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2022-07-29

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Life style

Beware ill-fitting menstrual cups, warn doctors

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Menstrual cups are a reusable means of collecting blood during periods [BBC]

Doctors are advising women to take care using menstrual cups, after one user developed temporary kidney problems because the cup was misaligned.

The patient, in her 30s, had been experiencing intermittent pelvic pain and blood in her urine for months, but had not linked the symptoms to the menstrual cup, which is used to catch monthly blood flow.

Although exceedingly rare, a poorly positioned cup inside the vaginal passage can press on other nearby structures, such as ureters – tubes carrying urine to the bladder, according to Danish doctors quoted in the British Medical Journal.

Selecting the appropriate size cup is important, as well as inserting it properly, doctors have stressed.

The patient made a complete recovery, but doctors have warned: “Correct positioning, along with choosing the correct cup shape and size, is important to prevent negative effects on the upper urinary tract.

“Menstrual cups can be bought and used without clinical advice from a health professional, which emphasises the importance of detailed and clear patient information material.”

How to use a menstrual cup

Reusable and sustainable, menstrual cups are an alternative to sanitary pads and tampons.

They are made from soft, flexible silicone or rubber and, once correctly in place, can hold 20 to 30ml – around two tablespoons – of blood.

They can be removed, emptied, washed and reinserted every four to eight hours, depending on flow.

Different cup models may offer a better fit according to the individual.

There are smaller size options, for girls and younger women who have not given birth to a baby, for example. If you are a virgin, you can still use one.

Menstrual cups can be tricky for first-time users though, particularly when it comes to removal.

A recent survy of 530 young people reported many found it difficult to remove the menstrual cup on their first attempt, with some saying they had to ask for help.

Once inserted into the vagina, menstrual cups create a suction seal to stop any seepage of blood.

When removing, users are warned not to simply pull on the stem. Instead, squeeze the bottom of the cup to break the seal and wiggle it off, says physiotherapist Dr Kate Lough, an expert in pelvic health.

She says it may take women a few menstrual cycles to become accustomed to using one, and stresses wearing a cup should not hurt.

She told BBC News: “Generally, they are a very safe product.  “When it’s in correctly, you shouldn’t feel it.”

Menstrual cups vary in shape, size and firmness, so Dr Lough advises shopping around to find one that matches your requirements.

If you have recently had a contraceptive coil put into your womb, there is a very small chance it could become dislodged or even removed by suction.

If the threads cannot be located, or a woman thinks her coil has moved, manufacturers recommend using additional contraception and seeing a healthcare professional for advice.

Menstrual discs are similar to cups but are worn higher in the vaginal canal, just below the cervix.

[BBC]

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Foreign News

Teacher fatally stabs eight-year-old in South Korea

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Locals laid flowers at the school's gate to mourn the eight-year-old student [BBC]

A teacher has fatally stabbed an eight-year-old girl at an elementary school in South Korea, in an incident that has shocked the nation.

The female teacher, who is in her 40s, confessed to stabbing the student in the central city of Daejeon, police said.

The girl was found with stab wounds on the second floor of a school building at 18:00 local time (09:00 GMT) Monday and was pronounced dead at the hospital. The teacher was beside her with stab wounds that police said might be self-inflicted.

South Korea’s acting president Choi Sang-mok on Tuesday ordered an investigation into the case and urged authorities to “implement necessary measures to ensure such incidents never happen again”.

Some locals laid flowers and a stuffed doll at the gate of the school, which was closed on Tuesday.

The teacher had requested a six-month leave of absence citing depression on 9 December but she returned to school just 20 days later after a doctor assessed her as being fit to work, the Daejeon education office said.

She did not have a relationship with the student, authorities said.

Days before the stabbing, the teacher had displayed violent behaviour, including putting another teacher in a headlock, they said.

Two officials from the education office visited the school on Monday, the morning of the stabbing, to investigate that altercation.

Daejeon City South Korea

The student was reported missing on Monday evening after the bus driver informed the school that she had not arrived to be picked up that day.

Police also said they would continue interrogating the teacher after she recovers from her surgery.

After the attack on the co-worker, the education office recommended that the teacher put on leave and be separated physically from the other teacher.

She was made to sit beside the vice principal’s desk so that she could be kept under close watch.

She had also not been teaching any classes since her leave in December, and did not have any contact with the eight-year-old student, the official said.

South Korea is a generally safe country with strict gun control laws. But in recent years, it has grappled with several high-profile crimes, including stabbings.

“It pains me to see such incident because a school should be our safest space,” said acting president Choi. “I offer my deep condolences to the victim’s family who suffered great shock and agony.”

[BBC]

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Business

Trump announces 25% tariffs on all steel and aluminium imports

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[pic BBC]

President Donald Trump has ordered a 25% import tax on all steel and aluminium entering the US in a major expansion of existing trade barriers.

The tariffs, which will increase the costs of importing the metals into the US, come despite warnings of retaliation from some political leaders in Canada – America’s biggest supplier of the metals – as well as other countries.

US businesses dependent on the imports have also raised concerns, but Trump has said his plans will boost domestic production.

He warned there would be no exceptions, saying he was “simplifying” the rules, which are set to come into effect on 4 March.

“This is a big deal, the beginning of making America rich again,” Trump said.  “Our nation requires steel and aluminium to be made in America, not in foreign lands,” he added.

When asked if tariffs could increase prices for consumers, the US president responded: “Ultimately it will be cheaper.”

“It’s time for our great industries to come back to America…this is the first of many,” he added, suggesting other tariffs could focus on pharmaceuticals and computer chips.

The US is the world’s largest importer of steel, counting Canada, Brazil and Mexico as its top three suppliers.

Canada alone accounted for more than 50% of aluminium imported into the US last year. If the tariffs come into force, they are expected to have the most significant impact on Canada.

Late on Monday, Canada’s Minister of Innovation, Francois-Phillippe Champagne, said the tariffs were “totally unjustified”.

“Canadian steel and aluminium support key industries in the US from defence, shipbuilding, energy to automotive,” Champagne said. “This is making North America more competitive and secure.”

Ahead of the announcement, Ontario premier Doug Ford, whose province is home to much of Canada’s steel production, accused Trump of “shifting goalposts and constant chaos, putting our economy at risk”.

The lobby group for Canadian steel makers called on the Canadian government to retaliate against the US “immediately”, while Kody Blois, a leading MP from Canada’s governing Liberal Party, said his country was looking for ways to reduce its trade relationship with the US.

“This is completely upending what has been a very strong partnership,” he told BBC Newshour ahead of the official order.

Meanwhile, share prices of the major US steel-makers rose on Monday in anticipation of the order, with the price of Cleveland-Cliffs jumping nearly 20%. Prices for steel and aluminium also jumped.

The response in much of the rest of the market was muted, reflecting questions about how serious Trump is about his plans, given his track record of postponing tariffs, or negotiating exemptions to the rules.

In 2018, during his first term, Trump announced tariffs of 25% on steel and 15% on aluminium, but eventually negotiated carve-outs for many countries including Australia, Canada and Mexico.

[BBC]

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