7 proven ways to end muscle pain

When our muscles ache, often our first instinct is to reach for the pill bottle. But, there are alternatives for dealing with muscle soreness. Try one of the following seven non-medicinal treatments to ease pain

Open the deep freeze

Apply a cold compress for the first day or two, and wrap with bandage if there’s swelling. One of the best cold compresses: a bag of frozen vegetables, such as peas. The bag conforms to the shape of your body. Hold the cold stuff on your achy body part for no more than 20 minutes. And give your aching muscles a rest for a few days too. The pain may get worse before it gets better, but if you’re still hurting after three or four days, see a doctor.

Go with the flow

Improving lymphatic flow will help remedy muscle soreness faster by draining the recovery. Foods rich in bioflavonoids, such as green, leafy vegetables and green tea, can help, as can staying hydrated (drink 8 to 12 glasses of water a day). Increasing your flexibility with yoga and stretching exercises will also help your lymphatic system drain better.

When our muscles ache, often our first instinct is to reach for the pill bottle. But, there are alternatives for dealing with muscle soreness. Try one of the following seven non-medicinal treatments to ease pain

Use liniment

There is a wide range of pain-relief liniments available, from gentle herbal salves to “hot” capsaicin rubs. Many work great. For pain in your knee or other sore spots, rub in some liniment and wrap the area with plastic wrap. The wrap will increase the heating effect of the liniment. Make sure to test on a small area first to make sure your skin does not burn.

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When our muscles ache, often our first instinct is to reach for the pill bottle. But, there are alternatives for dealing with muscle soreness. Try one of the following seven non-medicinal treatments to ease pain

 

Soak in cider

Adding 2 cups apple cider vinegar to your bathwater is a great way to soothe away your aches and pains, or to simply to take the edge off a stressful day. Adding a few drops of peppermint oil to your bath can lend an able assist as well, by providing what has been proven to be a healing scent.

 

Apply hot beans

A hot bean or rice bag may be just the cure you need. Fill an old sock with dry rice or beans, and tie the end tightly. Microwave it on high for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Make sure it’s not too hot, then apply it to your aching muscles. It’s surprisingly soothing.

 

Try acupuncture

An acupuncturist will try to bring blood flow to the area to relieve the pain. He may do this with acupuncture, electrical stimulation, topical herbs or even acupressure. These techniques can cut the pain and soreness in half.

 

When our muscles ache, often our first instinct is to reach for the pill bottle. But, there are alternatives for dealing with muscle soreness. Try one of the following seven non-medicinal treatments to ease pain

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How I Changed My Diabetes Lifestyle: Don Mazzella's Story

Although in denial about his diabetes at first, Don Mazzella eventually adopted a healthy diet, an exercise plan, and a mindset to change the course of his life.

When Don Mazzella, 66, was first diagnosed with type 2 diabetes nearly two decades ago, he had a difficult time accepting that he had the condition.
“My mother and aunts had type 2 diabetes, so I always suspected I’d get it, too," he says. "Nonetheless, when I heard about my diagnosis, it came as a shock.”
For about a year after learning he had type 2 diabetes — a condition in which the body becomes resistant to insulin, the hormone that allows glucose to be used by the body’s cells — Mazzella sat in denial. Managing diabetes simply wasn’t in his life plan.
“But then I found a great doctor who encouraged me to face my disease,” says Mazzella, the COO and editorial director of a group of online newsletters in Palisades Park, N.J. Recalling his mother’s death, Mazzella decided to fight back with significant lifestyle changes. He went back to the exercise habits of his youth, accepting that ongoing physical fitness would be necessary. Another important lifestyle change for his new diabetes management plan was to adopt a diabetes-friendly diet.
“As of today, I work a 50-plus-hour week with no energy dips in the afternoons, I walk several miles, and my A1C has stayed below seven for the past four years,” he says. (The A1C test measures a person’s average blood sugar control for the past two to three months, and the goal for people with diabetes is an A1C level below 7 percent.)
Mazzella knows his success in managing diabetes is due in large part to his lifestyle changes. “For people with type 2 diabetes, diet and lifestyle changes are very important in managing the condition and achieving good blood sugar control,” says Jill Crandall, MD, a professor of clinical medicine at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York City and principal investigator in the National Institutes of Health-funded Diabetes Prevention Program Outcomes Study. The sooner someone with type 2 diabetes starts employing a diabetes-friendly diet and other lifestyle changes, the better.
“Managing diabetes tends to be more difficult the longer someone has it,” Dr. Crandall says. “In the beginning, managing diabetes may be relatively easy — just make a few lifestyle changes or take one little pill and your blood sugar is under control.” But as time goes on and your metabolism changes, managing diabetes can become more challenging. “The best thing you can do is to adopt a healthy diabetes diet and other diabetes lifestyle changes now,” she says.
Tips for Managing Diabetes
With Mazzella’s success in mind, here are some specific diabetes lifestyle changes that can make a difference for you, too:
Lose weight. “Many people with diabetes are significantly overweight, and body weight is a huge factor in managing diabetes,” Crandall says. “You don’t need to become skinny or even achieve an ideal body weight to make a tremendous difference in managing diabetes — in many cases, losing 5 to 10 percent of excess body weight, or 15 to 20 pounds, can improve diabetes control.
Get moving. Mazzella’s plan when it comes to exercise and managing his diabetes is to get in at least one walk a day. “I walk for at least a mile and it builds stamina,” he says. Perhaps more importantly, exercise also improves insulin sensitivity. “Whether insulin is made by the person’s own body or provided by an injection, that insulin will work better in people who exercise,” Crandall says. She recommends 30 to 45 minutes of moderate activity, equivalent to a brisk walk, on most days of the week.
Avoid sugary beverages. When Mazzella decided to put his diabetes diet into gear, he swapped regular soda for diet soda and stopped putting sugar in his coffee. “Sugary drinks are a real problem for people with diabetes because they’re a source of quickly absorbed sugar,” Crandall says. “Water or seltzer is the best choice, but for people having trouble satisfying a sweet tooth or making changes to get rid of sweet beverages, diet beverages are a reasonable option.”
Eat your vegetables. To avoid the afternoon slump that can come after a high-carbohydrate lunch, Mazzella eats a salad for lunch each day, a practice both Crandall and the American Diabetes Association (ADA) support. The ADA specifically recommends eating non-starchy vegetables such as spinach, carrots, broccoli, or green beans with meals.
Treat yourself now and then. The ADA also recommends cutting back on high-calorie desserts like cookies and full-fat ice cream as part of a healthy diabetes diet. But Mazzella says a splurge once in awhile keeps him mentally in tune with his program, and he enjoys it all the more now that he only indulges occasionally. Crandall agrees that the occasional high-carbohydrate treat is okay. “It’s the big picture in terms of diabetes lifestyle changes and eating habits that’s most important,” she says.
Be careful about portion sizes. One of the most important diabetes lifestyle changes that Mazzella has made, he says, is slowing the speed at which he eats. “I eat slowly, so it takes me a long time to finish my food,” he says. This helps his brain to recognize when he starts feeling full sooner — before he’s had too much. Crandall thinks this is a good strategy. She also recommends the “create your plate” method: Fill half of your plate with non-starchy, low-calorie vegetables, a quarter of your plate with a lean protein like chicken or fish, and the remaining quarter with a high-quality starchy foods, such as brown rice, lentils, or whole grains, to follow a healthful diabetes diet.
Create a support system. Mazzella credits the beginning of his lifestyle turnaround to the encouragement of his doctor and suggests that people with type 2 diabetes find a motivational partner to help them get and stay on track. “A companion who will keep you accountable can be key to maintaining your program,” he says.
Overall, Mazzella encourages others with type 2 diabetes to be positive. “Understand that you can have a normal life with diabetes," he says. "Follow a healthy diabetes lifestyle and you can live a long time.”

When does your mental health become a problem?

People often experience sadness in response to difficult life events, but when does this become a mental health problem?

One in four people are expected to experience a mental health problem, yet stigma and discrimination are still very common. Myths such as assuming mental illness is somehow down to a 'personal weakness' still exist.

How do we define mental health?

A person who is considered 'mentally healthy' is someone who can cope with the normal stresses of life and carry out the usual activities they need to in order to look after themselves; can realise their potential; and make a contribution to their community. However, your mental health or sense of 'wellbeing' doesn't always stay the same and can change in response to circumstances and stages of life.
Everyone will go through periods when they feel emotions such as stress and grief, but symptoms of mental illnesses last longer than normal and are often not a reaction to daily events. When these symptoms become severe enough to interfere with a person's ability to function, they may be considered to have a significant psychological or mental illness.
Someone with clinical depression, for example, will feel persistent and intense sadness, making them withdrawn and unmotivated. These symptoms usually develop over several weeks or months, although occasionally can come on much more rapidly.
Mental health problems are defined and classified to help experts refer people for the right care and treatment. The symptoms are grouped in two broad categories - neurotic and psychotic.
Neurotic conditions are extreme forms of 'normal' emotional experiences such as depression, anxiety or obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). Around one person in 10 experiences these mood disorders at any one time. Psychotic symptoms affect around one in 100 and these interfere with a person's perception of reality, impairing their thoughts and judgments. Conditions include schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.
Mental illness is common but fortunately most people recover or learn to live with the problem, especially if diagnosed early.

How common are mental illnesses in the UK?

• Anxiety will affect 10% of the population
• Bipolar disorder will affect one in 100
• One in every 150 15-year-old girls will get anorexia, and one in every 1000 15-year-old boys
• 20% of people will become depressed at some point in their lives
• OCD will affect 2%
• Personality disorder will affect one in 10, though for some it won't be severe
• Schizophrenia will affect one in 100

Source: Royal College of Psychiatrists

The exact cause of most mental illnesses is not known but a combination of physical, psychological and environmental factors are thought to play a role.

Many mental illnesses such as bipolar disorder can run in families, which suggests a genetic link. Experts believe many mental illnesses are linked to abnormalities in several genes that predispose people to problems, but don't on their own directly cause them. So a person can inherit a susceptibility to a condition but may not go on to develop it.
Psychological risk factors that make a person more vulnerable include suffering, neglect, loss of a parent, or experiencing abuse.
Difficult life events can then trigger a mental illness in a person who is susceptible. These stressors include illness, divorce, death of a loved one, losing a job, substance abuse, social expectations and a dysfunctional family life.

When is someone thought to be mentally ill?

A mental illness can not be 'tested' by checking blood or body fluids. Instead it is diagnosed, usually by an experienced psychiatrist or clinical psychologist, after studying a patient's symptoms and monitoring them over a period of time.

Continue reading the main story

How ICD-10 classifies bipolar affective disorder:

'A disorder characterized by two or more episodes in which the patient's mood and activity levels are significantly disturbed, this disturbance consisting on some occasions of an elevation of mood and increased energy and activity (hypomania or mania) and on others of a lowering of mood and decreased energy and activity (depression). '

Many different mental illnesses can have overlapping symptoms, so it can be difficult to tell the conditions apart.

To diagnose a mental health condition, psychiatrists in the UK may refer to the World Health Organisation's International Classification of Diseases (ICD) system. This lists known mental health problems and their symptoms under various sub-categories. It is updated around every 15 years.
Some experts argue that the current system relies too strongly on medical approaches for mental health problems. They say it implies the roots of emotional distress are simply in brain abnormalities and underplay the social and psychological causes of distress.
They argue that this leads to a reliance on anti-depressants and anti-psychotic drugs despite known significant side-effects and poor evidence of their effectiveness.

Vipodozi vyenye kemikali, dawa bandia zinavyowaua Watanzania

 

Baadhi nya madhara ya utumiaji wa vipodozi vyeme kemikali 

Na Florence Majani

Utafiti wa Profesa Msaidizi wa Chuo Kikuu cha Georgia, Atlanta, Marekani, Kelly Lewis wa kitengo cha Sosholojia, kuhusu wanawake wanaotumia ‘mkorogo’ Tanzania umebainisha hayo.

Wanawake zaidi ya 6milioni nchini huenda wakaugua saratani, kuzaa watoto wenye mtindo wa ubongo au kupoteza maisha kutokana na kukithiri kwa matumizi ya vipodozi vyenye kemikali hatari.

Utafiti wa Profesa Msaidizi wa Chuo Kikuu cha Georgia, Atlanta, Marekani, Kelly Lewis wa kitengo cha Sosholojia, kuhusu wanawake wanaotumia ‘mkorogo’ Tanzania umebainisha hayo.

Taarifa ya utafiti huo inaonyesha kuwa asilimia 30 ya wanawake, sawa na 6 milioni ya wanawake wote nchini ambao ni milioni 23, wanatumia vipodozi vyenye kemikali hatari, vyenye madini ya zebaki, hydroquinone na maji ya betri.

Dk Lewis akishirikiana na timu ya Watanzania 20, aliwahoji wanawake 420 katika Jiji la Dar es Salaam ambapo wengi walikiri kujichubua kwa sababu ya dhana kuwa weupe ni uzuri, pamoja na kuwaridhisha wenza wao wanaopenda wanawake weupe.

Utafiti huo wa Shahada ya Uzamivu ulifanyika kuanzia mwaka 2000 na kumalizika Mei 17, 2012.

Profesa Lewis anasema kuwa vipodozi hivyo hasa vyenye madini ya zebaki, kwa kiasi kikubwa husababisha ugumba, saratani na maradhi ya figo.
“Inatisha.

Wanawake hawatumii ‘mikorogo’ ya dukani pekee, lakini pia wanatengeneza mikorogo ya kijadi kwa kuchanganya asidi ya maji ya betri ya gari, dawa ya meno na sabuni ya unga,” anasema Dk Kelly.Akizungumza kwa njia ya Barua Pepe, Profesa Lewis anasema kuwa anatarajia kufanya kipindi kuhusu wanawake wanaotumia mikorogo Tanzania ili kutoa elimu.

‘Kutokana na maombi mengi, nimefungua Kituo cha Utalii kwa Umma na nitafanya safari mbili za kuja nchini Tanzania,” anasema.

TFDA imebainisha vipodozi vyenye sumu kuwa ni pamoja na ni Carolight, inayotajwa kuwa na sumu kali zaidi pamoja na vile vyenye madini ya zebaki au mercury, ikiwamo sabuni ya Jaribu na Mekako.

Vipodozi vingine ni vile vilivyochanganywa na viambata sumu kama Clobetasol na Betamethasone ambapo itajwa pia krimu ya Amira, Betasol na Skin Success.

Inaelezwa kuwa wanawake wanaotumia mafuta ya aina hiyo wakiwa wajawazito huwaathiri watoto walioko tumboni.

Asilimia 70 ya vipodozi hivyo hutoka nje ya nchi, ambapo imebainika kuwa hakuna sheria kali za udhibiti wa dawa na vipodozi.

Utafiti wa Profesa Msaidizi wa Chuo Kikuu cha Georgia, Atlanta, Marekani, Kelly Lewis wa kitengo cha Sosholojia, kuhusu wanawake wanaotumia ‘mkorogo’ Tanzania umebainisha hayo.

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Shirika la Afya Duniani (WHO) linaeleza kuwa asilimia 10 ya dawa duniani kote ni bandia au duni.

Taarifa zaidi zinasema kuwa zaidi ya asilimia 50 ya dawa bandia zinatengenezwa kutoka katika maabara za chini ya ardhi zilizopo China na India.

Dawa bandia ni zile ambazo mtengenezaji amebadili viambata, nembo, vifungashio au amedanganya kwa namna yeyote kwa lengo la kujipatia kipato.
Dawa duni ni zile ambazo mchanganyiko wa viambata vyake haukidhi viwango vya ubora vinavyokubalika kisayansi.

Dawa bandia zilizokamatwa na TFDA
Mkurugenzi wa Shirika la Chakula na Dawa (TFDA) Kanda ya Nyanda za Juu Kusini, Paul Sonda, anasema kuwa Agosti 2011 dawa ya Malaria aina ya Laefin, ilitengenezwa na kusambazwa katika mikoa ya Mwanza, Geita, Simiyu, Tabora, Shinyanga na Kagera.

Dawa hiyo ilighushiwa kwa teknolojia ya hali ya juu.Watengenezaji hao waliweza kunakili kila kitu kasoro herufi moja katika jina, ambapo badala ya kuandika Laefin waliandika ‘Laifin’ wDawa nyingine ya Malaria, aina ya Coartem ilitengenezwa na kusambazwa madukani na dawa halisi ilitakiwa kutumika kuanzia Machi, 2007 na kwisha muda wake Februari 2009.

“Baada ya kwisha muda wake, wajanja walibadili muda na kuandika imetengenezwa Machi 2009 na muda wake utakwisha Februari, 2012,” anasema.

Dawa hiyo ilisambazwa zaidi katika Wilaya za Kilombero na Ulanga Morogoro kuanzia Agosti na Septemba 2011.

Ibrufen
Sonda anasema kuwa dawa ya maumivu ya Ibuprofen iliuzwa kama Erythromycin (antibiotic inayotibu magonjwa ya kuambukiza)
Kwa kuwa Ibuprofen na Erythromycin zinafanana kwa rangi na kwa umbo, wajanja walitumia mfanano huo na kuziweka katika mfumo wa soko.

Dawa hizo zilipatikana katika mikoa ya Ruvuma katika Hospitali ya Litembo

Wilaya ya Mbinga
Eloquine
Sonda anaongeza kuwa pia mwezi Februari mwaka 2011, dawa ya malaria aina ya Eloquine au Kwinini Sulphate ilighushiwa na iligundulika katika maeneo ya Moshi, Kilombero na Ulanga.

Sonda anasema kuwa TFDA ilibaini kuwa vidonge vya Eloquine havikuwa na kiambata cha ‘Quinine Sulphate’ badala yake uchunguzi ulibaini kuwa ni dawa ya kuzuia kuharisha aina ya Flagyl au Metronidazole.

Dawa aina ya Pen V, ilitengenezwa na kile kinachodaiwa kuwa ni unga wa ngano.

Utafiti wa Profesa Msaidizi wa Chuo Kikuu cha Georgia, Atlanta, Marekani, Kelly Lewis wa kitengo cha Sosholojia, kuhusu wanawake wanaotumia ‘mkorogo’ Tanzania umebainisha hayo.

Pen V hutumika kutibu maradhi ya kuambukiza, vidonda. (Antibiotic) Wakaguzi walipoikagua waligundua kuwa dawa hiyo inaganda ndani ya kopo pindi unapoliinamisha.

Bidhaa zinazosadikiwa kukuza maumbile(hip lift up na hip massage cream), nazo zilipigwa marufuku ingawa bado zinauzwa kwa njia ya panya katika maduka.

Mkurugenzi huyo wa TFDA Kanda ya Nyanda za Juu Kusini anasema kuwa thamani ya dawa, chakula na vipodozi vilivyoteketezwa na mamlaka yake kwa mwaka 2010/2011 ni Sh844. 3 bilioni.

Madhara
Sonda anasema kuwa matumizi ya vipodozi vyenye viambata sumu kwa kaisi kikubwa husababisha maradhi ya figo, fangasi, saratani ya ngozi, ini na mzio.
Mfamasia katika Hospitali ya Amana, Christopher Masika anasema kuwa Serikali pamoja na wadau wengine wa afya hawana budi kuwafundisha Watanzania namna ya kubaini dawa bandia.

Anasema kwamba matumizi ya dawa bandia yana madhara mengi. “Kwa mfano Flagyl haitibu malaria bali inatibu vimelea vya maradhi ya tumbo, mtu akinywa kwa lengo la kutibu malaria atakuwa hajatibiwa na ugonjwa wake utakuwa palepale na baada ya siku chache malaria inaweza kujirudia,” anasema.

Anasema kuwa ndiyo maana siku hizi dawa za malaria zinakuwa sugu na watu wanaendelea kuugua ugonjwa huo kutokana na ujanja mbaya unaofanyika.Kuhusu vipodozi vyenye viambata sumu, Famasia Masika alisema kuwa vipodozi vyenye madini ya Zebaki au Mercury husababisha maradhi ya saratani.

“Kwa mfano hydroquinoline, hiki ni kiambata sumu ambacho kinaharibu ngozi, ni rahisi kupata maambukizi ya ngozi kwa sababu ngozi ya mtumiaji inakuwa nyepesi mno.

Mtu huyo si rahisi kupona hata akijeruhiwa,” anasema
Anasema ngozi ya binadamu ina kinga iitwayo ‘therapine’ ambayo hupukutishwa mtu anapotumia vipodozi vyenye viambata sumu.
Hivyo ni rahisi kupata saratani kwa kuwa kinga hiyo huondolewa.

“Lakini pia matundu ya kutolea uchafu yanazibwa, hivyo mwili hautoi uchafu na sumu inabaki mwilini,” anasema Mfamasia Masika
Anasema kuwa mwanamke anayetumia vipodozi hivyo, ngozi yake huwa laini mno na chochote kitakachoingia huiathiri.

Ofisa Uhusiano wa TFDA, Gaudensia Simwanza anasema kuwa mamlaka hiyo imepiga marufuku vipodozi vyote vyenye viambata sumu, ingawa bado watu wanavitumia.“Madhara yake ni makubwa, mwanamke mjamzito ni rahisi kuzaa mtoto taahira, au mimba ikatoka,” anasema Simwanza.

Daktari wa Magonjwa ya Ngozi wa Kituo cha Afya Centre, Isaack Maro, anasema wanawake wanaotumia vipodozi vyenye viambata sumu huathirika kwa kiasi kikubwa bila kujijua.Anasema madini ya zebaki yanayotumika katika vipodozi vingi hayatoki kwa urahisi mwilini.

Dk Maro anasema madini hayo hujazana mwilini kwa muda mrefu na kusababisha maradhi.

“Watu wanaotumia vipodozi hivyo figo zao huwa zimetoboka kutokana na kuharibiwa na madini ya zebaki” anasema
Pamoja na madhara hayo, wanawake wanaotumia mikorogo ni asilimia 30 Afrika Mashariki.

Jinsi ya kuigundua dawa bandia
Kwa kawaida kuibaini dawa bandia ni lazima uwe umepitia utafiti wa kimaabara. Hata hivyo, zipo njia za awali za kubaini dawa bandia.
*Hukatika kwa urahisi au kupata ufa
*Ina harufu ya ajabu, ladha au rangi
*Wakati mwingine watengenezaji wa dawa bandia hukosea tarakimu, kufunga, vifungashio
*Huuzwa kwa bei rahisi ukilinganisha na dawa halali.

Mwanamume akikosa mtoto hupata huzuni zaidi kuliko mwanamke

 

Na Kalunde Jamal 

Utafiti ulihusisha watu 108, kati yao 27 walikuwa wanaume na  81 wanawake.Ulifanyika kwa kukusanya maoni katika mtandao, midahalo na kujaza madodoso.Walioshiriki walikuwa na umri kati ya miaka 20 hadi 66.
Wenye umri usiopungua miaka 41 ndiyo walijibu maswali hayo.Waliosema wanahitaji watoto
Wanaume asilimia 59 na wanawake ni asilimia 63.
Sababu  za kutaka watoto
Asilimia 38 ya wanaume walihitaji mtoto kwa kuwa hawakuwa na mtoto kabisa, huku asilimia 27 tu ya wanawake ndiyo walikuwa hawana watoto kabisa.
Idadi ya wasio na watoto
Kati ya kila wanaume wanne  mmoja hana kabisa mtoto, ikilinganishwa na asilimia 18 ya wanawake ambao hawana watoto.
Utafiti huo umebainisha kuwa asilimia 55 tu ya wanaume ndiyo walikuwa wanataka kuongeza watoto, ukilinganisha na asilimia 59 ya wanawake ambao walikuwa wanahitaji kuongeza.Utafiti mdogo uliohusisha wanawake na wanaume 125 ambao tayari wana watoto unaonyesha kuwa pamoja na wanaume kupata madhara bado hawapendi kuwa na watoto wengi kama wanawake. Wataalamu wa Saikolojia Tanzania waunga mkono matokeo ya utafiti huo.

Tofauti na mazoea na mtazamo wa wengi kwamba mwanamke ndiye anayeumia zaidi akikosa mtoto, wataalamu wamegundua kuwa anayeumia zaidi kwa kukosa mtoto ni mwanamume.
Utafiti huo umeonyesha kuwa wanaume wanahitaji mtoto sawa sawa na wanavyohitaji wanawake, lakini wao wanaumia zaidi wanapokosa bahati ya kupata mtoto.

Wataalamu hao wamebaini kuwa sababu kubwa zinazowafanya wanaume wajisikie vibaya zaidi wanapokosa watoto ni tamaduni za toka enzi kuwa wao wanaweza kila kitu na msukumo wa familia.

Tofauti na wanawake, ambao wanahitaji mtoto kwa ajili yao binafsi kwa asili ya kuumbwa kwao, hali ambayo kitaalamu inajulikana kama ‘biological urge’.

Taarifa za utafiti huo ulioongozwa na Robin Hadley, wa Chuo Kikuu cha  Keele, ukishirikisha wanaume 27 na wanawake 81, ambao hawajapata mtoto, uliwasilishwa mbele ya Wanasaikolojia wa Taasisi ya British Sociological Association,  ya Uingereza.

Waohitaji zaidi watoto
Kwa idadi hiyo waliosema wanahitaji watoto ni wanaume asilimia 59 na wanawake ni asilimia 63.
Nusu ya wanaume walisema kukosa mtoto kunawafanya waonekane tofauti kwenye jamii, huku wanawake wakisema wanahitaji watoto ili waje kuwasaidia baadaye.

Utafiti huo ulibaini kuwa asilimia 38 ya wanaume walihitaji mtoto kwa kuwa hawakuwa na mtoto kabisa, huku asilimia 27 tu ya wanawake ndiyo walikuwa hawana watoto kabisa.

Utafiti mwingine ulionyesha kuwa wanaume wanajisikia vibaya zaidi kukosa watoto kwa sababu asilimia ya wasio na watoto ni wanaume,tofauti na wanawake ambao wakati mwingine hubahatika kupata mmoja au wawili.

Tafiti hizo zilionyesha kuwa kati ya kila wanaume wanne  mmoja hana kabisa mtoto ikilinganishwa na asilimia 18 ya wanawake ambao hawana watoto.

Utafiti mwingine ulionyesha kuwa asilimia 56 ya wanaume hawana watoto kabisa, ikilinganishwa na asilimia 43 ya wanawake ambao hawana.

Akizungumzia utafiti wake Dk Hadley, anaeleza kwamba  amegundua kuwa kati ya wazazi wawili aliye kwenye hatari ya kukosa mtoto kabisa ni mwanaume, huku akiumia zaidi anapopatwa na hali hiyo kiasi cha kuwa na hasira, kujisikia vibaya mbele za watu, kujitenga na jamii, kuwa na wivu na mambo yanayofanana na hayo.

Wanawake kupenda watoto
Anabainisha kuwa hiyo ndiyo sababu inayowafanya wanawake wapende kupata watoto kuliko wanaume ili kuwaondoa kwenye matatizo hayo, ambayo mara nyingi husababisha familia nyingi kusambaratika bila kujali zilikuwa kwenye maelewano ya kiasi gani.

Alisema kwamba utafiti huo ulifanyika kwa njia ya kukusanya maoni kwenye mtandao, midahalo, kujaza dodoso za majibu na ulihusisha watu wenye umri wa kati ya miaka 20-66 huku wengi waliojibu maswali hayo walikuwa na umri usiopungua miaka 4.

Mtaalamu wa Saikolojia kutoka Chuo Kikuu cha Dodoma Modester Kimonga, alisema kuwa kukosa watoto ni tatizo sugu na ndiyo sababu hasa inayowafanya wanawake wahangaike kutafuta tiba ili waweze kupata watoto kwa kuhofia kuharibu nyumba au ndoa zao kutokana na wanaume zao kubadilika.

Alifafanua kuwa kwa mtazamo wa kawaida mwanamke ndiye anayeonekana kuumia zaidi anapokosa mtoto, bila kujua msukumo wa kuhangaika anaoupata kwa mumewe kutokana na anavyomwona au wanavyojadili suala hilo na anavyojisikia vibaya kukosa mtoto.

“Wapo baadhi ya wanaume wanajitahidi kujionyesha hawaumii, lakini wakikaa ndani na wake zao wanawasumbua na wanawake wanaona ni kwa jinsi gani wanavyoumia na ndiyo maana kwa uhalisia wa maisha ya Kiafrika wao ndiyo walengwa mbele ya jamii na huamua kuhangaika kujitibia hospitalini na kwa mitishamba kujitwisha mzigo ambao pengine siyo wao,”alisema Dk Kimonga.

Aliongeza kuwa mwanamume hakubali kushindwa na kwamba kati ya mwanamume na mwanamke, mwenye uwezo wa kubeba aibu na aina yoyote ya manyanyaso kwa kukosa watoto ni mwanamke.

Alisema kuwa licha ya kuongoza kwa kuwanyanyasa wanawake lakini bado wanaume hawana ujasiri wa kuvumilia maisha bila kuwa na mtoto ambapo huona ni aibu na kujitenga na baadhi ya watu, tofauti na wanawake ambao hujichanganya wakiamini wanaweza kupata tiba.
Naye mtaalamu wa Saikolojia kutoka Chuo Kikuu cha Dar es Salaam(Udsm), Rebeca Sima anasema kuwa kwa tamaduni za Kiafrika mwanaume ndiyo kila kitu katika familia, hivyo ikitokea akakosa mtoto hujiona kama hafai kwenye jamii.

Mwanaume hujiona hana thamani
“Mwanaume hapendi kujiona ana upungufu, hivyo akikosa mtoto hujiona hana thamani. Hali hii huwafanya baadhi yao kuwa walevi wa kupitiliza au wahuni wa kupitiliza wakiamini wanaweza kupata mtoto huko,”anasema Sima na kuongeza:

“Hii hali ya wanaume kujiona wanaweza ipo tangu enzi na enzi na wanaweza kwenda hospitali akaambiwa yeye ndiyo ana tatizo, lakini bado akamshutumu mwanamke kuwa ndiyo tatizo, hata kama ameambiwa hana uwezo wa kupata mtoto. Baadhi yao hujikuta wakianzisha uhusiano nje, ambayo baadaye hupata mimba zisizo za familia kukwepa lawama hizo,”anasema Kimonga.

Anawaasa kina baba kuwa makini na kwenda hatua kwa hatua na wake zao ili kujua tatizo na kulikubali au kulitatua kwa namna sahihi ili kuepuka madhara ikiwamo kuletewa watoto wa nje ya ndoa inapotokea baba ndiyo mwenye tatizo.

Kuwa na tabia tofauti
Kimonga anaongeza kuwa mwanaume asiyekuwa na mtoto huwa na tabia tofauti na zisizo za kawaida na huchagua kimoja kiwe ndiyo sehemu ya maisha yake, kama vile kuwa mlevi kupitiliza, msafi kupitiliza, mcha Mungu kupitiliza, kupenda zaidi muziki.

Henry Urio (35), anasema kuwa ameoa miaka sita iliyopita hadi sasa hajapata mtoto jambo linalomfanya afikirie kuoa mke mwingine, ingawa dini hairuhusu.
“Dini hairuhusu, lakini natamani kuoa mke mwingine ili niweze kupata mtoto, nikishindwa kabisa itabidi niwe na kimada kwani siwezi kuvumilia hali hii. Vijana wenzangu wote wana watoto hasa wa umri wangu wengine hata bado hawajaoa na hwana maisha mazuri kama yangu,”analalamika Urio.
Naye Frenk Yosefu anasema kuwa pamoja na kujisikia vibaya kwa kukosa mtoto inabidi aendelee kuvumilia kwa kuwa tangu aoe miaka saba iliyopita hajawahi kukaa nyumba moja na mkewe kwa zaidi ya siku tatu anafikiri hiyo ndiyo sababu ya kutokuwa na mtoto.

Aliyeachika mara mbili anena
Sikudhani Juma anasema kuwa ameachika mara mbili kwa hiyari yake baada ya maneno kuzidi kuwa hazai, ingawa mumewe wa kwanza inawezekana ndiyo alikuwa na matatizo kwa kuwa yeye ni mke wa pili na umri wake mkubwa na hana mtoto.
Anasema kwa mume wa pili alichoka matusi ya mumewe na mama mkwe wake, hasa mumewe alipozaa na msichana wa nyumba ya nne kutoka kwao,huku wakiishi kifamilia yaani wifi zake shemeji zame na mama mkwe nyumba moja. “Kama sijapata mtoto siolewi tena jamani sitaki kukumbuka nimepata mateso mimi,manyanyaso nimelia karibu siku zote za maisha yangu na sina imani na mtoto wa mume wangu kwa kuwa hafanani na baba yake wala mama yake,”anaonyesha wasi wasi wake Sikudhani.

Alionya kuwa Sikudhani alionya kuwa si vizuri kina baba kuwalaumu kina mama ili kuficha matatizo yao kwa kuwa wengi wao hawaendi kupima na kupata uhakika wa tatizo ni la nani.
Aguster Nchimbi,anasema kuwa baada ya kuteseka kutafuta mtoto kwa muda wa miaka 17, baada ya kufunga ndoa, alipata mtoto, lakini katika kipindi hicho aliyoyapitia yalikuwa ni zaidi ya unyanyasaji ikiwemo kunusurika kutembea na mganga wa kienyeji kwa maelezo ya kupata mtoto. Pia mumewe kuhamia kwa mwanamke mwingine kwa miaka sita na kurudi baada ya kukosa mtoto na huko. Dk Hadley anasema kuwa pamoja na wanaume kupata madhara yote hayo bado hawapendi kuwa na watoto wengi kama wanawake na hilo lilibainika kwenye tafiti ndogo iliyohusisha wanawake na wanaume 125 ambao tayari wana watoto.

Katika utafiti huo asilimia 55 tu ya wanaume ndiyo walikuwa wanataka kuongeza watoto, ukilinganisha na asilimia 59 ya wanawake ambao walikuwa wanahitaji kuongeza.