Clinic News

by Dr Jenny Alexander

Having unprotected sex can put you at risk of sexually transmitted infections, or STIs.

Among those at high risk of STIs are young people, men who have sex with men, and middle-aged people who have started dating again after separation or divorce.

The more casual partners you have, the greater your risk. And if your partner has had casual, unprotected sex with other partners, or has had sex with someone who uses intravenous drugs, your risk will be increased. Having unprotected sex while travelling in some overseas countries will also increase your risk.
To decrease your risk of STIs, protect yourself by always using condoms.

The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) aims to provide reasonable and necessary support for all Australians aged 65 years and under who have permanent and significant disabilities. It has been rolling out progressively across Australia since 2016. Once the scheme has been fully deployed, it is estimated that over 460,000 Australians will be supported by the NDIS.

There are many tools and practices that can be used to help people with cope with stress, anxiety, depression and grief. Mindfulness is one of these techniques and it has been used extensively in psychological practice for many decades.

Mindfulness is about learning how to be ‘present’ in the moment, being aware of your emotions, physical sensations and thoughts in real time, without judgement. It is about recognising and accepting what you are feeling without downplaying, excusing or rationalising those feelings. It is a skill that can take some time to develop but can be very helpful in alleviating stress dealing with grief, overcoming compulsive behaviours and improving self-awareness.

Mindfulness techniques teach us how to de-clutter our mind and how to thoughtfully ‘respond’ rather than ‘react’ to stressful situations.

Glen Iris Medical Group will be closed Monday 11th June

due to the Queen’s Birthday Holiday.

Glen Iris Medical Group currently has a reasonable supply of private Flu vaccines and very few government supplies. We will be unable to order more private flu vaccine in the foreseeable future. Please call on 03 9509 7633 to make an appointment.

Influenza (or the ‘flu’) is a viral infection that is transmitted person to person via airborne ‘droplets’, tiny particles of fluid that are expelled into the air, or onto a surface when an infected person coughs or sneezes.

It affects the respiratory tract, the nose, throat and lungs. It is highly contagious and is attributed to around 3000 deaths in Australia per year. Some flu seasons, like that we experienced in 2017 are worse than other years. This can be attributed to the strains of flu virus that are most prevalent in the community and changes or ‘mutations’ in these virus strains. Viruses are constantly changing, in an attempt to subvert the immune system. Strains of virus that are more successful at this, become dominant and spread. Annual flu vaccines contain three or four of the most prevalent strains for that particular flu season and provide excellent protection against infection but they cannot provide immunity against all strains, or strains that have mutated.

In a highly anticipated announcement, the Minister for Health the Hon. Greg Hunt confirmed recently the My Health Record (MHR) opt-out three-month window will commence from 16 July to 15 October 2018. Every Australian will be offered a MHR unless they choose to opt-out during this period.

Follow this link to read more: myhealthrecordwebsitecopy

During the week April 29th to May 6th 2018, the National Heart Foundation celebrates Heart Week. This year they are promoting the benefits of physical activity on heart health.

Please call reception on 9509 7633 to book an appointment

Friday 27th April 1.30-3.00pm
Saturday 28th April 10.30-12.30pm
Tuesday 1st May 5.30-7.30pm
Wednesday 2nd May 1.30-3.00pm
Thursday 3rd May 5.30-7.30pm
Saturday 5th May 10.30-12.30pm Tuesday 8th May 5.30-7.30pm Thursday 10th May 5.30-7.30pm Friday 11th May 2.00-4.00pm Saturday 19th May 10.30-12.30pm

ARE YOU GETTING THE CORRECT VACCINE?

By Dr Jane Healy

There are two new vaccines that many parents and adults may have recently heard about.

They are Bexsero and Menactra.