While South Africa has some of the strictest tobacco laws on the continent, smoking rates remain high. There are 7 million smokers in South Africa and 90% of them began smoking before the age of 18, according to the Heart and Stroke Foundation of South Africa.
A campaign to boost the low number of black bone marrow donors has been launched in the lead-up to Bandana Day on Wednesday.
Breast cancer is curable if detected early. Both men and women are urged to go for regular breast examinations so that abnormalities can be dealt with sooner and quicker.
Oral sex is not as safe as many of us assume it to be. Research shows that it is one of the leading causes of oro-pharyngeal cancer, which occurs in the mouth area.
I started smoking when I was 17 years old. I will never forget that first drag- the headrush, the thrill and the smell and taste. It is now 8 years later and am still in an on/off relationship with cigarettes.
Finding out that one has HIV at an early age can be a huge challenge for many young people, especially when they didn'€™t think they were at risk of infection. Two university students share their stories.
This podcast by Planet Money reveals a cost analysis commissioned by the Czech Republic government who were concerned about their economic depression. Smoking was admitted to be less costly for governments and Philip Morris admitted that death saves money
While anti-tobacco legislation and campaigns have increased globally, there is still much that needs to be done to stop the six million people from dying due to smoking cigarettes or second-hand smoke every year.
Cardio-vascular disease kills 200 individuals in SA every day, which equates to 13 mini bus loads of people! Additionally, 5.5 million South Africans are at risk of getting a heart-attack because of their high cholesterol levels.
World Health Organisation (WHO) released the second edition of the smoke-free movies report. It underlines the fact that, in some countries, many of the youth-rated films that contain tobacco imagery are the recipients of significant government production subsidies.
More people need to find out their HIV status and come out into the open. This will help to prevent new HIV infections and to build a supportive environment, according to Positive Convention, a new social networking forum for HIV-infected people.
PITTSBURGH, September 28, 2011 '€“ VOICE, an HIV prevention trial evaluating two antiretroviral (ARV)-based approaches for preventing the sexual transmission of HIV in women '€“ daily use of one of two different ARV tablets or of a vaginal gel '€“ will be dropping one of the oral tablets from the study. Read statement here.
Breast cancer is most common in women, but growing evidence shows that men are also at risk of developing this type of cancer. About 1% of South Africans diagnosed with breast cancer are men. Johan Basson of Johannesburg is part of this small, yet significant cohort.
The story of Nozipho Mgoma, a brave single mother, and her battle against breast cancer.
OPINION: The decade'€™s most important development in HIV science has gone largely unnoticed in the South African media. By Rebecca Hodes
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