FemmeFocus Junction

  Last week, we received the shocking news that one of my husband’s close friends had taken his life. All his friends and family members were devastated. I had met him briefly just before we immigrated to Ireland. He was moving between houses and staying with his sister. His bike was parked by my parents’ house for months. My dad was furious to get him to move the bike. His friends found him in his house when it was too late, with a note.  I know this is a blog about women and women’s health, but today we want to dedicate this post to men and their well-being. We know that most men do not do well with life crises, especially going through a divorce, or loss, or a separation. They tend to keep their struggles to themselves, not to cry or talk to friends or family, because it is a sign of weakness. They often resist seeing a therapist. The easiest way out seems to be drifting to alcohol and substances, which makes matters worse. The studies show that 1 in 8 men experience mental...

  Genitourinary Syndrome of Menopause (GSM) is a term used to define a compilation of signs and symptoms arising from decreased estrogenic stimulation of the vulvovaginal and lower urinary tract. The main signs and symptoms of GSM include burning, irritation, vulvovaginal dryness, dyspareunia, and urinary symptoms such as urgency, dysuria, or recurrent urinary tract infection. Labial atrophy , vaginal introitus narrowing, and clitoral atrophy may also be observed. The Topic of sexual intercourse should not be something that we shy away from when consulting women in the 60s or even 80s. most women in this age category are very sexually active and suffer from vaginal dryness, dyspareunia. It should not be that way. They deserve to enjoy that aspect of life like younger women.  Each symptom alone may indicate a specific diagnosis; however, in women undergoing menopause or perimenopause, it is important to consider the overall pattern of symptoms and rule out other potential caus...

  There are those moments in life that we will probably never forget: the first day of school, the first day of university, the day I had my baby, or the day I had a miscarriage. It was September 9, 2025. The plane was about to land. The flight from Doha to Dublin was about 6 hours from midnight to early morning. Aryana slept for most of the flight; she had neither eaten nor had a nappy change. I dragged myself to brush my teeth and freshen up. The good thing about flying with children is that the flight attendants serve the children first, and when they don't eat the food, which is mostly the case, we tired adults end up eating it.  After a short wait, it was time for us to exit the plane. The line at the passport check was quite long. We presented our visas and my work permit, took some photos, and entered the other side of the airport. I almost cried when I saw that I had to climb down another escalator with a child and my heavy hand luggage. My mother-in-law was bragging ...