I was on the streets of Lagos recently asking people, "who decides how many children a couple has?" Most men said: The man of course

Most women said: Both of us

I asked the men a second question, "How many times have you followed your female partner to a gynaecology visit?
Went ahead to ask, why though? Why haven't you been readily available for family planning visits for a decision that impacts both of you? One answered: “my own is to provide the money, her own is to go for the visit.” This mindset is prevalent in a lot of African homes
For a long time, most men especially in this world see family planning as a women's affair. Men have been rarely involved when it comes to sexuality, birth spacing, reproductive health etc. When you place that against what we have here where traditionally, men lead many homes
and are expected to make decisions on the number of children they have, how soon they have it as well as the spacing. There is a problem, for someone who knows so little about the sexuality of women, how can proper decisions be made based on the reality on the ground.
Ask the average man on the street what contraception he knows and the first thing that pops out of his mouth is the "pullout method" which has been shown to be one of the most unreliable methods there is.
There are a couple of factors that prevent men from being involved in family planning practices, one being the mindset that it is women's thing
Some men said that they felt out of place in a "women's clinic", this mindset needs to go. We need the narrative that "joint is better"
So if you are a man reading this, it starts from you taking an interest. Start the conversation with your sexual partner if you have one Do away with the mindset that family planning is a "woman's affair" it impacts you both Be more involved, be supportive.
Bodies like @IPPFAR have been at the forefront of advocating that men are more involved in family planning.

It is not just a woman's affair!

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More from @aproko_doctor

8 Sep
Tying a tourniquet above a snake bite is old fashioned advice and can lead to problems

For instance it can concentrate the venom around that body part which can lead to that body having to be cut off because of gangrene or even death because as soon as the tourniquet is released
The venom can go directly to the heart.

The most important thing after a snake bite is to KEEP CALM. The faster your heart beats, the faster the venom spreads around the body causing more harm.

2. Make sure the person CAN'T move. Movement makes blood supply to the heart faster
Do not move the body part that has been bitten.

If it is a leg, then get a stick and tie it to the other limb so that it is immovable;

If the snake bites the arm. Tie the arm to the body. Check the image below for pointers
Read 5 tweets
6 Sep
I heard a testimony yesterday in church and felt I should share this.

If you live with HIV and take your drugs regularly, it gets to a point where the viral load gets so low its not detected in your blood.

This doesn't automatically mean you're healed or cured please.
Now some people believe they've been cured or healed and stop taking their ARV (antiretroviral) drugs, this is where the problems start.

Before you start to lose your cool, this is not a thread to spite miracles or your belief. It's so you're aware. Let's continue.
When a person has HIV, the virus starts to replicate inside the cells and suppresses the body's immune system so that the body can't fight it

This suppression now means other infections can infect, when the body's immunity is very low, we have AIDS
Read 7 tweets
26 Jul
The statements made about women's breasts in this Big Brother Show makes me sick

Some think that a person's body count is shown by breast sagging

I see adults who say "Olympus has fallen" disgracing their ancestors thinking they're shaming her

That's just not how it works
Breasts contain mainly fat, glands that produce milk, and Cooper ligaments

It is commonly thought that these ligaments is what give support to these breasts making them firm and supple nd giving them their shape

However, with age, these ligaments become lax and breasts fall
There are major things that make might make a your breasts sag

1. Cigarette smoking(Shisha): Smoking breaks down elastin in the skin which can invariably cause breasts to fall

2. The more pregnancies a woman has, the more chances that her breasts are going to fall.
Read 7 tweets
9 Jun
Till today, a lot of Nigerians on the streets still believe that former president Sani Abacha died from an apple that a lady gave him to eat.

Meanwhile, there were reports it was from liver cirrhosis, a condition where a lot of liver cells die and is replaced by scars.
Your liver does a lot of jobs for you, from making sure that it removes toxins from your body, to making proteins that allow your blood clot properly, some drugs become active or inactive in your body thanks to your liver

It's an important organ. One of the most important
Funny enough, the liver has this insane ability to regenerate new cells when it loses old ones

You can cut off a part of the liver and it'll try and grow back

But unfortunately, some chemicals eg alcohol and diseases like hepatitis can cause widespread injury of the liver cells
Read 7 tweets
26 May
Our hospitals are filled with people who cannot pay their medical bills.

Unfortunately, many of them die because they do not get access to funds on time. Some have emptied their life's savings and yet it does not even start to sort the bills.

People are going through a lot
"Well, get health insurance" easy to think this sorts the issue.

It is not that simple, while health insurance helps with emergency medical bills, how many Nigerians can afford proper health insurance, the basic one that many Nigerians have access to do not cover cancer etc
Or even major surgeries.

Let us also consider that many Nigerians currently have health insurance because their employer puts in as part of their remuneration package.

That's why we pray a lot! A lot of things are outside our control.
Read 11 tweets
25 May
Okiriki is back, Ikegwuru will soon annoy the gods
Epilepsy is NOT contagious!
Epilepsy is NOT contagious!
Epilepsy is NOT contagious!
Epilepsy is NOT contagious!
Epilepsy is NOT contagious!
Epilepsy is NOT contagious!
Epilepsy is NOT contagious!
Epilepsy is NOT contagious!
Epilepsy is NOT contagious!
Epilepsy is a disorder in the brain that causes seizures that are recurrent.

These seizures happen when there is a sudden haphazard rush of electricity or impulses in the brain.

For simplicity, Seizures can either be generalized or focal
Involving all the brain or just part.
Read 11 tweets

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