Health

Thailand Study Finds 71% of Disabled Women Raped Remain Silent

Thailand Study Exposes Rape Claims of Disabled Women and Girls

A researcher in Thailand has made a horrific claim that approximately 71% of disabled women and girls that are raped do not have access to the justice system.

Research on “Violence against Women and Children with Disabilities” shows that most of their cases are kept quiet or settled because perpetrators are members of their families or people they trust.

In recent months, the Thai Health Promotion Foundation (ThaiHealth), Social Equality Promotion Foundation and Association for Empowering Women with Disabilities reviewed the research and provided support.

This information is based on 51 sexual abuse cases collected from 31 provinces in Thailand over the course of last year and this year, according to researcher Thipapsorn Siwathorn.

In most cases, the wrongdoers are close to the victims, such as their father, grandfather, brother, relative or community leader.

Most assaults took place in victims’ homes, places that are supposed to be safe for women and children,” she said.

Only 29% of the victims filed complaints against their offenders, and only 27% of them were sentenced by the courts, with the rest going unpunished.

71% of the rape victims in Thailand remain silent

The reasons given for not filing a rape case include not wanting to file a case (55%), reaching a settlement with the offender (30%), or feeling ashamed or being afraid to pursue the case (5%).

A few examples of sexual violence involving women with disabilities were also presented by Thipapsorn.

Among the cases is one involving a 15-year-old with an intellectual disability in a northeastern province of Thailand. After her parents separated, she was left with her father, who was always drunk and sometimes took drugs.

Until her neighbours informed her teacher that her father had raped her, no one knew she had been abused by her father. In the middle of the night, they often heard her crying in pain.

In order to find out what happened to the girl, the teacher used a doll since she could not communicate well. Rather than describing what happened verbally, she used the doll to play out what happened. As a result, the father was arrested.

There was also the case of an 18-year-old girl with a disability from the north of Thailand. When she was 15 years old, a village headman inserted his fingers into her vagina and sexually assaulted her.

As a result of her mother’s efforts, the court sentenced the headman to prison, but the sentence was suspended.

Brother and friends raped her

One of the cases involved a 46-year-old woman with a hearing impairment. Several men raped her repeatedly from an early age.

Her older brother and his friends first raped the woman when she was five, according to Ms. Thipapsorn. When she was 11 years old, she was raped by one of her friends and a teacher.

She was raped by both her colleagues and her employer when she was 22 years old. She was sent to prison when she was 24 years old for killing her employer.

Then fast forward to last year, when she was released from jail and she was 45 years old. When she joined a course on hand language, the leader of a hearing-impaired group raped her.

A lawsuit was filed against him by her. A suspended three-year jail term was imposed on him by the Criminal Court.

Another researcher, Alisa Siwathorn, found that some bizarre beliefs also contribute to sexual abuse. A mother brought her disabled daughter to a weird ceremony every week in a remote area in the Northeast.

According to her, sexual intercourse between male devotees and her disabled daughter could heal her. According to Alisa, more cases of sexual abuse occur when locals believe in strange cults.

Preventing the cycle of violence

Due to their physical limitations, the victims had difficulty seeking justice on their own.

It may be difficult for them to receive information or even communicate what happened to them to others due to their disabilities.

In order to prevent the cycle of violence, the justice system needs to be adjusted to make it accessible to people with disabilities in Thailand.

Most victims do not go to court because they lack legal knowledge, according to Saowalak Thongkuay, a member of the Asia-Pacific Development Center on Disabilities.

The majority of wrongdoers, 90% are family members, so other members of their families often oppose filing a case.

“Women and children with disabilities are human like everyone else, but most of them are treated as if their existence is unimportant,” she said.

According to attorney Arunsri Meewongtham, helping victims with communication or intellectual disabilities can be challenging because the lawyer is not sure if the victims understand legal terms or questions.

Wrongdoers in Thailand must be punished

In spite of the complicated process, it is nothing compared to the pain women with disabilities experience from sexual violence, so every party should work together to provide justice to them,” said Ms. Arunsri.

The Ministry of Social Development and Human Security in Thailand’s permanent secretary, Patcharee Arayakul, says her ministry will work with all sectors to make the justice system accessible and fair.

According to her, wrongdoers must be punished regardless of their relationship with the victim.

Legal support will be provided by the departments of Women’s Affairs and Family Development in Thailand along with raising awareness about disabled people’s rights.

As we support victims in Thailand, we must encourage them to have courage and know they will not fight alone. “We will fight with them until the end of the judicial process,” Patcharee said.

Health

Report Causes Pfizer Stock to Climb Approximately $1 Billion Acquired by Starboard

(VOR News) – According to a rumor that activist investor Pfizer Starboard Value has taken a holding in the struggling pharmaceutical business that is expected to be worth around one billion dollars, the stock of Pfizer (PFE) is on the increase in premarket trading on Monday.

This comes after the report was made public. The report was made available to the general public following this. Starboard Value was successful in moving forward with the acquisition of the position.

Starboard is said to have approached Ian Read, a former chief executive officer of Pfizer, and Frank D’Amelio, a former chief financial officer, in order to seek assistance with its goals of boosting the performance of the company, according to the Wall Street Journal. Read and D’Amelio are both former Pfizer executives.

The purpose of this is to facilitate the accomplishment of its objectives, which include enhancing the overall performance of the firm.

In their previous jobs, D’Amelio and Read were chief financial officers.

It is stated in the report that the hedge fund is of the opinion that Pfizer, which is currently being managed by Albert Bourla, who succeeded Read as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) in 2019, does not demonstrate the same level of mergers and acquisitions (M&A) discipline that Read did. Bourla took over for Read in 2019. Read was succeeded by Bourla in the year 2019.

Pfizer, a multinational pharmaceutical conglomerate, has made substantial investments in the acquisition of more companies that are involved in the research and development of cancer medicines.

These businesses have been acquired for billions of dollars. The biotechnology company Seagen, which was acquired by Pfizer in the previous year for a price of $43 billion, is included in this category. One of the businesses that can be classified as belonging to this category is Seagen.

In spite of the fact that the S&P 500 Index experienced a 21% increase in 2024.

No major trading occurred in Pfizer stock that year.

Due to the fact that the demand for Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccines fell after the firm reached its pandemic peak in 2021, the share price of the corporation has decreased by over fifty percent since that time.

This drop has occurred ever since the company’s shares reached their maximum peak, which was during the time that this decline occurred. Not only have they not changed at all, but they have also remained essentially stable. This is in contrast to the S&P 500, which has gained 21% since the beginning of this year.

Recently, the corporation was forced to take a hit when it decided to recall all of the sickle cell illness medications that it had distributed all over the world.

Fears that the prescription could lead patients to experience severe agony and possibly even death were the impetus for the decision to recall the product. In spite of the fact that Pfizer’s stock is increasing by almost three percent as a result of the news that followed the company’s decision, this is the circumstance that has come about.

SOURCE: IPN

Health

New Study Reveals Drinking Soda Pop Increases the Risk of Stroke

If you drink too much soda, fruit juice and coffee, beware!

A recent report from global research indicates that excessive consumption of coffee or soda pop is associated with an increased risk of stroke, although the intake of black and green tea is correlated with a reduced risk. Excessive consumption of soda pop or coffee warrants caution!

Recent research indicates that it may substantially elevate the risk of stroke.

Consuming four cups of coffee daily elevates the risk of stroke, according to studies, although ingesting 3-4 cups of black or green tea daily typically offers protection against stroke. Additionally, consume more coffee; it may reduce your risk of mortality.

Recent findings from global research studies co-led by the University of Galway and McMaster University, alongside an international consortium of stroke researchers, indicate that soda, encompassing both sugar-sweetened and artificially sweetened variants such as diet or zero sugar, is associated with a 22 percent heightened risk of stroke. The risk escalated significantly with the consumption of two or more of these beverages daily.

Stroke Risk Fizzy Drinks and Soda Pop

The correlation between fizzy drinks consumption and stroke risk was most pronounced in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and South America. Women exhibit the most elevated risk of stroke from bleeding (intracranial hemorrhage) associated with fruit juice beverages. Consuming over 7 cups of water daily diminishes the likelihood of stroke due to a clot.

Researchers observed that numerous items advertised as fruit juice are derived from concentrates and have added sugars and preservatives, potentially negating the advantages often associated with fresh fruit and instead elevating stroke risk.

Fruit juice beverages were associated with a 37 percent heightened risk of stroke resulting from bleeding (intracranial hemorrhage). Consuming two of these beverages daily increases the risk thrice.

Consuming over four cups of coffee daily elevates the risk of stroke by 37 percent, although lower consumption levels do not correlate with stroke risk. Conversely, tea consumption was associated with an 18-20 percent reduction in stroke risk. Additionally, consuming 3-4 cups daily of black tea, such as Breakfast and Earl Grey varieties, excluding green and herbal teas, was associated with a 29 percent reduced risk of stroke.

Consuming 3-4 cups of green tea daily was associated with a 27 percent reduction in stroke risk. Notably, the addition of milk may diminish or inhibit the advantageous effects of antioxidants present in tea. The lower risk of stroke associated with tea consumption was negated for individuals who added milk.

Disclaimer: This article is intended solely for informational reasons and should not be considered a replacement for professional medical counsel. Consistently consult your physician regarding any inquiries pertaining to a medical problem.

Starbucks Faces Sales Decline Amid Price Fatigue and Rising Competition

Starbucks Faces Sales Decline Amid Price Fatigue and Rising Competition

Health

Following a Diagnosis of Breast Cancer, What Else Should You Know?

(VOR News) – Even though breast cancer affects one in eight American women, receiving a diagnosis can make a woman feel isolated.

Experts in breast cancer from the American College of Physicians (ACS) advise patients on how to manage their disease so that they may better cope with this awful information.

First, the kind and stage of breast cancer dictates the course of your care.

In addition to immunotherapy and chemotherapy, there are various surgical options available for the treatment of breast cancer.

Women of African descent are disproportionately affected by triple-negative breast cancer, an extremely aggressive form of the disease that has never proven easy to treat.

According to the American Cancer Society, pembrolizumab (Keytruda), an immunotherapy, has been shown to be helpful when combined with chemotherapy and is currently the recommended course of treatment for certain combinations of triple-negative breast cancer.

In her presentation, Dr. Katharine Yao said, “It’s really important that the patient and physician discuss the patient’s preferences and values when deciding what type of treatment to pursue and that they have an honest, individualized discussion with their care team.”

She is currently responsible for developing breast cancer treatment recommendations for more than 575 hospitals and institutions nationwide in her role as chair of the American College of Surgeons’ National Accreditation Program for Breast Institutions (NAPBC).

Yao, vice chair of research at Endeavor Health NorthShore Hospitals in New York, pointed out that each decision made about a patient’s treatment plan should take her preferences and diagnosis into consideration.

She ought to think about whether she would prefer a mastectomy—a surgical procedure that involves removing the entire breast with or without reconstruction—or a lumpectomy, which involves a surgical procedure that spares part of the breast tissue.

She stated that “the breast cancer you have may be very different from the breast cancer you hear about in your neighbor, colleague, or friend” in a press release issued by the American Cancer Society (ACS).

“Consider that while discussing breast cancer with others.”

Throughout your journey, it is critical that you look after your emotional health because having breast cancer may have a detrimental impact on your mental health.

“Getting a cancer diagnosis does not mean that everything in your life stops to be normal.” Director of the Fellowship in the Diseases of the Breast program at the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute at the University of Arkansas and state head of the American Cancer Society Commission on Cancer for Arkansas, Dr. Daniela Ochoa She thinks adding the burden of a cancer diagnosis and treatment to all the other pressures in life may be taxing.

“Managing stress and emotional health is vital component of a treatment plan.”

Ochoa recommends clinically trained psychologists and social workers who have assisted people in coping with cancer to anyone receiving treatment. Learning coping techniques might also be facilitated by joining cancer support groups or cancer wellness initiatives.

Breast cancer specialists say your care team is crucial.

The American Cancer Society (ACS) defines comprehensive care as having support at every stage of the procedure from surgeons, oncologists, patient navigators, nurses, social workers, psychologists, and other specialists.

After receiving a breast cancer diagnosis, women should see a surgeon or medical oncologist to explore their options; nevertheless, treatment shouldn’t be discontinued after just one appointment or after surgery is over.

Additionally, you can ask trustworthy friends or family members to accompany you to appointments and aid you with research or notes. They could serve as a network of support for you.

Yao stated in his talk that “one of the most important things is that patients should search out a team they have confidence in, that they trust will have their back when they need it, and a team they feel they can get access to and that will help them when they are in need.”

SOURCE: MP