Category: Health
A recent RNZ Pacific article reported that the number of Fijians living with HIV has risen to at least 9,000—almost one percent of the population. To put this in perspective: New Zealand, with a population five times larger than Fiji’s, has around 3,500 people estimated to be HIV-positive—less than 0.1 percent of our population. Fiji’s […]
I’m finding GP waitlists frustrating — it’s usually around three weeks to get an appointment. If I switched to Tend, could I expect shorter wait times? What’s the process for moving over, and if I find a GP I like there, can they become my regular, ongoing doctor? Yes, as an enrolled patient at Tend, most people experience shorter wait times […]
Kiwi’s travelling to Sydney, beware: NSW Health has issued an urgent drug alert after six people were hospitalised with opioid overdoses after reportedly using substances they believed to be cocaine. The incidents, recorded across Sydney and Western NSW in March, have raised serious concerns about contaminated drug supplies. Of the six cases, one person required […]
A controversial online trend known as “looksmaxxing” is gaining traction across social media, with young men sharing extreme — and often dangerous — methods aimed at improving their appearance. From videos discussing leg-lengthening procedures to claims of “bone smashing” — a practice where individuals hit their facial bones in an attempt to reshape them — […]
Record levels of cocaine use in New Zealand have reignited calls for a major overhaul of the country’s drug policy, with the NZ Drug Foundation warning the current approach is no longer working. New wastewater testing data released by the NZ Police shows cocaine consumption surged to an all-time high in the final quarter of […]
A key part of the Trump administration’s approach to transgender healthcare has been dealt a setback, after a federal judge in Oregon ruled that Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr overstepped his authority in issuing guidance on gender-affirming care. The decision, handed down on Thursday (19 March), centres on a 12-page statement released by the […]
Queer women are statistically lonelier than straight people and often more than gay men — yet media narratives focus on the so-called male loneliness epidemic. Jessie Lewthwaite explores sapphic isolation and the best ways to make it better. I was out at a bar with some friends (yes, I know a lot of my stories start this […]
A new study examining the effects of testosterone therapy on transmasculine youth has found that the treatment does not lead to increased anger or irritability after a year. In some cases, researchers even observed a reduction in aggressive behaviours. The research, published this week in the Journal of Adolescent Health, addresses a common concern among […]