Month: June 2018

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.