The Peer program previously posted pages in washrooms on campus where student could anonymously write down their questions. Peers would collect this information and consult with medical professionals in University Health Services for answers and post them back into the washrooms for people to read. The questions and answers below are taken from those pages.
Current Health Questions | Health Questions Archive 1 | Health Questions Archive 2
Questions
5. Is there a cut-off age where a male cannot get circumcised?
1. I have been on birth control for 5 years and I want to know if it is ok to have unprotected sex with my boyfriend and not worry about getting pregnant?
Once starting the birth control pill, effective contraception occurs as early as 14-30 days. Therefore, five years as you mention in your question is more than long enough! Remember however, that when you stop the pill, fertility returns immediately. It is also important to remember that the, while an excellent form of contraception, the birth control pill provides no protection at all against sexually transmitted diseases.
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2. Why do you tell people on here that if you have depression to "get help". WHERE??? I don't know where you would go and I am trying to contact you guys on the phone and nobody is picking up... so I thought on here would help and it doesn't even give you a clue where to go. Could you not put some phone numbers or something on there?
I apologize for the difficulty in getting in touch with us. The office is staffed by student volunteers, all of whom are in classes. With that said, the office can not feasibly be open for every business hour, although there is a schedule posted on both the website and on the door. Thank you for the information though. I will ensure that I communicate with the Peer Advisors the importance of answering the phone.
If you are feeling depressed there are a few things you can do. The first is to go see your doctor and talk to them about it. This way if any medical action is needed, they can help you with it. If you are not comfortable with your doctor's response, you can always seek a second opinion by going to a walk in clinc or looking for another doctor. If you don't have a doctor you can call the Canadian Medical Association Manitoba Division (125 Sherbrook) at 985-5888. They will have a listing of all the doctors in Manitoba that are currently accepting new patients. I also suggest seeking some emotional support. If you are student at the University of Manitoba, you can go to the Student Counseling and Career Resource Center on the 4th floor of University Center (room 474). They have drop in times on Monday/Tuesday/Thursday/Friday from 10:00-11:30 and from 1:30-3:00. If you are not comfortable with this, or if you would like to look at other options, we do have a listing in the office of other places that do free or low cost counselling. This list is in a resource called Mental Health Resource Guide and it is published by the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA). If you would like to contact CMHA you can do so at 982-6100.
In closing, I would like to commend you for seeking help. Depression is something that is very difficult to deal with and asking for help can be difficult. I hope you are able to find the supports that you need. If you require further assistance, please feel free to come to our office at room 150 University Center or e-mail us at peer@umsu.ca. All information that you give us (including personal) is confidential and kept within the program. The only acceptance to that is if you are at risk of harming yourself or another person, or if a minor (someone under the age of 18) is being hurt or neglected. Whith that said, please rest assure that your information will not be shared with profs or other university students or staff.
3. I'm certain this is not the right place to ask this question but i am hoping someone can advise me as to where I should direct my question. I am looking for information on how to apply for as many bursaries as possible. My son will be attending university next year and I am hoping to make the financing as easy as possible. If you can direct me to the right people it would be greatly appreciated.
Hello, Thank you for your inquiry. Funding university can be very difficult so I can appreciate your request for assistance. To find information about bursaries I have a few suggestions. The best place for you to go would be Financial Aid and Awards. They can give you information about several bursaries that are offered on campus. You can contact them by calling 474-9531. Also, because your son is a first year student, I suggest contacting Enrolment Services. They may have information about entrance scholarships. You can contact them at 474-8821. Finally, if your son is still in high school, make sure to connect with the schools counselors as they may be aware of bursaries and scholarships that are being offered in the school and in the district. Thanks again for you question and good luck!
4. Sir I have used a raser of one personwhich may be HIV infected. After enquiry i found that he was used it before 3 days. After use he wash it and kept it openly. By mistake I have taken it and used. Is their any possibility of HIV infection to me?
The Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) is transmitted by blood and therefore any personal items which may be contaminated with blood (toothbrushes, razors, sex toys etc) have the potential to transmit the virus to another person. The circumstance you have described is likely low in risk but the transmission of the virus depends on a number of factors and you cannot exclude the possibility that you have been in contact with the virus. Therefore, you should have blood testing done to be sure. This testing can be done in any physician's office as well as at University Health Service in University Centre.
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5. Is there a cut-off age where a male cannot get circumcised?
There is no cutoff age after which a male cannot be circumcised. Generally speaking, if you plan to be circumcised, be prepared to take a few days off and have some pain killers on hand.
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6. I was at the end of my period and was irritated by the idea of using another tampon or pad, so I waded up some tissue and stuffed it halfway up my vagina. About an hour later I got this pain in the bottom of both of my lungs everytime I would breath in and out. I panicked and snatched the tissue out. The pain was very unnerving for about five minutes and it went away. So my question is do you think this pain could have been caused by the toilet tissue sending toxins in my system or something of that nature?
The short time frame that you describe (one hour after inserting the tissues into your vagina and lasting for five minutes) makes it very unlikely that this would have accounted for your symptoms. I suspect you may have some concerns about Toxic Shock Syndrome (TSS). This is an illness (caused by the normal skin bacteria Staphylococcus Aureus) consisting of fever, chills, diarrhea, vomiting and muscle pain. TSS is associated with tampon use in about 50% of cases. Not having further information I cannot speculate any further about your symptoms of chest pain. Something to consider, if you are on the birth control pill, is the possibility of blood clots (which can be caused by the pill) in the lungs. Clots such as these can cause chest pain, shortness of breath and sometimes cough with blood. If you are on the pill, this may be something you wish to discuss with the physician who prescribed your pills.
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7. What causes body hairloss? I am on medication for transplant cyclosporin and imuran prdnisone, and on blood presure medication. My mother had body hairloss when she was in her 60's she thought it was normal but I know that it is not. Could this be hereditary? She had cancer and died at 64. I am 52 and healthy. The kidney transplant is great, otherwise just losing body hair in the pubic area armpits and legs. Any ideas? Thyroid?
There are numerous causes for body hair loss. In your short note I notice three possibilities:
Firstly, there is a significant genetic component to hair loss. Secondly, 37% of women will experience hair loss at or after menopause. So, your mother's hair loss may have been
related to her genetics or menopause. You will carry at least some of her genetics and, at age 52, you are likely in the perimenopausal period too. There are reasons for this that are incompletely understood but seem to be related to levels of androgens (the male hormone) in the body. The third possibility for you is drugs. Both chemotherapeutic agents and some blood pressure medications can cause hair loss.
Other possibilities include, thyroid disorders, skin infection (fungal usually), stress (both psychological and physical), nutrutional deficiencies, and any conditions of excess
androgens.
As you can see, the list is long and you really should see your doctor to explore the possiblities.
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8. Is there a way a person that is dealing with psychosis, can get a prescription for medication without having to go through a psychological assessment? It seems the minute someone hears the word psychosis they freak out.
Psychosis is a commonly used word though not always used correctly. Literally, psychosis means a misperception of, or complete loss of contact with, reality. Additionally, it is only a symptom or sign of illness and is not a disease entity itself. So, first of all, before treatment, one wants to be sure that it is psychosis that we are dealing with and then, what is the cause of the psychosis? True psychosis has a wide variety of possible causes including: infection (TB, meningitis, syphilis, and many others), drugs (prescription and over the counter), alcohol, metabolic diseases (diabetes, thyroid disorders), sleep deprivation, dementia, exhaustion, schizophrenia and many others. Therefore it is essential that the correct diagnosis be established in order to provide the correct treatment. A proper medical assessment is the only way to arrive at the correct diagnosis. I would recommend consulting your family doctor or one of the physicians at University Health Service for further information."
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