Health tips for staff

Eating well

Having a balanced diet is extremely important for our health. As a woman, you’ll have special nutritional needs depending on your stage of life.

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Self-care

Self-care is anything we do to take care of our mental, emotional, and physical health. Although it's a simple concept in theory, it's something we often overlook. Self-care can also improve our mood and reduce anxiety, so it’s always a good idea to take some time for yourself.

There are lots of things you can do, including:

Women’s health through the decades

As women, our health needs change over time. The decisions you make in your 20s can shape your health in the future. As you grow older, you might start noticing changes to your body. You might need to visit your GP more often for regular blood and screening tests and annual health, including hearing and eye checks. Just remember, it’s never too late to start looking after your health.

To find out more about how your health needs change over time, take a look at the health decades checklist. You might also like to check out Healthdirect’s Women’s health A–Z.

Book a medical appointment

Sexual and reproductive health

Good sexual and reproductive health is important for our general health and wellbeing. It’s central to our ability to make choices and decisions about our lives, including decisions about having children.

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A healthy mind

Our mental health can change during our lifetime. The key to staying well is finding a balance that works for you. Women are known for putting others first and can experience some mental health conditions at higher rates than men.

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Book an appointment

Because we recognise the importance of women’s health, we provide a full range of services at our campuses, including sexual health consultations, contraception advice, pregnancy planning and care, cervical screening, and Gardasil vaccinations. You can book an appointment with a doctor or nurse, or arrange a counselling consultation.

Men’s health matters. In Australia, men are more likely than women to suffer serious health problems. So we encourage you to book an appointment with one of our practitioners (male or female) to discuss your health needs and concerns, including mental health, sexual health, prostate checks and cardiovascular assessments.

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Asthma

Asthma is a condition where a person's airways become inflamed and narrow and produce extra mucus. This makes it difficult to breathe and can cause a feeling of tightness in the chest, a cough and wheezing. Asthma can be mild, but it can also interfere with daily activities; in some cases, it may lead to a medical emergency. Although there’s no cure, usually it can be controlled, and most people with asthma can stay active and have a healthy life.

Asthma symptoms can be triggered by different things in different people. Common triggers include exercise, cigarette smoke, having a cold or flu, and allergens in the air (e.g. grass pollen).

To control asthma, you need:

  • medicines – taken the right way at the right time
  • regular medical appointments, for check-ups and to learn more about living with asthma
  • an action plan, so that you know exactly what to do when symptoms occur.

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Allergies

Melbourne's hay fever season runs from 1 October to 31 December each year, and is dreaded by many. Common symptoms include itchy ears and throat, a runny nose, sneezing and watery eyes. These symptoms can affect our day-to-day lives, so it’s important to get prepared. Check the Melbourne Pollen Count and Forecast website or download the Melbourne Pollen Count app on the App Store or Google Play.

For more information about allergies and where to get help, see Better Health Channel’s allergies explained page.

What is sexual health?

Sexual health refers to our physical, emotional, mental and social wellbeing as it relates to sexuality.

Good sexual health means:

  • having a positive and respectful approach to sexuality and sexual relationships
  • being able to have pleasurable and safe sexual experiences that are free of coercion, discrimination and violence (WHO 2006)
  • when it feels right for you, having safe, consensual sex.

Sexual health is just as important as your physical and mental health. It’s not only about avoiding sexually transmitted infections (STIs), but understanding what makes us feel good about ourselves, who we’re attracted to, and the decisions we make around sexual activity.

It’s something we all need to think and talk about – regardless of our gender or sexuality.

What is sex?

Sex means different things to different people, and everyone has the right to define what sex means for them.

It includes many types of sexual activity:

  • penetrative sex: when an object, sex toy or penis is inserted into the vagina or anus
  • oral sex: sexual pleasure using the mouth, genitals or anus
  • masturbation and mutual masturbation: deriving sexual pleasure from self-stimulation, with or without sex toys. Mutual masturbation is when two or more people masturbate together.

What is consent?

Consent is an essential part of having sex with other people.

The main principles of sexual consent can be remembered using the acronym FRIES:

F

Freely given: Consent must be freely given by a person with full capacity to make the decision. Everyone should feel supported to make up their own mind about what they want to do. Consent obtained by pressure, force or manipulation is not freely given. In some circumstances, a person doesn’t have capacity to consent, for example, if they’re asleep, or under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

R

Reversible: You have the right to change your mind at any point. Even if you’ve done something before, or you’re in the middle of having sex, you can withdraw consent at any time. If someone withdraws their consent, you should stop the sexual activity immediately.

I

Informed: Everyone involved needs to know what they’re consenting to (this also includes informing a partner of any STIs).

E

Enthusiastic: Positive verbal communication and body language is essential to any sexual interaction. If someone isn’t excited, there’s no consent.

S

Specific: Everyone must enthusiastically consent to every single act that is taking place. For example, you might be okay with going to the bedroom to kiss, but that doesn’t mean you consent to having oral sex.

Sexual health checks

If you’re sexually active, you should get a sexual health check at least once a year. Even if you’ve only had sex once, you should still get a sexual health check.

It’s also important to get a health check:

  • when you change sexual partners
  • if you’ve had unprotected sex or your contraception has failed (e.g. a condom breaks).

Protection and contraception

There are many different kinds of bodies, and many different types of sex, and there’s protection for all of them.

Having safe sex involves protecting yourself (and your sexual partner) against sexually transmitted infections (STIs) (and, if applicable, unplanned pregnancy).

STIs (sometimes called STDs) are infections spread from one person to another, usually during vaginal, anal, or oral sex. They’re common, and many people who have them don’t have any symptoms. But without treatment, STIs can lead to serious health issues.

Contraception

Contraception is used during sexual intercourse to prevent pregnancy.

Condoms and dental dams are the only form of contraception that protect against STIs. They do this by preventing physical contact between genitals, the mouth, and the anus.

There are many contraceptive methods that prevent pregnancy. These methods differ according to cost, whether they contain any hormones, how often they must be used, and how they feel. It’s important to use contraceptive methods that feel right for you.

You have many options:

  • external condoms: a thin tube-shaped film worn over the penis
  • internal condoms: a soft plastic pouch inserted into the vagina
  • birth control implants: a small thin rod that is inserted into the arm and releases hormones
  • IUDs: a small device that is inserted into the uterus (some IUDs release hormones)
  • the pill and minipill: a pill that is ingested daily and contains hormones
  • outercourse: engaging in sexual activities that don’t involve penetration of the vagina or anus
  • abstinence: choosing not to engage in sexual activity, or only engaging in certain sexual activities.

This is not an exhaustive list, so to find out more, see Sexual Health Victoria’s contraception page. It’s a good idea to discuss these options with your doctor.

Terminating a pregnancy

If you become pregnant, you can terminate your pregnancy if you choose to. Abortion is a safe and legal medical procedure in Victoria and the cost varies depending on the clinic.

You can check out Sexual Health Victoria’s information on abortion. You can also reach out to a number of organisations for counselling, support or advice:

Get more information

We need sleep so that our mind and body can function properly. It’s incredibly important for many reasons, including:

  • physical restoration
  • keeping our immune systems strong, and our heart and blood vessels healthy
  • allowing us to grow and heal
  • helping us control our appetite and our weight
  • consolidating memory, which helps us learn.

Problems with sleep are very common, so it’s essential for your health and wellbeing to establish good sleep habits and address problems early. For more information, take a look at Better Health Channel's web page on developing healthy sleep habits.

If you have trouble sleeping, or you’d like to know more about how you can get a good night’s sleep, check out the following resources:

Skin checks

Melanoma is a type of skin cancer which usually occurs on parts of the body that have been overexposed to the sun. It’s the third most common cancer diagnosed in Australia, which has the world’s highest incidence rate for melanoma (along with New Zealand). Melanoma is more common in men than in women: 1 in 13 men are diagnosed with melanoma by the age of 85, compared to 1 in 21 women.

Here at Monash, we have doctors who specialise in skin-screening checks. Melanoma can occur at any age, so book an appointment for a skin check today.

To find out what you should look out for, see how to check your skin.

Sun safety

We all love the outdoors, especially in the warmer months, but too much sun can be damaging and lead to the risk of sunburn. So here are some simple things you can do to help you stay safe:

  • Use the SunSmart app – it’s a great way to monitor sun exposure, providing sun protection times, a sunscreen calculator and an alert function.
  • Stay hydrated – drink plenty of water.
  • Slip on clothing that covers as much of your skin as possible.
  • Slop on SPF 30 (or higher) broad-spectrum, water-resistant sunscreen.
  • Slap on a hat.
  • Seek shade wherever possible.
  • Slide on some sunglasses.

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