for comment on the baby's case to Healthscope. A Healthscope spokesperson said: 'We reached an amicable resolution with the family which was approved by the court. Out of respect for the family, we will not be providing further comment on this matter. 'While adverse incidents happen at all hospitals, the team at Northern Beaches hospital (NBH) has been subjected to intense scrutiny and speculation. The fact is the hospital treats over 80,000 patients every year and the vast majority receive outstanding care,' the spokesperson said. 'Indeed, the recently published Clinical Excellence Commission (CEC) report on Northern Beaches hospital noted that the hospital is 'staffed by a committed and professional workforce with a shared focus on delivering safe, high-quality care.' The CEC also found that the level of serious incidents at the NBH (Harm Score 1) is broadly comparable to its peer hospitals.' Lawyers for the family said they declined to comment.
Daily Mail
4 hours ago
- Daily Mail
The cheap supermarket supplement that can stave off dementia. Find out if you could benefit from this 10c daily tablet
A cheap, everyday supplement may help reduce the risk of dementia. Dementia is Australia's second leading cause of death, with an estimated 433,300 people living with the condition, according to the latest data.
