The chances of spontaneous conception decline with age, more so from the mid-thirties onwards. It is estimated that women older than 40 only have a 5% chance of conception with every cycle. This is in great contrast to women in late 20s and early 30s, whose chances of conception are 4 to 5 times higher. By the time you hit 45 years, the chances of conception with your own eggs are almost nil. It doesn’t end there, you also have higher chances of suffering a miscarriage. And pregnancy-related complications also occur more commonly.
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Douching is cleaning of the inside of the vagina with water or other cleansing fluids. It is estimated that about one in every four women regularly douche. Douches are sold as prepackaged mixtures of water and vinegar, baking soda or iodine. The mixture is squirted upwards into the vagina, then washes itself outwards. There are also other vaginal cleansers labelled as ‘organic’ or ‘natural’, which are inserted into the vaginal for periods of time. You do not need a prescription to buy a douching product.
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Parenthood bestows the medical responsibility of children to their parents. Thus parents, or appointed guardians, must always accompany minors for medical consults. Minors cannot also make decisions on any proposed treatments, or give medical consent. This remains the responsibility of their parents. But minors will transit into adults in the course of time, paving the way for assumption of the rights of adulthood. In medical terms, parental supervision must gradually cease, allowing the now adult kids to exercise some independence and responsibility for their own medical needs.
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Traditionally, healthcare expenditure has been based on a fee-for-service model. That means when you access healthcare, you almost blindly pay for whatever gets done, regardless of whether all you got billed for was beneficial to you. The alternate model is referred to as value-based care. This aligns healthcare payments to outcomes that are of benefit to patients. Thus payments or reimbursements to healthcare providers and doctors isn’t based on clinical volumes, but on measurable ‘value’ of care and patient benefits.
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The days when doctors were paternalistic are long gone. Instead, your healthcare is increasingly dictated by combined decision making between you and the doctors. For you to play an active and vital role in your own healthcare, you must master the art of questioning doctors. Every recommendation must be questioned, not in attempts to find fault, but rather to ensure that you fully comprehend everything. And that all decisions about your healthcare are always in your best interests.
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