Research shows that majority of men over 60 will have an enlarged prostate which may affect their urinary system and quality of life and for which treatment ranges from medicine through to minimally invasive surgery.

And men often think frequent trips to the bathroom are a natural part of ageing, when, in most cases, this is due to an enlarged prostate. In some cases, the solution is a minimally invasive procedure known as Transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP), a common procedure with patients back home after two to three days in hospital, says The Urology Hospital’s Dr Francois Duvenage.

Dr Duvenage recently teamed up with NPO, Operation Healing Hands (OHH) -- which helps those who can’t afford life-saving operations -- to offer a free TURP procedure on a 73-year-old man who had an indwelling catheter for six months and who had been unable to get immediate help from a public hospital.

“TURP, in many ways is the ultimate procedure in that we can operate without cuts by going in through the penis, removing enlarged parts of the prostate and thereby allowing patients to urinate freely again. Through his operation, we solved the problem of the 73-year-old patient effectively.”

Duvenage explained that an enlarged prostate (benign prostatic hyperplasia) places pressure on the urethra, affecting urination. He said TURP is recommended when an enlarged prostate fails to respond to medication.

Symptoms include: 

• Difficulty starting to urine or being unable to empty the bladder fully
• Having to strain to pass urine, having a weak urine flow or stopping and starting
• Sudden urges to urinate or a frequent need to urinate including at night (known as nocturia)

“Not all men with enlarged prostates require this procedure. Medication helps if diagnosed early. I recommend all men over 40 should see a urologist annually to check for a cancerous or enlarged prostate,” said Dr Duvenage.

He urged men to call The Urology Hospital, Pretoria, to set up an appointment with a urologist.

For more information, contact 012 423-4000 or SMS the word INFO and your e-mail address to 33000 (SMS charged at R1.50).

The mere fact that your gender makes you vulnerable and scared is unacceptable.

To be a woman in this country is to live in constant fear. They can’t trust their husbands, boyfriends, brothers, uncles, teachers, coaches not to hurt them.The current conversation sparked by #menaretrash is important because it raises issues that woman face every day. The violence that threatens even their existence.

Research proves that socialisation, peer pressure, media and military influences lead to violence being acceptable behaviour in men. We have to intervene in this socialisation process if we have any chance of living in a non-violent society.Fathers in Africa has developed a school Life Orientation programme that challenges this toxic masculinity at its very core.

The programme will examine how culture bombards young men with sexist and misogynistic messages. We look at ways these messages short-circuit men's ability to empathize with women, respect them as equals, and take feminism seriously. We explore some of the key messages about manhood that boys absorb from the culture -- that they should acquire material wealth, meet conflict with aggression, harden themselves, suppress all human emotion except anger, and view women primarily as sexual objects. We then examine how these messages not only devalue women but also undercut men's innate capacity for caring and empathy. Along the way, we draw fascinating parallels between sexism and racism, spelling out how each is rooted in cultural norms that discourage empathy, and shows how men who break with these norms live happier and healthier lives.

In South Africa, we spend less than a tenth on preventative violence work as we do on reactive work. Its time we reversed that. If you want to climb on board, then please contact me: 

Kevin Rutter
Fathers in Africa
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
+27 716409093

PANDORA's new interactive tool helps men choose something that their significant other truly desires, with the help of her friends.

According to a global PANDORA gifting survey, a staggering 83% of men have difficulty finding a gift for their partner. 75% of women have pretended to like a gift they have received in their past so as not to appear impolite. Jewellery ranks high among the most wanted gifts. Men, however, typically opt for flowers, chocolates or perfume when gifting their spouse.

This year, finding the perfect Valentine's Day gift will get a lot easier with the new PANDORA Gift Finder. The digital tool aimed at men allows the gift-giver to make an initial selection from a catalogue of jewellery and then consult the recipient's friends via Facebook and e-mai; to shortlist the perfect gift. The tool sends the results to the gift-giver, allowing him to make the final decision. The chosen gift can then be easily transferred to PANDORA's e-store or the nearest retailer.

In matters of heartfelt gift-giving, men and women may still have their disagreements, but neither will refuse the perfect gift that is just one click away. Visit the PANDORA Gift Finder by visiting Pandora.net.

PANDORA jewellery is available across South Africa in Gauteng at Sandton, Eastgate, Fourways, Brooklyn, Menlyn Park, Woodlands, Clearwater, Cresta, Forest Hill, East Rand Mall, Rosebank, Mall of Africa and Greenstone; in Cape Town at the V&A Waterfront, Cavendish, Somerset, George, Canal Walk and Tyger Valley: in KwaZulu-Natal at La Lucia, Pavilion, Ballito and Watercrest; in Nelspruit at Riverside Mall and in Eastern Cape in Bay West and in selected Edgars stores and fine jewellers nationwide and Mauritius, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

PANDORA designs, manufactures and markets hand-finished and contemporary jewellery made from high-quality materials at affordable prices. PANDORA jewellery is sold in more than 100 countries on six continents through approximately 8,900 points of sale, including more than 1,900 concept stores.Founded in 1982 and headquartered in Copenhagen, Denmark, PANDORA employs more than 17,800 people worldwide of whom approximately 12,000 are located in Gemopolis, Thailand, where the Company manufactures its jewellery. PANDORA is publicly listed on the NASDAQ Copenhagen stock exchange in Denmark. In 2015, PANDORA’s total revenue was DKK 16.7 billion (approximately EUR 2.2 billion).