Ok so lets talk blood. Obviously this is an important step forward, however the decisions and recommendations are still seeped in deep institutional homophobia.

A

Context: The ban on gay men giving blood was brought in in 1980 in the face of the AIDS epidemic, where little was known about HIV and testing was patchy at best. This is understandable- however what should have been a temporary measure has remained in status quo for 4 decades 2/

The 'deferral period' of 3 months, brought in in 2011, allowed a straight woman to have unprotected sex with an HIV positive man and give blood the next day while gay men had to remain abstinent for 3 months regardless of the riskiness of their sex. 3/

The obvious problem was that assumptions were being made about the risk of gay men giving blood that showed an ignorance and lack of understanding on the part of policymakers which was rightly criticised and lobbied against 4/

Over the years, LGBT+ lobbying has largely used the image of beautiful white middle class gay men in a long term committed relationship to sell the idea of equality to conservative Britain - 'We're just like you!' we shout as we show people our fascia of respectability. 5/

@GloriaSlap
Craig, M. C., et al (2007). Gonadotropin hormone releasing hormone agonists alter prefrontal function during verbal encoding in young women. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 32(8-10), 1116–1127.

I will link this back to the original thread, but it is better for Clarity and to stop any gaming of Twitter and the creation of any labyrinth where details get lost to be avoided.

This 2007 paper identifies issues with GnRHa usage and Executive Function.

As memory is affected, especially the formation of NEW memories for new information, and the implications that subjects are not able to grasp and utilise new information needed for "Informed Consent", impacts upon Executive Function are evident.

Using Google Scholar as a quick and dirty source, we find that the paper and evidence is cited in at least 51 other papers since 2007.

The breadth of concerns raised is interesting.

The implications of the Contraceptive Pill on brain function and reduced executive function get raised. - A Sexed issue.

Ready?
Incoming rant, but serious 😐.

https://t.co/dPsJILZkgP

It really and truly was high-intensity, aimed, microwave radiation that caused “Havana Syndrome” (permanent brain damage) in US and Canadian diplomats while they were stationed in Cuba and China in recent years.

Don’t get caught up in the irrelevant debate about whether these aimed and fired beams of microwave energy were intended to cause physical harm to the brains of our officials (rather than a “side effect” of energy beams fired to activate hidden surveillance gear nearby)...

...
Because it *does not matter* what the official intention was. The facts are:

1. Advanced technology was aimed at official US & CA diplomats.

2. Those diplomats were legally permitted, and expected, to be in those known locations while stationed in Cuba and China.

...

...
3. The devices aimed at our diplomats in Cuba and China were then deliberately and intentionally fired high-energy microwave payloads into the bodies of US and Canadian government officials who were not violating any agreement or law by merely being at these places.

4. In fact, the conventional doctrines of diplomatic immunity extended to official government visitors of this type heavily suggest that even if “Inflicting Brain Damage via Microwave Cannon” was actually a potential criminal penalty...

Pregnancy in the pandemic: a thread (1/ a lot). The NHS has finally changed its guidance to say women should be allowed to have their partner there 'at all times': scans, in labour ward from the start and not just for 'active labour'. I gave birth 8 days ago.

I found out I was pregnant with my first child on the day the UK went into 1st lockdown. Many people asked me how my pregnancy was going over the past few months. I’d say: “it’s not an easy time to be pregnant!” Most would reply: “it’s never an easy time!” Sure... but a pandemic?

I love the NHS. My doctor mother gave all her working life to it, my brother is now set to do the same. This is not a criticism of most of its staff who - long before Covid happened - have been people I championed in many of my columns.

But the major problem over the past nine months has been access to in-person care. Before I was 38 weeks pregnant (technically full term though I didn’t deliver until 40 weeks and 6 days), I had seen a midwife in person twice. You can’t check blood pressure over the phone.

Nor can you be measured or examined, and the midwife is less able to spot signs of big problems (eg issues like domestic violence, which can start/ flare up in pregnancy). One of my phone appointments lasted about 5 minutes; another I missed because they only called 5 hours late

Endowment for the Arts - because of it
6. $300,000,000 for the Endowment for the Humanities/ because no one even knew that was a thing
7. $15,000,000 for Veterans Employment Training / for when the GI Bill isn't enough
8. $435,000,000 for mental health support

9. $30,000,000,000 for the Department of Education stabilization fund/ because that will keep people employed (all those zeros can be confusing, that’s $30 BILLION)
10. $200,000,000 to Safe Schools Emergency Response to Violence Program

11. $300,000,000 to Public Broadcasting / NPR has to be bought by the Democrats
12. $500,000,000 to Museums and Libraries / Who knows how we are going to use it

13. $720,000,000 to Social Security Admin / but get this only 200,000,000 is to help people. The rest is for admin costs
14. $25,000,000 for Cleaning supplies for the Capitol Building / I kid you not it's on page 136
15. $7,500,000 to the Smithsonian for additional salaries

16. $35,000,000 to the JFK Center for Performing Arts
17. $25,000,000 for additional salary for House of Representatives
18. $3,000,000,000 upgrade to the IT department at the VA
19. $315,000,000 for State Department Diplomatic Programs

South African doctors are tough. We are used to extreme conditions. Making do with little. Going the extra mile for our patients. We have faced surge after surge of trauma patients hit our depts every weekend, managing the wounded, bleeding, critically injured. A thread 1/

I trained in the early 2000s. When SA didn't have ARVs for patients dying with HIV/Aids. In 2003 as a med student we marched so that South Africans could have access to ARVS. Millions of South Africans died due to the slow rollout of ARVS in the early 2000s 2/

As an intern, as ARVs were just being initiated, countless patients died - too sick to be started on ART, it was too late. As an intern at Bara, I remember certifying 8 patients dead in a night. Some patients were my own age - 24. 3/

ARVs made a huge difference. Life expectancy increased. Child-headed households decreased. More patients living a normal life. The #Covid19SA pandemic has reminded me so much of that pre-ARV era - the helplessness, being overwhelmed with patients and lacking resources 4/

Although we always get nervous when being exposed to HIV, we feel reassured that there ART prophylaxis. With #COVID19 HCWs are at high risk of getting sick, and also severe illness. We have continued to face this fear all year 5/

Few People Know a Contact From Above Occurred HERE in the USA in the Early 1920's. The Couple Contacted were Both Medical Doctors (Sadlers). This Multi-Year Contact in Chicago Resulted in Documents completed in 1935. An Event (WW2) Caused the First Publication Delay Until 1955.

You what now

Are they disrupting my menstrual cycle because my body does that just fine I do not DO NOT need a startup for that

“You’ve been doing your period all wrong: an LA company smashes menstrual taboos.”

Okay first off I have kids. One does not survive toddlers if they’re squicked out by bodily fluids.

Second off what are they selling, I’ve only read the headline but they’re selling something

Wait they want me to do more chores

With two kids and unwashed dishes and a laundry mountain I’m supposed to buy new underwear that’s hand wash

This is...a product for a very specific kind of person who bleeds and that person is not me

God imagine being that ad exec “okay so we need to make women think they need this. It’ll make everything a bit harder and they’ll be doing more chores and also we need to tell them that they’re not attuned enough to their bodies. We’ll need that by the end of product Dev.”

I... WHO DOES NOT KNOW THAT THEY ARE FLOWING

Like what am I to learn from that excepting that I shouldn’t wear white pants SPECIFICALLY SO I DON’T HAVE TO SPEND AN HOUR SCRUBBING BLOOD OUT OF MY CLOTHES

NOW I HAVE TO ADD RITUALS TO AN ALREADY ANNOYING WEEK OF MY LIFE

First Ascended Master self evident of 10 temporary symptoms.

Astral leaving and return to physical body at will.

You can hand pass through own body and take out unwanted items from body and body heal like wolverine at will.

Chakra energy can split and focus at will.

Enlightenment Light appear with presence within heaven.

OK folks, I've decided to take a little time and give you some tips on achieving "Total Self Awareness" and reaching "Bliss", during meditation... The entire exercise requires the quieting of the mind.. If you're new at it, being macho and attempting to meditate..cont