Hello, and Welcome to
Health For A Lifetime.
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I'm your host, Don Mackintosh.
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We're glad you're with us,
and doctor we're glad you're
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with us as well.
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Thank you.
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Dr. Allen Handysides is the,
well actually you're in charge
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of the Health and
Temperance Department for the
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Seventh-day Adventist church
worldwide, and your background
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is that of dealing with
children, Pediatrics and also
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with women's health
issues, that being Obstetrics
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and Gynecology.
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Is that right?
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That's correct.
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So today we're
going to talk to men.
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I can't imagine this, talking
about women's health issues!
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We want to talk about
women's health issues,
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and so what would you say some
of the most important women's
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health issues are?
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Understanding that
with two men talking here,
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we could get in trouble.
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Well, one of the issues might be
why we're talking about it when
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it ought to be two
women talking about it,
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but it is because
we love them so much.
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Yeah, at least I love my
wife, and I'm sure you do yours.
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Yes, I love my wife too.
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And, really, women's issues are
traditionally seen in terms of
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things like breast cancer,
cervical cancer, uterine cancer,
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ovarian cancer,
maybe childbirth problems.
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And I would like to put
another one in there: smoking.
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And an extra one maybe: obesity.
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I think these are
current health issues for women.
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Okay, I'm surprised that
you would put smoking up there
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on that list.
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Why would you
put it up that high?
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Because there are more women
that died this last year of lung
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cancer than died
of breast cancer.
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Now that's a statistic
that many women are unaware of,
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but it's a fact, and here in
North America the statistics are
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more women are dying of
lung cancer than breast cancer.
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Has it always been that way?
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Or is that a new phenomena?
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No, this is a new phenomena.
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We've seen the rate of
lung cancer climbing steadily,
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and reached this cross-over
point just this last year.
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And that's because of the
increasing number of women
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that are smoking.
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Now is that a reflection
of people that started smoking
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10, 15, years ago, 20
years ago, or is that, ah...
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Unfortunately.
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Okay.
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Unfortunately, it's a reflection
of what they were smoking in the
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past, but we know that more
young women today are smoking
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than have ever been smoking in
the history of women in America.
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And so we expect this
number is going to increase.
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We're going to reap a dreadful
harvest 10, 15, 20 years
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from now among the young
women that have begun smoking.
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So would it be fair to say that
the single most important thing
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you can do if you're a woman
watching today, this program,
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as we're talking, is if you're
smoking, is to stop smoking.
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I would say that for all
the things we talk about,
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and we're going to talk
about quite a few things today,
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but if you're smoking, if you're
a woman that's smoking; stop.
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And if you're a young lady
that is contemplating starting
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smoking; stop.
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Stop and think.
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What is it that
you are going to do?
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Because about 70% of young
people who smoke 2 cigarettes
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will continue to smoke.
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70% that smoke only 2
cigarettes will continue.
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...Continue to smoke.
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And that's a dreadful, dreadful
statistic because 50% of those
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will die of their
cigarette smoking.
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...Lung cancer or
something like that.
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Lung cancer, emphysema, maybe
bladder cancer, heart problems,
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a whole host of things
that are secondary to smoking.
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What about
osteoporosis in women?
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Is that a big issue?
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Yes, now osteoporosis
is another of these issues
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that we should mention.
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Osteoporosis is more
of a problem for women
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than it is for men.
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Men are protected by their
testosterone in that regard.
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I mean the testosterone
makes us more bullish.
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You know we get bullheaded,
and we get into all kinds of
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other problems
because of the testosterone,
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but it does protect our bones.
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Women, when they come to the
menopause, then their estrogen
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levels are going to drop.
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If I say estrogen, that's
because I'm English, you know.
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The Americans would
say estrogen levels.
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Okay.
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The estrogen levels
drop, and then they become
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candidates for osteoporosis.
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But osteoporosis, we shouldn't
be talking about it in terms of
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the menopause, we should
be talking about osteoporosis
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in terms of our 15 year olds.
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What can they do to prevent it?
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Because that's when they are
in that positive anabolic tissue
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building stage.
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All their bones are building.
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They're building
their bones, you see.
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They're putting
money in the bank.
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And if they will do
weight bearing exercises,
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if they will stay
fit, participate in sports,
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in activities, walking, running,
and doing things that will
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stress their bones just that
little bit, build some muscle,
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the muscles pulling them,
they'll build a denser base.
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Okay.
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So they have more to loose.
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Yeah, then they
have more to loose.
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My wife is a classic example.
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She's rather thin
boned, and I said to her,
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"I think you'd better
go and do a bone density.
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I think you're going
to have osteoporosis. "
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So she, you know, went
along and had her bone density.
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Fine bones.
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And then she said to me,
"But you didn't really think
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that I was going to be. "
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I said, "Yeah, I
thought you would be. "
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She said, "But you
forget, I'm a farmer's daughter.
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I threw 35,000
bales of hay a summer. "
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And I can throw you too!
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"And I can throw you too!"
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So, what about
green leafy vegetables?
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Would that help?
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Well, they do, because, you
know. green leafy vegetables
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are a good source of calcium.
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Um-huh.
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And, when I say a good source of
calcium, they're not the richest
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source of calcium, but they
are a good source, and their
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proportion of absorption
is actually greater than milk.
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Now milk, if you are to take it
as a source, most people would
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promote milk as a source of
calcium, and it is a good source
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of calcium, and
it is well absorbed.
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Calcium is well absorbed
in milk, but it is not as well
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absorbed as it is from
the green leafy vegetables.
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Now, of course, you'd have to
eat an enormous amount of green
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leafy vegetables to match
what you'd get in the milk.
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But one has to say, if
you're talking about milk,
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there definitely should be no
fat, or skim milk, because the
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the fat in the milk...
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Oh, excuse me.
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So calcium, plus weight bearing.
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If you just had
calcium, it wouldn't help you?
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You had to have to have
the weight bearing exercise?
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The weight
bearing exercise is so...
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But you know, everything fits
together just so beautifully.
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You know, we tend to
take everything apart,
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and we look at this
like a kid with a flower.
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We pull all of the
petals off and we want to...
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but we look at the whole
picture-everything meshes
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together so beautifully.
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It's the exercise, the muscular
strength, working with the
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bones, the nutrients, everything
works together so beautifully.
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Someone told me once that
coffee drinking can also lead
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to osteoporosis.
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Caffeine is a definite
factor in osteoporosis.
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So is smoking.
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The nicotine is another definite
factor in... and it may be
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because they are diuretics.
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It may be that you excrete more
calcium because of diuretics.
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So it depletes you
of calcium that way.
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Now one of the things we
hear a lot about, you mentioned
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already, and
that's breast cancer.
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How worried should women be
about that, and what can they
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do to avoid it?
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The first thing that I'd like to
say to women is that you should
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realize 9 out of 10 breast
lumps are innocent, benign.
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They are not cancer.
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If we could get that
message across to women.
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That's a very
important message because
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so many women are
scared of breast cancer
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that they don't follow through.
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I was in-I was down in-
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They ignore it.
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Ignore it.
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I was in Indonesia about eight
weeks ago, and a woman came up,
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and we were talking
about breast cancer.
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She came up and
she showed me her arm.
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And in her armpit she had a lump
the size of a chicken's egg.
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And she was saying, "Do
you think I should do something
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about this?
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And she had
another lump in her breast.
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She was just
absolutely petrified.
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And her fear had just made
her not do anything about it.
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So fear is a
very, very major thing.
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The other thing
is self examination.
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I think women need
to examine themselves.
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Now the Cancer Society says
examine yourself every month.
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What do you do once a
month that you remember to do?
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I don't remember to do
anything on a monthly basis.
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Change the
calendar- besides that.
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But I don't even remember to do
that until 3 or 4 days into...
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I think that I would recommend
a weekly self examination.
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And for the first month when
you're learning how to do it,
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if you haven't been doing
it, do it on a daily basis.
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And if you do it daily, you'll
go through the full cycle.
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If you're a premenstrual woman,
you'll get the full change.
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You'll understand.
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At the end of the
month you know your breast.
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And then every Sunday morning,
or every Friday evening,
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sometime when you're relaxed,
sometime when you can spend
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a little time with yourself
without the hassles of the day,
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just quietly, meticulously, and
methodically examine the breast.
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There's not much to
examining the breast that
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really is mystical.
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You just have to remember
to examine from the midline of
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the sternum, down to the
rib cage below, right across the
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axilla and up to
the clavicle here.
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You can do it in a
circular, contour thing,
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or you can do it up and down.
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Use both hands and examine every
square centimeter of the breast.
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Anything that you find
that you don't understand,
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and you're worried about,
you go and get it checked.
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But don't go in a
panic, just get it checked.
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Do some things make
people, or women, more prone to
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breast cancer than other things?
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There are; for
instance the family history.
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Breast cancer is going to
involve 1 in 9, 1 in 10 women
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in North America.
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So it's pretty prevalent.
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So the chances are that you'll
have somebody in your family,
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especially if it's a big
family, that has breast cancer,
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just on that basis alone.
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But if you have a very
strong family history of your
00:11:07.37\00:11:11.61
grandmother, or your mother and
her sisters, or aunts and two of
00:11:11.64\00:11:18.26
your sisters have
it, then you need to say,
00:11:18.29\00:11:20.66
"Hum, maybe there's
a family history here.
00:11:20.69\00:11:24.72
Now they can
identify two abnormal genes.
00:11:24.75\00:11:27.96
There are two genes
called BRCA 1 and BRCA 2.
00:11:27.99\00:11:33.55
That stands for breast
cancer 1, breast cancer 2.
00:11:33.58\00:11:37.20
If these genes are defective,
then it seems that there is an
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an inhibition of the
protective mechanisms.
00:11:41.75\00:11:44.01
And can you find out
if you have those genes?
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Yes, you can.
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Now what are you going to do?
00:11:47.19\00:11:49.02
It's like a dog
chasing a car, you know?
00:11:49.05\00:11:51.13
What's he going to do
with it when he finds that he's
00:11:51.16\00:11:53.00
got the car, you know?
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It's a big question, you see,
because what are you going to do
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if you find you're carrying
a gene for breast cancer?
00:11:58.28\00:12:01.30
You're going to get worried
if you're one type of person.
00:12:01.33\00:12:02.83
Ah, there's all kinds
of problems that come up,
00:12:02.86\00:12:05.23
but you need to think
that through, and decide in
00:12:05.26\00:12:08.87
conjunction with a good advisor,
with your personal doctor,
00:12:08.90\00:12:11.45
or personal
physician, to discuss this issue
00:12:11.48\00:12:14.66
as to what you should do.
00:12:14.69\00:12:15.74
If he and she, or she and
he, feel that this is what
00:12:15.77\00:12:20.12
you should do, then
you maybe would go through
00:12:20.15\00:12:23.69
and have that testing.
00:12:23.72\00:12:24.78
Okay.
00:12:24.81\00:12:25.78
So, in other words, you don't
necessarily have to run and get
00:12:25.79\00:12:27.42
that test, but check with
your health care provider,
00:12:27.45\00:12:30.69
and they can let you know.
00:12:30.72\00:12:32.11
What if a doctor does find a
breast lump, or if you find one,
00:12:32.14\00:12:36.04
and let your
doctor know about that?
00:12:36.07\00:12:37.82
How do they find out whether
or not it's malignant or benign?
00:12:37.85\00:12:41.01
I'll give you a
classic example in our family.
00:12:41.04\00:12:43.06
My sister-in-law came.
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Her daughter had been
married on the Saturday night.
00:12:45.08\00:12:49.11
So the daughter was married.
00:12:49.14\00:12:51.01
Sunday morning, 7
o'clock, knock on the door.
00:12:51.04\00:12:54.94
I was staying out at the farm.
00:12:54.97\00:12:56.21
And she said, "Al, will you
come and examine my breast?"
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I said, "Examine your breast?"
00:12:59.34\00:13:01.79
I mean it's 7
o'clock in the morning.
00:13:01.82\00:13:03.84
My sister-in-law's
coming wanting me to examine
00:13:03.87\00:13:05.10
her breast!
00:13:05.13\00:13:06.10
But she had found, in the shower
that morning, a small nodule,
00:13:06.11\00:13:09.68
just on the median
side of her breast.
00:13:09.71\00:13:12.87
I didn't know...
00:13:12.90\00:13:13.87
It was the size
of maybe a split pea.
00:13:13.88\00:13:15.88
I couldn't tell
whether it was malignant,
00:13:15.91\00:13:18.15
or if it wasn't malignant.
00:13:18.18\00:13:19.15
So I said to her, "You
need to have it checked out. "
00:13:19.16\00:13:20.80
What do we do?
00:13:20.83\00:13:21.80
Well, go for a mammogram.
00:13:21.81\00:13:23.23
A mammogram may show small
needle point calcifications,
00:13:23.26\00:13:28.38
or it may show slight
distortions of the tissue.
00:13:28.41\00:13:32.02
That suggests that
there's something growing there.
00:13:32.05\00:13:34.61
It may be a big
lump that somebody feels.
00:13:34.64\00:13:36.69
It may be an ultrasound of that
breast will show fluid in it
00:13:36.72\00:13:40.21
that it's cystic.
00:13:40.24\00:13:41.39
So you need to have
it methodically examined,
00:13:41.42\00:13:44.17
but the gold
standard is a biopsy.
00:13:44.20\00:13:47.40
Biopsy: take a tissue sample.
00:13:47.43\00:13:49.46
A tissue sample.
00:13:49.49\00:13:50.79
There are probably 6 or 7
different ways of obtaining a
00:13:50.82\00:13:53.33
biopsy, but depending on
what and where this lump is,
00:13:53.36\00:13:59.22
it needs to be categorized as to
whether it's malignant or not.
00:13:59.25\00:14:03.07
And time is of the essence.
00:14:03.10\00:14:04.79
This is one of those things
that when the woman feels a lump
00:14:04.82\00:14:08.32
she thinks it's an emergency.
00:14:08.35\00:14:09.68
Bang, bang, right now!
00:14:09.71\00:14:10.70
Got to get it out!
00:14:10.73\00:14:11.89
You know, it's panic buttons.
00:14:11.92\00:14:13.30
Okay.
00:14:13.33\00:14:14.30
In reality, it's probably been
present for many weeks or months
00:14:14.31\00:14:18.12
before, maybe even a
couple of years it's been there.
00:14:18.15\00:14:21.79
So a week or two is not
going to make or break it.
00:14:21.82\00:14:26.26
So they need to be reassured,
although emotionally they don't
00:14:26.29\00:14:29.65
want to see a lot of time
wasted in investigating that.
00:14:29.68\00:14:32.29
And a good physician
will see to it that they don't
00:14:32.32\00:14:34.45
wait too long.
00:14:34.48\00:14:35.45
We're talking with
Dr. Allen Handysides.
00:14:35.46\00:14:37.52
He's a specialist in
women's health issues.
00:14:37.55\00:14:39.47
We hope that you
join us when we come back.
00:14:39.50\00:14:41.83
Have you found yourself
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00:14:48.95\00:14:51.14
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00:14:51.17\00:14:52.23
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00:14:52.26\00:14:54.67
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00:14:54.70\00:14:57.44
If you've answered yes to any
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00:15:07.01\00:15:10.31
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00:15:27.32\00:15:30.37
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Welcome back.
00:15:51.35\00:15:52.72
We've been talking
with Dr. Allen Handysides,
00:15:52.75\00:15:54.95
two men today, talking
about women's health issues.
00:15:54.98\00:15:57.57
We're glad
you're with us doctor.
00:15:57.60\00:15:59.03
When we left we were talking
about breast cancer, breast self
00:15:59.06\00:16:03.02
examination, and
how to tell whether it's
00:16:03.05\00:16:05.28
a malignancy or not.
00:16:05.31\00:16:06.53
Many people, or many women,
have questions about hormone
00:16:06.56\00:16:10.02
replacement and its
role in breast cancer.
00:16:10.05\00:16:12.27
Can you help us with that?
00:16:12.30\00:16:13.74
Well, you know, this is a
very interesting question.
00:16:13.77\00:16:17.62
Hormone replacement therapy came
in primarily for the symptoms of
00:16:17.65\00:16:21.32
menopause: hot flashes,
and feelings of agitation,
00:16:21.35\00:16:26.47
nervousness,
sleeplessness, and so forth.
00:16:26.50\00:16:28.78
When they were introduced they
started treating people with
00:16:28.81\00:16:32.58
just estrogens alone.
00:16:32.61\00:16:35.37
It wasn't too long after that
that they began to find that
00:16:35.40\00:16:39.30
there was an increased instance
of endometrial cancer, cancer of
00:16:39.33\00:16:44.61
the lining of the uterus,
so then they added to the
00:16:44.64\00:16:49.08
replacement therapy, the
progestin's, so that they would
00:16:49.11\00:16:52.08
more closely mimic the
natural cycle of hormones.
00:16:52.11\00:16:56.36
Then there was a fall in
the rate of endometrial cancer.
00:16:56.39\00:17:01.37
But there has always been a
question of what is happening
00:17:01.40\00:17:03.94
to the breast with the
prolongation of these hormones.
00:17:03.97\00:17:07.80
It's not as though the
hormones are very high doses.
00:17:07.83\00:17:10.17
In fact, probably, the usual
replacement is about a sixth of
00:17:10.20\00:17:14.08
the dose that you would
find in a birth control pill.
00:17:14.11\00:17:16.42
But it is known that prolonged
usage of birth control pills,
00:17:16.45\00:17:20.64
over fifteen years, is
associated with a slight
00:17:20.67\00:17:22.79
increase in breast cancer.
00:17:22.82\00:17:23.95
So this question was raised,
and for many years it wasn't
00:17:23.98\00:17:27.22
able to be answered.
00:17:27.25\00:17:28.38
And that's a good sign, that
it wasn't able to be answered.
00:17:28.41\00:17:30.18
It means it's not a
horrific association.
00:17:30.21\00:17:32.47
But on the other hand, in the
last few years, it has become
00:17:32.50\00:17:38.77
clear that there is definitely
a slight increase in risk.
00:17:38.80\00:17:43.30
A relative risk increase.
00:17:43.33\00:17:44.94
A relative risk increase
which actually goes from about
00:17:44.97\00:17:47.42
a 1 to 1.1, which is
a 10% increase in risk.
00:17:47.45\00:17:51.89
So should they, or should they
not take hormone replacement?
00:17:51.92\00:17:55.26
Well, you know, it's very easy
to say they shouldn't take it,
00:17:55.29\00:17:59.30
but I couldn't say that, and
especially as a man, I couldn't
00:17:59.33\00:18:05.02
ay that, because we
don't go through the menopause.
00:18:05.05\00:18:08.41
There are a lot of people
who would say, don't take the
00:18:08.44\00:18:13.89
hormones at all, but I've
suspected they belong to the
00:18:13.92\00:18:17.07
50%, if they're women, who don't
have any symptoms of menopause.
00:18:17.10\00:18:22.02
Now there are substances
available which are synthetic,
00:18:22.05\00:18:25.82
"hormone like" compounds, and
they have good effects on the
00:18:25.85\00:18:30.65
blood lipids, and the heart,
and have good effects on the
00:18:30.68\00:18:33.69
bone for osteoporosis, but
they don't control the symptoms.
00:18:33.72\00:18:37.88
So, really, you could make a
good case for being on hormone
00:18:37.91\00:18:42.22
replacement therapy, but I'm
a little suspicious that all the
00:18:42.25\00:18:48.32
information is not in yet,
particularly as I'm watching
00:18:48.35\00:18:51.93
the literature, I see that some
of the reports on the benefits
00:18:51.96\00:18:56.01
to the heart are not
panning out as much as they had
00:18:56.04\00:19:00.18
said they would.
00:19:00.21\00:19:01.25
See, we used to argue that...
00:19:01.28\00:19:04.05
It would be good for the
heart to take those additives.
00:19:04.08\00:19:06.53
Yes, we used to argue that
you would get a 40% reduction in
00:19:06.56\00:19:10.01
cardiovascular problems.
00:19:10.04\00:19:11.65
Well, seeing as about 600
women per 100,000 women in the
00:19:11.68\00:19:15.59
65 to 75 age group, or 10 years
there anyhow, would die of heart
00:19:15.62\00:19:21.12
problems, a 40% reduction
was a considerable improvement,
00:19:21.15\00:19:26.73
and offset a 10% increase when
the numbers of women who were
00:19:26.76\00:19:31.52
dying of breast
cancer were only about 111.
00:19:31.55\00:19:33.52
In other words, you had
six times more heart disease,
00:19:33.55\00:19:36.23
so you should have a 40%
reduction of something that's
00:19:36.26\00:19:38.60
6 times more, is much more
important than a 10% increase
00:19:38.63\00:19:43.68
in something
that's 6 times less.
00:19:43.71\00:19:45.28
But, on the other hand, it
looks as though those benefits
00:19:45.31\00:19:48.68
to the heart may not be
coming out in some of the
00:19:48.71\00:19:51.14
long term studies.
00:19:51.17\00:19:52.21
Not as pronounced.
00:19:52.24\00:19:53.21
Now, you know, some people may
be listening that are younger
00:19:53.22\00:19:57.03
women, or are men, like you
and I, and they don't know what
00:19:57.06\00:20:00.77
menopause means, or what it's
about, or what the symptoms are.
00:20:00.80\00:20:04.45
And I'm not asking you from
personal experience to share
00:20:04.48\00:20:07.23
about what that is, but
you've seen a lot of ladies, and
00:20:07.26\00:20:09.65
what kind of
symptoms are we talking about?
00:20:09.68\00:20:11.79
Do you see these grey hairs?
00:20:11.82\00:20:13.06
That means that I've lived long
enough to know what it's like to
00:20:13.09\00:20:16.68
experience the menopause,
because my wife's gone through
00:20:16.71\00:20:19.11
the menopause.
00:20:19.15\00:20:20.12
Okay, alright!
00:20:20.13\00:20:21.20
I've experienced it secondhand.
00:20:21.23\00:20:23.03
Okay.
00:20:23.06\00:20:24.03
The menopause comes
because the ovaries cease
00:20:24.04\00:20:27.63
to produce eggs.
00:20:27.66\00:20:29.63
And then when there are no eggs
coming out, there are none of
00:20:29.66\00:20:32.74
of those cells around
that produce the estrogen
00:20:32.77\00:20:34.97
and the progesterone, so
there's a hormonal falloff.
00:20:35.00\00:20:38.62
As I said, only half of
the women have this falloff
00:20:38.65\00:20:42.32
actually are
symptomatic, but the other half
00:20:42.35\00:20:45.07
may be very symptomatic.
00:20:45.10\00:20:46.75
So it varies from a few mild
flushes, and a few headaches,
00:20:46.78\00:20:52.47
to incapacitating, and I really
mean incapacitating, anxiety,
00:20:52.50\00:20:59.19
restlessness,
sweats, and so forth.
00:20:59.22\00:21:02.33
So I never like to say to a
woman, you would, or you will
00:21:02.36\00:21:05.97
not, you should,
or you should not.
00:21:06.00\00:21:07.37
I like to explain the
background, and to look at
00:21:07.40\00:21:11.33
that individuals setting.
00:21:11.36\00:21:12.68
Of course, a lot of women say,
well I'll take natural stuff.
00:21:12.71\00:21:15.64
I'll take mine as isoflavones
or in soy products or something.
00:21:15.67\00:21:20.11
That, in a way, is a little
bit begging the question because
00:21:20.14\00:21:23.94
what you're doing is
you're just taking a different
00:21:23.97\00:21:25.37
form of estrogen.
00:21:25.40\00:21:26.75
And you really don't
know how much you took.
00:21:26.78\00:21:27.80
And you don't know
how much you're taking.
00:21:27.83\00:21:28.80
So to be a purist, and
honest, one has to say, well,
00:21:28.83\00:21:32.32
then we're not arguing whether
you will or won't, it's how much
00:21:32.35\00:21:39.33
or what kind.
00:21:39.37\00:21:40.41
You don't really
even know, right?
00:21:40.44\00:21:41.41
Does this menopause, and the
hormonal change, does it effect
00:21:41.42\00:21:45.99
the woman's sexuality,
or anything in that regard?
00:21:46.02\00:21:48.88
It appears that a very
considerable number of women
00:21:48.91\00:21:53.24
have a decreased
sex drive or libido.
00:21:53.27\00:21:56.97
Um... okay.
00:21:57.00\00:21:58.64
Not all though.
00:21:58.67\00:22:00.85
Some in the menopause actually
see an increased libido.
00:22:00.88\00:22:04.27
The sex drive
comes from testosterone.
00:22:04.30\00:22:07.88
Some testosterone is produced
by the ovaries, but there is
00:22:07.91\00:22:12.39
another amount of
testosterone that is produced
00:22:12.42\00:22:14.70
by the adrenal glands.
00:22:14.73\00:22:16.49
So the menopause may be
associated with a slightly
00:22:16.52\00:22:20.70
relative increase, or it may be
a decrease, depending on where
00:22:20.73\00:22:26.61
the prime production
of it is coming from.
00:22:26.64\00:22:29.68
You probably see a lot
of, speaking of sexuality,
00:22:29.71\00:22:36.87
you probably see a lot of
sexually transmitted diseases
00:22:36.90\00:22:39.42
in your practice.
00:22:39.45\00:22:43.61
Can you comment a
little bit about that?
00:22:43.64\00:22:45.34
Is that a big
problem today in America?
00:22:45.37\00:22:47.23
What's happening in that realm?
00:22:47.26\00:22:49.56
Yes, we're now jumping
to a younger group of women.
00:22:49.59\00:22:53.86
Right, yeh.
00:22:53.89\00:22:54.86
Sexually transmitted diseases
are a plague to America's
00:22:54.87\00:22:58.73
young women, and young men.
00:22:58.76\00:23:00.74
But to the youth, we've seen
large numbers of young people
00:23:00.77\00:23:06.65
with sexually transmitted
diseases, sometimes not the ones
00:23:06.68\00:23:10.20
that we have
traditionally talked about.
00:23:10.23\00:23:12.45
For instance, syphilis.
00:23:12.48\00:23:13.61
It seems to be somewhat less
prevalent than it used to be.
00:23:13.64\00:23:17.59
And gonorrhea is not as
prevalent as it used to be.
00:23:17.62\00:23:21.27
Chlamydia is up.
00:23:21.30\00:23:23.50
And why is that?
00:23:23.53\00:23:25.84
I don't know, maybe sensitivity
to antibiotics and so forth
00:23:25.87\00:23:29.77
might be partly to blame there.
00:23:29.80\00:23:31.74
Also young women who
have Chlamydia infections
00:23:31.77\00:23:34.99
are often asymptomatic.
00:23:35.02\00:23:36.25
The majority of
them are asymptomatic.
00:23:36.28\00:23:38.83
So they don't even know
that they've got it until maybe
00:23:38.86\00:23:41.79
a late stage, or infertility,
when they try to have children
00:23:41.82\00:23:44.73
they can't have children.
00:23:44.76\00:23:45.73
I think a measure of
sexual transmission is the human
00:23:45.74\00:23:48.90
papilloma virus.
00:23:48.93\00:23:50.25
Human papilloma virus probably
effects more than 35% of women
00:23:50.28\00:23:55.38
in the states.
00:23:55.41\00:23:56.48
Human papilloma virus?
00:23:56.51\00:23:57.48
That's the warts virus.
00:23:57.49\00:23:58.70
Oh, okay.
00:23:58.73\00:23:59.70
Now the warts virus is
what kids have on their fingers.
00:23:59.71\00:24:02.10
Right.
00:24:02.13\00:24:03.10
But when we start to see
genital human papilloma virus,
00:24:03.11\00:24:07.60
particularly on the cervix, that
is one of the ecological agents
00:24:07.63\00:24:12.41
in carcinoma of the cervix.
00:24:12.44\00:24:15.20
Cancer of the cervix.
00:24:15.23\00:24:17.36
That's what you do
your pap smears for.
00:24:17.39\00:24:19.07
I see.
00:24:19.10\00:24:20.07
To check and find the
carcinoma of the cervix.
00:24:20.08\00:24:22.85
Herpes is another thing
that's very, very common.
00:24:22.88\00:24:25.86
And, of course, these are viral
infections for which there are
00:24:25.89\00:24:30.64
no eradicative
treatment- no known cure.
00:24:30.67\00:24:35.05
So, once you get it, it
sits there for a lifetime.
00:24:35.08\00:24:38.99
So these are things that you
really want to be careful with
00:24:39.02\00:24:42.38
if you're a younger woman.
00:24:42.41\00:24:43.38
It's not something that
is just to be dismissed.
00:24:43.39\00:24:46.01
You need to be very
careful about these things.
00:24:46.04\00:24:48.52
Well, what are the
things you would tell someone?
00:24:48.55\00:24:53.10
Well, with the advent of
penicillin, the young marine
00:24:53.13\00:24:54.82
used to think what it was a
shot in the butt, and he was
00:24:54.85\00:24:57.51
on his way again.
00:24:57.54\00:24:58.60
And that was fine in the
early days for gonorrhea,
00:24:58.63\00:25:01.78
even for syphilis.
00:25:01.81\00:25:02.78
It was very easily
treated with penicillin.
00:25:02.79\00:25:07.56
But we're
finding more resistance.
00:25:07.59\00:25:10.68
We're finding more and more
of these previously less common
00:25:10.71\00:25:15.88
diseases coming to the
fore, and they become much more
00:25:15.91\00:25:20.09
important in society.
00:25:20.12\00:25:21.87
So God's plan is really the best
to prevent, because you can't
00:25:21.90\00:25:26.61
really reverse these
things once they start.
00:25:26.64\00:25:29.13
There's no doubt about it.
00:25:29.16\00:25:30.86
He had love in His heart,
to protect us from things that
00:25:30.89\00:25:38.63
that could come our way.
00:25:38.66\00:25:39.74
In your practice as a physician,
you see a lot positive things,
00:25:39.77\00:25:43.70
a lot of babies being
delivered, a lot of happy times.
00:25:43.73\00:25:46.23
But when you're
dealing with someone...
00:25:46.26\00:25:48.42
You know, I think of the woman
in the Bible in Luke 8 that had
00:25:48.45\00:25:52.71
gone to many physicians,
and spent all she had,
00:25:52.74\00:25:54.85
and had a flow of blood.
00:25:54.88\00:25:56.14
Or I think about the compassion
that Jesus had with women's
00:25:56.17\00:26:00.94
health issues, if you will.
00:26:00.97\00:26:02.08
What story especially
grips you, and impacts you?
00:26:02.11\00:26:06.04
What kind of spiritual hope
can you give to ladies today?
00:26:06.07\00:26:09.67
That's the story!
00:26:09.70\00:26:11.46
That's a wonderful story-the
one that you talked about.
00:26:11.49\00:26:13.67
The implications are
sometimes lost on us.
00:26:13.70\00:26:16.19
An issue of blood.
00:26:16.22\00:26:17.19
What could that be?
00:26:17.20\00:26:18.17
Well, if you ask a Gynecologist
he knows it's not a cancer
00:26:18.18\00:26:20.76
because she would have
died before twelve years were up
00:26:20.79\00:26:24.44
from a bleeding cancer.
00:26:24.47\00:26:25.67
So he goes through:
00:26:25.70\00:26:26.67
Could it be fibroids?
00:26:26.68\00:26:27.65
Could it be a polyp?
00:26:27.67\00:26:28.77
What was the diagnosis?
00:26:28.80\00:26:31.19
It doesn't really
matter what the diagnosis was.
00:26:31.22\00:26:33.66
This woman was a social outcast.
00:26:33.69\00:26:35.83
Because of blood impurity.
00:26:35.86\00:26:36.92
Her husband couldn't touch her.
00:26:36.95\00:26:38.13
She was unclean.
00:26:38.16\00:26:40.53
Right.
00:26:40.56\00:26:41.53
So here, if she was
young, and she would be young,
00:26:41.54\00:26:43.84
she looses the
emotional support of the family.
00:26:43.87\00:26:47.31
In desperation she pushes
through the crowd and touches
00:26:47.34\00:26:51.68
the hem of His garment.
00:26:51.71\00:26:53.86
The hem that brushes in the
dirt, in the dust, the hem that
00:26:53.89\00:26:58.84
represents the touching point
between divinity and humanity,
00:26:58.87\00:27:02.41
heaven and earth.
00:27:02.44\00:27:03.44
And when she touches Him
that power goes through her.
00:27:03.47\00:27:06.58
I love the old King
James version where it says,
00:27:06.61\00:27:09.74
and He felt virtue had
gone out from Him; goodness.
00:27:09.77\00:27:13.11
Boy, it must be amazing to
be in a position where sometimes
00:27:13.14\00:27:18.27
you get a little glimpse
of what the Master Healer
00:27:18.30\00:27:22.14
must have seen.
00:27:22.17\00:27:23.22
Well, it's nice to be associated
with our Lord in healing,
00:27:23.25\00:27:26.55
but we should never, never
think that we can be like Him.
00:27:26.58\00:27:30.15
That's right.
00:27:30.18\00:27:31.15
He is so wonderful.
00:27:31.16\00:27:32.23
We've been talking
with Dr. Allen Handysides.
00:27:32.26\00:27:35.32
His specialty is
women's health issues.
00:27:35.35\00:27:37.72
I hope that today's program has
been especially useful to you,
00:27:37.75\00:27:41.34
no matter what age you might be.
00:27:41.37\00:27:43.20
We hope that you've listened to
the practical things that have
00:27:43.23\00:27:46.97
been shared today.
00:27:47.00\00:27:47.97
And we hope that as a result
of today's program each woman
00:27:47.98\00:27:51.66
that's listening can have health
that lasts not just for now,
00:27:51.69\00:27:55.91
but for a lifetime.
00:27:55.94\00:27:57.04