PULSE
Leave the lacy lingerie to the ladies. There ways to get rid of the man boob
Get those moobs off your chest
I have candida. Is it harmful to my husband? How should we treat it?
Yes, men can get candida infections, a condition known as balanitis, which causes inflammation of the head of the penis. The fungus Candida albicans, which causes thrush, occurs naturally in our bodies.
Your partner may be more likely to develop balanitis from a yeast infection if:
● He is not circumcised;
● He is a long-time user of antibiotics;
● He has poorly controlled diabetes or is overweight;
● He has an impaired immune system; or
● He practises poor hygiene.
Many men do not succumb to candida infection despite a female partner having it.
If you and your partner both have symptoms of a yeast infection, it’s important that you both be treated.
Some of the symptoms of balanitis may include:
● Moist skin on the penis, possibly with a thick, white substance collecting in skin folds;
● Areas of shiny, white skin on the penis; and
● Redness, itching or a burning sensation.
Most yeast infections are treated with over-the-counter antifungal medications. However, it is always advisable to consult your doctor to check any underlying medical conditions.
What is vaginal steaming? What should our private parts smell like naturally?
Vaginal steaming is often described as a “facial” for the vagina and involves sitting over a bowl of steaming water, often infused with herbs.
There is no scientific evidence that it has any benefits, although it has been used in ancient medicine for centuries, from Asia to South America and Africa.
The practice has in recent years become popular in spas as a cleanser for the reproductive organs, including the uterus, cervix and vagina.
The vagina does not require “cleaning”. The vaginal canal has a specific balance of natural flora called lactobacilli; vaginal cleansing or steaming can alter this balance and may increase one’s risk of vaginal candidiasis. Practices such as douching have also been promoted in the past for vaginal cleansing and these are also discouraged.
There is no one natural smell for genitals. Each person’s body odour is influenced by hormonal changes, bacterial growth, and the presence of pubic hair. Consult your doctor if you have an odour you are concerned about. Many infections do alter the smell and type of discharge.
Dr Tlaleng Mofokeng (MBChB), sexual and reproductive health practice, Disa Clinic, safersex.co.za
E-mail your questions to lifestyle@sundaytimes.co.za with SEX TALK as the subject. Anonymity is assured.
Most men don’t have an issue with staring at a nice pair of C-cups, except, of course, when they’re in the mirror. No matter how New Age or politically correct we are, secretly most of us agree: big boobs on a woman — great. Not so much on a man!
WHY YOU GET THEM
We know most men are unlikely to refer to their anatomy as such, but says Professor Carol-Ann Benn, one of South Africa’s leading breast cancer experts, male and female breasts are essentially the same, apart from a mammary gland and a bit more fat in some cases.
Pubescent hormones make female breasts grow for the biological purpose of breast-feeding, but up to two-thirds of boys at puberty also develop mild gynaecomastia (abnormal enlargement of the breast in males).
In older males the statistic is onethird and that can be due to medication, steroid use or repetitive trauma to the breast from running, rowing and other sports — even wearing braces, says Benn.
The other non-medical factor is obesity, which is huge in this country.
PREVENTION IS BETTER
Hit the gym
According to personal trainer Wendy Belora, moobs (if they’re not gynaecomastia) can be just fat and extra skin and can be prevented by a workout that reduces fat over the entire body. She suggests the “metabolic burn” — super sets of dumbbell rows, kettle bell or dumbbell goblet squats, dumbbell push-ups and dumbbell skier swings.
Another option is to isolate and focus on that area alone. These exercises work into the pecs: pushups, plyo push-ups, crossover pushups, dumbbell bench press, barbell bench press, incline bench press, flyes and incline flyes.
Steer clear of the beer
It goes without saying that a healthy diet helps reduce overall fat, thereby decreasing the moob — so hand over the fried chicken — but there’s a far more serious consideration for men: the hops in your favourite India pale ale have a high phytoestrogen content, which has been said to cause a condition known as Brewer’s Droop.
Fast food probably won’t make you grow man boobs, but it might
There’s no evidence to link fast-food consumption directly to moobs — but it does lead to overall body fat and obesity, so try to lay off. Also, chemical additives like phthalates (plasticisers that sneak their way into the food supply via the industrial machinery used to make processed foods) also have “oestrogen-like effects” on men’s bodies.
I HAVE THEM, NOW WHAT?
Plastic surgeon Dr Ridwan Mia says gynaecomastia surgery is a popular procedure, because apart from weight loss and strength training, once you have man-boobs, they are tough to get rid of. But short of going under the knife, what else can you do?
Fat Freezing, or Coolsculpting, is being touted as a great way to target stubborn fat in this focused area. The treatment destroys the fat cells and over the coming weeks the lymph system slowly removes the dead cells.
THE CANCER CONNECTION
Can men get breast cancer? Yes.
Benn says male breast cancer is documented at about two out of 100 reported cases — but stigma makes reporting much lower than the actual occurrence.
Louise Turner, chief operations officer at the Breast Health
Foundation, says it’s something new to think about in South Africa, particularly given cultural stigmas.
But Benn says that cancer is not more prevalent in moobs. Instead there’s a proven relationship between obesity and male breast cancer, linked to oestrogen associated with obesity — and obesity often comes with moobs. Some men with obesity-related fat in the moob will present with cancer.
FEEL ME
So it turns out men should spend more time feeling themselves. Benn suggests ‘‘moob awareness”. Men should be educated to check their own breasts, or get their partners to have a feel of their chests.
Some things to look for: nipple discharge, nipple changes, painful swelling or any one-sided breast mass that is firm, fixed or ulcerated should raise suspicion. ‘‘If you’re worried,” says Benn, get a mammogram and sonar (yes, men can have them) followed by an image-guided core needle biopsy.
CUT TO THE CHASE
Treatment is generally the same as it is for female breast cancer — mastectomy, chemotherapy, radiation and sometimes nipple areola reconstruction.
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LToday is World Cancer Day