CARE OF THE VAGINA: The return of Candidiasis

Mrs. Sarah could be adjudged to be like the biblical Mary; blessed among all women. Everything she wanted in life came knocking like Oliver Twist. Even nature served her purpose as though she was a goddess, her home was the seat of peace and her life the definition of fulfillment but as the wiseman said, "The love of having increases by having".

She has two daughters but wanted a male child. She had tried severally but  It appeared as if "the god of fertility" had turned her sworn enemy. The more she tried, the more her fecundity dropped like a glass of wine from the weak grasp of a drunk with absence seizure. She caved in and drank from the cup of reality that she could no longer conceive.

She suggested to her husband to adopt a son but the idea was like the buzzing of a nagging mosquito in the ear and the taste of vinegar. He dismissed it like a foul smell in an air conditioned car but she wouldn't let him lower the glasses so that he would inhale it all. She eventually had her way.

The boy grew up and became her worse nightmare. He stole her peace away and became a masquerade to the sisters. Now he plans to eliminate the family members and take possession of their empire.

VAGINAL CANDIDIASIS
The vagina can be likened to the empire above; the father, the sexual partner while the children (both biological and adopted) represent the different organisms that live in the vagina, including Candida species thereby making up the "Vaginal Ecosystem".
These family members have specific numbers and all have the tendency to dominate  and take charge of the empire (vagina) like the "GAME OF THRONES" but the counteraction of other members keeps them in equilibrium. Hence the mere citing of Candida sp as reported in laboratory investigation does not indicate Infection rather an overgrowth (dominance) which distorts the equilibrium with associated features of abnormal vaginal discharge and itching is said to be Vaginal CANDIDIASIS.

RECURRENT/ CHRONIC VAGINAL CANDIDIASIS

The following favour the growth of Candida sp. and make them come back after treatment.

Tight Pants, Trousers & Nylon wears: these produce heat and moisture which favour growth of  Candida.

Diabetes Mellitus, HIV infection, Chemotherapy & Pregnancy: Reduce the immunity and favour Candida growth.

Antibiotics: Prolong use affects the equilibrium to favour Candida.

Sex: Change in sexual partner introduces different strains or reinfection from an infected person.

Thank you for reading. Please I would like to read your reactions. Like, share and comment.

LEO'S BLOG: CARE OF THE VAGINA: Leave your pubic hair alone

LEO'S BLOG: CARE OF THE VAGINA: Leave your pubic hair alone: She wore the mask of shame, her head bowed like one in the confessional, reciting 'the act of contrition' or like a culprit, stan...

CARE OF THE VAGINA: Leave your pubic hair alone

She wore the mask of shame, her head bowed like one in the confessional, reciting 'the act of contrition' or like a culprit, standing in the dock and waiting for her sentence from a judge who had scolded her during a cross examination. She became motionless as though confused. Her hands shielding her pubic region as the attention of other ladies was drawn to it by Olanma.
Olanma is a crazy jovial lady, loquacious and most times troublesome but her intelligence got her an excellent degree qualification in her academics.
It was the first morning of the NYSC orientation camp, she had come to take her bath in the common bathroom for the ladies, her eyes rolling to and fro to feed her brain with some info. Then she saw Funmi with a rich pubic hair and at once screamed, 'lekwenu aji ooo' (see hair) and kept starring at her while winking her eyes at Funmi each time their eyes met. Funmi became uneasy, took her bath in a rush and zoomed off amidst the 'yabbing' (jest) oozing out between Olanma's thick lips.
Later in the day they crossed each others path at the parade ground and Olanma called her "Aji Nwanyi" (hairy lady). She was infuriated when her friend Ifeoma gave her the interpretation of the vernacular. Funmi preoccupied her thoughts with the chances of meeting Olanma again in the bathroom subsequently and the possible drama that will play out, so she went for a shaving stick and made the natural vegetation become a desert. She is itching with rash in her pudendum (external genitalia) which greatly discomforts her.

IMPORTANCE OF THE PUBIC HAIR

Have you ever wondered why hairs grow around the pubic area? Some say it is fashionable to shave it off and others see it as a form of personal hygiene but let me share some thoughts with you.

ATTRACTION: Hairs add to the beauty of a woman. It is to a lady what the garden is to a house.  It arouses the curiosity of the opposite sex by concealing the anatomy of the vulva. Curiosity fuels adventure (attraction)
Its also said that the apocrine glands of the pubic region produces sexual attractant called pheromone. This is trapped by the pubic hair.

PROTECTION: it has a cushioning effect and protects from mechanical injuries like abrasion from clothing and even during sexual activity. The pubic hair keeps the pant from direct contact with the vulva and by trapping both macroorganisms like insect and microorganisms like bacteria and fungi it reduces the risk of vulvovaginitis. The increased risk of HIV transmission in sharing sharps including shaving sticks is undeniable.

COMFORT: it keeps your vulva warm and helps u enjoy sex.
Its adviced you trim the hair than shave it off.

Thank you for reading! I would like to read your comments.

LEO'S BLOG: ANOTHER RAPE

LEO'S BLOG: ANOTHER RAPE: EVEN YOU BRUTUS! This was a cry of betrayal of trust, cries that are never heard, burning tears that fall on impenetrable hearts of rock, st...

ANOTHER RAPE

EVEN YOU BRUTUS! This was a cry of betrayal of trust, cries that are never heard, burning tears that fall on impenetrable hearts of rock, studded with all brands of meanness, avarice and viciousness. It breaks the will to hold on to life and reverses the taste of the wine in Cannan to the bitter water of Mara and in a twinkling of the stars transmute a gentle loving soul to a monster. It is capable of turning one's life inside-out and sometimes with irreparable damage.

Nkechi is just sixteen (16) years old, the first child of a rather single parent ( she has no information about her father, her mother dismisses any issue about her father with a wave of the hand). Her eight siblings make the family size a fairly large one and poverty their next of kin. Anything or anyone that could bring relief was welcomed as the hope of the next meal was as sure as finding water in the desert. Nkechi's life was from one station of the cross to another and it seemed she was on her way to Golgotta. At this station in her life, she had wriggled her way through junior secondary school but the financial challenge of registering for the Senior School Certificate Examination was about to crown her, "A Dropout". The thought of this would make her eyes so generous as to grace her cheeks with an overflow of tears and leave her broken.

Her cousin, Onyema, twenty-one years of age, usually came by Nkechi's house and was always fund of his younger cousin. He became for her Simon of Cyrene or would I rather say, the Big Brother Africa.He would assist both financially and otherwise as much as he could. His shoulders were broad enough for Nkechi to lean on. Her litany of challenges have displaced the wax from his ears, plugged his ear canals and left him with partial acquired deafness so much so that he pays little attention to his personal and immediate family obligations.

As days went by, the deadline for payment /registration for her exam drew nearer and it was more apparent that she may not graduate from high school.
It was Christmas and traditionally there is a confluence of people from different areas to there source/root. It is an opportunity for some people to re-unite with there loved ones, others seize the opportunity to initiate projects locally, attend cultural ceremonies and even find life partner. A selected class solely return, to a show of affluence, with the motive to make people believe that all is well and the impression of being made for life. This last class of persons ( local champions) become the envy and magnetic hub that attract the gullible poverty stricken youths and sundry in the remote areas.

Henry belonged to the latest class. He came in from Ghana. Onye ma's eagerness to get rich became a centripetal force that brought him to Henry. He was practically an errand boy to him. The promise of taking him to Ghana made him more submissive and practically a slave. He literally lived with Henry, doing all his bidding.
Onyema mentioned Nkechi's predicament to Henry who without blinking an eye promised to help her with her exam fee and even much more than was requested. He quickly asked Onyema to invite her to his house.
Her first visit was memorable. She was treated like a queen with foods, drinks and some cash to greeze her palms as transport fare. Her mouth was all full of laughter, her heart dancing to the sweet melody her life has been engulfed with recently. She repeated the visit, all, in the company of her cousin and it was always rewarding.
The ultimate gift which Nkechi desired most (Exam fee) was promised to her on the 5th of February which was the same departure date for Henry. She had gone as usual in the company of Onyema but this last visit changed the story of her life.
After she had sat down for about ten minutes, the once friendly Henry turned into a beast, seized Nkechi and started planting unholy kisses all over her body. As she tried to resist, Onyema and Uche ( Henry's close friend) grabbed her, sealed her mouth with a handkerchief, while the two of them took there turn to rape her. She tried severally to call on Onyema, her cousin, to assist her but she was devastated when he took his turn to rape her. They stole her virginity in a most gruesome manner. It was more traumatising than the blow of a hammer to the head.
After they were satisfied, they bundled her out of the house and zoomed off. She never set her eyes on any of them till date.

The matter was never reported to the police because her cousin was involved rather it was treated as a family issue. Nkechi became pregnant following the rape and had an abortion after four months.
Today she complains of a continuous virginal discharge which reminds her of her ugly past, which she could pay anything, for the memory to be erased completely.

Thank you for reading!!!

LEO'S BLOG: THE VIRGIN WITHOUT A VAGINA

LEO'S BLOG: THE VIRGIN WITHOUT A VAGINA: Dikachi could pass for an average height damsel, she is dark skinned and in her early twenties. Phenotypically, she is a female, having deve...

THE VIRGIN WITHOUT A VAGINA

Dikachi could pass for an average height damsel, she is dark skinned and in her early twenties. Phenotypically, she is a female, having developed the secondary sexual characters including a sizeable breast, pubic and axillary hairs to adorn her.

She commenced her puberty quite timely but one important component of puberty was lacking in her, she had not attained menarchy (first menstrual flow) even at age 23 years. This had given her recurrent episodes of anxiety and panic attacks but she was erroneously counselled by the usual domestic doctors without training, that if she sleeps with a man, it will stimulate her to menstruate. This was necessitated by the fact that she is a virgin. But her culture and upbringing held her back, though momentarily, like the slings of a caterput loaded and waiting to be released.

Like the hand of Moses that grew weary in support of the Isrealites, she soon became convinced and to give it a try when Chidebere came her way. I wouldn't know if he was sincere but he promised to marry her. They were just one month old in their relationship when the impatient fiance asked for the forbidden fruit. At once all the ill-advices and the yearning desire to become a "complete woman" rushed into her head like a swarm of bees after a victim. His first touch was like clicking on "Accept" button for terms and conditions in Google application which gives access to...
She began to shake as though she had fever, in response to his touch. He tried to introduce his penis but felt a very strong resistance, the harder he tried the more the resistance, it was as if the guardian angel watching over the introitus (opening) were awake and actively repelling untimely invasion of the hallowed chamber. Confused he may be introducing his penis in the wrong part, he parted the lips of the vagina which was obscured by pubic hairs so that he could assist with visual aid but all to no avail. His passion vanished like a ghost, confusion and disappointment preoccupied their minds and stole words away from their lips. They kept staring at each other without uttering any word. Nothing else of interest happened there but if you wish you can make up the story, be my guest. Lol! (laugh out loud), you like gist a lot.

Now, it's double wahala (problem), no menses and inability to have penetrative sex. She visited the clinic with these complaints. After careful examination, she was sent for abdominopelvic ultrasound scan. The result was mind blowing and breathtaking. How will I explain to this young lady that she has no vagina or uterus (womb) with her right kidney shrunken?

MAYER-ROKITANSKY-KAUSER-HUSER SYNDROME (MRKH)

Simply called Rokitansky syndrome is a congenital (from birth) defect affecting the female internal genitalia resulting in poorly developed or absence of the uterus (womb) and vagina.

Cause is yet to be identified.

TYPES
Consists of two types ;

• Type 1
• Type 2

Type 1 (Mullerian Agenesis) 

This is involves poor development of the upper two-thirds of the vagina with(out) the affectation of the uterus. 

Type 2

This is the type diagnosed in Dikachi. It includes type 1 with associated kidney and/or vertebral column abnormalities. One important and common complication of this type is kidney failure. 

A reconstruction/transplant surgery could ameliorate this condition. 

Thanks for reading. Merry Christmas and a prosperous New year!