A female condom is a thin pouch or sheath that is worn by a woman during sex. It lines the vagina in its entirety and assists in preventing unwanted pregnancy and STD’s.

To use a female condom, you must first open up the package very carefully. This is to make sure you don’t rip or tear it by mistake. Make sure the condom is sufficiently lubricated and then find a comfortable position to insert it. Ensure the inner ring is located at the closed part of the sheath and then hold it with the open side hanging down. You then have to give the inner ring a squeeze with the forefinger and thumb so that it becomes elongated and narrow, after which you place the inner ring along with the sheath into the vagina’s opening. Push the inner ring gently up into the vagina so you can sense it go up. You then place an index finger into the condom and then prod the inner ring to as far as you can get it. Ensure the condom is straight and hasn’t twisted up inside the vagina and then when this is done, make sure the outer ring is outside the vagina, where it should stay.

How to Place a Female Condom

The woman has to then guide the penis into the opening of the condom to ensure that it doesn’t slip passed it and go straight into the vagina. Make sure enough lubricant has been used so that the condom remains in place, and be sure that a male condom is not used at the same time as the friction between the two will cause them to break.

Restless legs can affect movement and sleep.  A person with restless legs has an uncontrollable urge to move their legs; the condition is more common in women and it is also known to affect people more as they age.

The severity of symptoms can vary from person to person.  Symptoms can be quite mild or very debilitating although it is not life threatening. These can include an urge to move the legs, disturbed sleep or trouble getting to sleep, uncontrolled jerking of the legs or unpleasant feelings deep in the legs.

Symptoms usually occur at night when the body is at rest.  People have described feelings like prickling itching or tingling which can be relieved momentarily by movement.

The two types of restless legs syndrome are primary restless syndrome and secondary restless leg syndrome.  Primary restless legs syndrome can begin at any age but usually occurs in early adulthood.  It occurs naturally and is usually mild to begin with but symptoms can increase and become more severe in later life.

Secondary restless legs syndrome is normally a result of another condition such as kidney failure, alcoholism, pregnancy or iron deficiency anemia.  Antidepressants and antipsychotics have also been known to worsen the symptoms.

Restless Legs

Lifestyle changes can help with mild cases of restless legs syndrome but for more severe cases this can be treated with a mixture of lifestyle changes and medication. Lifestyle changes can include avoiding caffeine, tobacco and alcohol, increasing exercise early in the day, creating a regular sleeping pattern and avoiding any medication which can increase symptoms. Taking a hot bath in the evening can also help to relieve symptoms as can stretching the limbs.

Down syndrome is a genetic disorder otherwise known as trisomy and it is where an individual has inherited an additional or extra copy of a particular chromosome. In the case of Down’s syndrome, the affected individuals have three copies rather than two of chromosome 21. The consequence of this additional copy is that it changes the balance of the body resulting in characteristic intellectual and physical features.

Down Syndrome

There are three kinds of Down’s syndrome: regular trisomy 21 which is where all the cells in the body have an extra chromosome 21 and is the most common type of the condition with nearly 94% affected with Down’s having it; translocation, which is where extra chromosome 21 material attaches to another chromosome, and four percent have this type; and mosaic, which is where only some of the cells have additional chromosome 21. This usually has milder features than the other two types and only two percent of affected individuals have mosaic.

Down syndrome sufferers look different to normal people and usually have a flat type of facial profile with eyes slanting upwards. Smaller ears, protruding tongue and a flat back of the head are other features. Individuals affected tend to be shorter than normal, have poor muscle tone and have broad, short hands. Half the affected individuals have a heart defect, which can be treated in some, but not others. Some have problems with their gut, making it difficult to eat while increasing the risk of constipation and thyroid problems.

There is no cure for Down syndrome but there are treatments available for the accompanying symptoms as well as support for the learning difficulties.