Counterfeit-Brand Sex Drugs Damage Men’s Health In and Outside of China
Global Times, China, 3/29/2018
A search of public judgments from Chinese courts showed that, in the past decade, there were up to 1,000 cases involving the manufacturing and selling of fake sex drugs around the country. Making and selling fake sex drugs is a lucrative business, as aphrodisiacs are in high demand in China due to rising cases of erectile dysfunction. But taking fake drugs has lasting health impacts, which could range from strokes, liver failure and, occasionally, death. Some consumers have even reported swelling in the groin area and even rupture of blood vessels. Therefore, the government is now trying to take steps to curb the distribution of these fake drugs by issuing notices that warn consumers and calling for criminal charges.
Women’s Seminar Hears Call for Legalised Abortion
The Nation, Thailand, 3/29/2018
At a public seminar titled ‘Women who abort their pregnancies are not criminals and abortion must be legalised’, held at Thammasat University in Thailand, several women’s rights groups called for the revocation of the law against abortion. The seminar heard that women in Thailand face risks to their reputation, welfare, health, and even their lives through illegal and unsafe abortions because the procedure is outlawed. Despite the rising number of fatalities due to unsafe abortions in Thailand, the government has still not passed any legislation to overturn the existing anti-abortion law. Currently, the law only allows for abortion if a doctor concludes the pregnancy is harmful to a woman’s health or the pregnancy is a product of a criminal offence such as rape.
Pakistan News Channel Hires First Transgender Anchor
The Hindu - Lahore, Pakistan, 3/28/2018
A Lahore-based private news channel has hired 21-year-old Marvia Malik as Pakistan’s first transgender news anchor. Malik, whose first appearance on Kohenoor TV on March 24 went viral on social media, said she decided to apply for the job of a broadcast journalist as journalism has always been her passion. Malik’s appointment came just weeks after Pakistan’s Senate passed a key bill to ensure the protection of the transgender community against sexual and physical assaults and harassment. ‘I believe that empowerment of my community is my empowerment,’ Malik has said, declaring that she wants to keep working for transgender rights in her country.
MNC Bank in India Offers Same-Sex Partners of Staffers Medical Cover
The Times of India - Mumbai, India, 3/27/2018
Taking a big step towards creating an inclusive workplace, the Royal Bank of Scotland in India has extended medical hospitalisation benefits to same-sex partners of its employees, making them one of the first companies to do so. The policy comes into effect from April 1, 2018. The company also recently introduced surrogacy leave, again given irrespective of the partner’s gender. Some organisations have extended spousal benefits like adoption leave, paternity leave and relocation to same-sex partners of their employees. The challenge, however, is to ensure such initiatives are well within the ambit of the Indian law, which does not recognise same-sex marriage.
Lebanese 'Safe Space' Salon Opens Doors to LGBT Community
The New Arab, Lebanon, 3/25/2018
Kim Mouawad, a Lebanese hairdresser and owner of Out Beauty Boutique has recently opened up a salon to accommodate the country’s LGBT community, after hearing of her brothers’ years of struggle as a gay man. ‘Before opening Out, many of my friends from the LGBTQ community told me that getting certain things done were extremely awkward,’ says Mouawad, ‘They often felt judged and were sometimes refused service. Many salons in Lebanon will not wax men or offer nail extension or polish services,’ Lebanon remains a climate where LGBTQ+ activism is institutionally shut down - homosexuality is an offence and those caught engaging in the act face up to one year in prison.
Court Rules Forced Anal Testing Illegal, Violates Right to Privacy
The Star, Kenya, 3/24/2018
The Court of Appeal has ruled that it’s illegal to compel men to undergo anal tests to determine whether they engaged in homosexual acts. In Kenya, where homosexuality is a crime, same-sex intercourse is punishable by 14 years in jail. However, the court ruled on March 22 that any orders by the High Court to have two men tested were unconstitutional and a violation of their human rights. ‘The right to privacy, particularly not to have one’s privacy invaded by unlawful search of the person, is closely linked to the right to dignity. Those rights in our view extend to a person not being compelled to undergo a medical examination,’ the judges involved in the judgement said.
Shorter, Safer TB Regimen Found for HIV-AIDS Patients
The Star, Kenya, 3/24/2018
People living with HIV and AIDS could now be placed on a shorter, more bearable treatment plan to prevent tuberculosis, after a study conducted in Kenya and nine other countries concluded that a one-month antibiotic regimen to prevent the disease is far safer and more effective than the standard nine-month therapy. Researchers are still finalising data collection, which means it may take as long as two years before the one-month regimen is introduced, but the results of this survey have the potential to dramatically change clinical practice for people with HIV and AIDS, and help them shift to more convenient forms of treatment.
From Schools to the Skies, Philippines Widens Anti-Trafficking Crackdown
Reuters - Angeles, Philippines, 3/23/2018
From intercepting trafficking victims at the airport to helping survivors find jobs, a city-wide drive to combat the growing crime launched on March 23 in Angeles, in The Philippines. Police, prosecutors, charities, and government and aviation officials in the city are joining forces to boost support for victims and educate people to prevent them being trafficked. Angeles - north of the capital Manila - is considered a trafficking hotspot in the Southeast Asian country. Nearby Clark airport is a major travel hub and common entry and exit point for both traffickers and their victims, according to activists.
HIV Prevalence Rate Among Adults Highest in Manipur: Study
Hindustan Times, India, 3/22/2018
A study, conducted between early 1999 and 2018, has found that the Manipur has the highest HIV prevalence rate among adults in the country at 1.06%, followed by Mizoram at 0.79%, NSACS deputy director Vezokholu Theyo said on March 21 at a sensitisation programme for media persons. The good news is that the prevalence rate of HIV in the State has seen a declining trend over the years, she said. The country, as a whole, has 21.1 lakh PLHIV cases and nine States - Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal and Rajasthan - account for 82% of those cases.
Over 1,200 Beijing Students Infected with HIV-Related Illness: Report
Global Times - Beijing, China, 3/21/2018
Among university students aged 18 to 22 years in 59 colleges and universities in Beijing, 722 have HIV or HIV-related illness, according to June 2017 statistics from the Beijing Municipal Education Commission. In 2017, 50 cases were added. Among the 722 students, 711 are male; the main route of transmission was sexual behaviour between males, which accounted for 86.7 percent. Students generally lack knowledge about reproductive health and sex, which has led to the high proportion of sexual transmission of HIV. The Beijing Municipal Education Commission has ordered colleges and universities to offer courses on scientific and systematic knowledge about sex and reproductive health. Teachers at colleges and universities should be well trained and ready to answer related questions.
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