Like any marginalized group of people, the LGBTQIA community has its fair share of struggles when it comes to matters like equal rights, access to health services, job opportunities, and having a voice in issues that impact them more than others. The acronym “LGBTQIA” stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, and asexual. And there’s often a “plus” symbol added to include other gender identities, such as nonbinary or gender nonconforming. Unfortunately, the reality is that society has a long way to go when it comes to creating inclusive laws, equal opportunities, and ensuring that the health care needs of people in the LGBTQIA community are met. For a closer look at health care and the issues currently facing LGBTQIA individuals, read on.

Does the LGBTQIA community have equal access to care?

The LGBTQIA community has been coming out proud for years. And for the past few decades, the community has grown increasingly more vocal about facing discrimination and legal inequalities. While many people would like to think that recent legislation and new legal rights mean the same treatment for people both in and out of the LGBTQ community, the truth is that there’s still a long way to go when it comes to securing equal rights for this marginalized group.

Change can begin with knowing the facts. While it’s helpful to be a supportive ally, it’s even more important to understand the current issues this community faces. Too often, heterosexual cisgender people make the mistake of assuming that because they, personally, don’t have any issue with other people’s LGBTQIA identities that society and its systems don’t either. Sadly, this isn’t the truth. The reality is that people in this community have trouble accessing some of the most basic levels of health services.

For example, an LGBTQIA person could be struggling with their identity and seek the help of a licensed professional about coming out. A licensed therapist will likely have the training to help, but a general practitioner may not understand the daily stigma that queer people of color or asexual people feel in the workplace. While general practitioners might sign off on surgeries or hormone treatments or arrange for a family therapy session, their personal biases could inevitably impact treatment. While access to care could appear the same, in this case, equal access to helpful care is compromised until all qualified professionals are on board.

How are advocates working for change?

Because the general public has a long way to go when it comes to understanding inclusivity, gender norms, perceptions, and LGBTQIA people’s needs, more and more students are seeking degrees like a

bachelor of public health to help spread awareness and advocate for change. By informing the public and talking about inequality when it comes to health services, communities can work toward better legislation and even more inclusive reform.

What health care issues are specific to the community?

Health issues for the LGBTQ community extend well past coming out. For many, the ability to afford hormones or seek mental health treatment to deal with depression, or bullying isn’t accessible. This group is at higher risk of self-harm due to inequity within the care system, especially when it comes to the needs of the LGBTQ population. Thankfully, there are now resources like With Therapy that make services more accessible.

Being an ally can be key to helping individuals navigate the difficult circumstances they face every day. On top of supporting the LGBT community to advocate for equal rights, another great way to get involved is to do your own learning and listen to the community’s needs. Being welcoming to new ideas, showing interest in public health, and getting involved are all great ways to stand up for change and help improve the accessibility of health services for all.

Specializing in urology deals with treatments concerning the urinary tract and male reproductive system. Those who have a problem that affects the bladder, urethra, urinary tract, renal system, and adrenal glands may be directed to a urologist by their doctor.

When it comes to men, urologists deal with issues connected to the penis, the epididymis, the urethra, the prostate, and the testicles. There are some reasons why someone could go to the top urology hospital in Bangalore:

Urinary tract infection: Bacteria can travel from the intestines to the urethra, causing these infections. Abnormal urination is only one of many symptoms. Other signs and symptoms include discomfort, incontinence, nausea, vomiting, high temperature, and chills. It is mainly a problem for women.

Kidney stones: Mineral and acid salt deposits, which form in the kidneys but can travel through to the ureters, produce small, hard deposits. Some of them can induce pain, nausea, and vomiting in the urethra.

Kidney diseases: Inflammation in the ankles and hands, hypertension, and other symptoms are possible kidney damage outcomes. Kidney failure occurs when the kidneys are no longer able to function properly. It has the potential to be fatal.

In rare cases, a person may have to undergo a kidney transplant. Surgery to substitute a damaged kidney with a viable one from a donor is known as a kidney transplant. You can get a kidney from a living donor or a deceased donor.

Those who are a perfect match for kidney donation can offer up one of their own. The term “live transplant” refers to this particular kind of transplant. Donors of a kidney can continue to live a normal life with just the one healthy kidney they’ve donated.

A patient undergoing a kidney transplant will only receive one new kidney most of the time. Rarely they may be given the option of receiving both kidneys from a donor who has died. In a lot of cases, the damaged kidneys are left in the body.

The new kidney is surgically implanted in the patient’s lower abdomen, on the right side. End-stage renal disease, such as kidney failure, can be cured via kidney transplantation. It’s the only long-term cure for the illness.

In the case of a live donor transplant, the transplant can be scheduled at a convenient time for you. A suitable blood type and good health are required of the donor. A mental health assessment will be conducted to ensure that the donor is okay with the decision.

Before the transplant, several procedures will be carried out:

• You will be allowed to ask questions of the transplant team.
• To proceed with the procedure, you will be made to sign a consent document. If anything isn’t clear, don’t be afraid to ask for clarification.
• You would receive dialysis before the treatment if you previously received it regularly.
• Before the surgery, you’ll be told to refrain from eating or drinking for eight hours, usually starting about midnight, if you are undergoing a planned living transplant. It would be best if you began fasting as soon as you learned that a kidney is available for a cadaver organ transplant.
• Before the procedure, you may be given a sedative to help you relax.
• Your surgical team may require additional preparation based on your health condition.

There is no difference in the cost of therapy for the top urology hospital in Bangalore. The average cost of a kidney transplant is about five lakhs in Bangalore. The finest urologists in town can treat you at a reasonable price at the hospital.

There’s a lot of contention out in the world about whether or not frozen smoothies are good for you, so we thought we would offer our thoughts on this divisive subject in this blog! We’re going to compare the health value of frozen smoothies to those that have been pre-made – ready to dive in? 

What do we mean by frozen smoothies?

When it comes to Love Struck frozen smoothies, we mean drinks that have been prepackaged with fruits and veggies and are ready for you to use. As soon as we pick the fruit from the trees or the veggies out of the ground, we set about freezing them. And multiple studies have shown that frozen fruit and vegetables actually contain more nutrients than those that are fresh. All that’s left for you to do is to add the bags to some coconut water blend and apple juice, and you can enjoy many of our delicious frozen smoothies.

What about pre-made smoothies?

A pre-made smoothie is a drink that you’re likely to find on the shelf of a supermarket. And while they’re usually super tasty and good if you’re in a hurry, they typically contain a few naughty ingredients that aren’t found in frozen smoothies.

Are frozen smoothies healthy? 

We always pick our fruit and veg when it is at its peak ripeness, and this makes the smoothie even more healthful. Studies indicate that freezing freshly picked fruits and vegetables enables them to retain a similar amount of vitamin, mineral, and phytochemical content to those that are fresh. Interestingly, a specific study highlighted that the Vitamin C content in blueberries, corn, and green beans was higher in the frozen produce. For the likes of carrots, spinach, strawberries, broccoli, and peas, the vitamin levels were roughly the same in frozen and fresh produce.

Are pre-made smoothies healthy? 

Because we make such delicious frozen smoothies, you might accuse us of bias when looking at pre-made smoothies. But the truth is that we’ve done our research into these smoothies. The fundamental problem with pre-made smoothies is that there is an excessive amount of sugar (sweetened juice, bananas, honey, sugary frozen yoghurt, etc.). The fat content is also high as a direct result of the frozen yoghurt that makes its way into most pre-made smoothie recipes. And while you might consider avoiding yoghurt based smoothies altogether, doing so will cheat yourself of protein, even if it does save you some calories. Protein will help keep you full until your next meal.

What is the reason that pre-made smoothies have so much sugar?

Almost all frozen smoothies contain bananas because they’re one of the easiest additions to smoothies due to the body, nutrients, and sweetness that they add. But they’re also much higher in sugar than other fruits.

How do we avoid high sugar levels in our frozen smoothies? 

Our trick is to use a lovely variety of fruits to provide depth and taste to our smoothies. For instance, half an avocado is perfect for some extra creaminess. It also provides you with fibre, antioxidants, potassium, and B-complex vitamins. And although avocados contain lots of fat, they are rich in oleic and linoleic acids that effectively reduce LDL cholesterol and increase HDL cholesterol (the healthy kind). They’re also a super fruit when it comes to suppressing hunger, and you don’t need to worry about wasting them because they freeze really well.

Our best tip for protein smoothies 

When you’re creating your own smoothie recipe, consider adding a scoop of plain yoghurt, a sprinkle of flaxseed, or a spoonful of unsweetened nut butter if you’re hoping to pack some extra protein. You can also switch from fruit juice to coconut water as the smoothie’s base, as it’s rich in both electrolytes and potassium.

Frozen smoothies v pre-made smoothies: The verdict? 

There’s no doubt about it – frozen smoothies are winning outright! The numbers don’t lie, and the odds are stacked against pre-made smoothies.

Other studies regarding the health benefits of frozen smoothies

One study found that a particular type of blueberry had 29% more antioxidant activity following three weeks of cold storage. A separate piece of research discovered that frozen blueberries only started to lose their phenolic compounds after ninety days, while fresh blueberries started losing them after ten.

This is probably because fresh produce starts to lose some of its nutritional value when it sits out for too long after its harvest date. This is stimulated by enzymatic activity and the process of oxidation. Be it transit time between farms, distribution to supermarkets and greengrocers, and then the time the fruit spends sitting out on the shelves, it’s no surprise that it starts losing some of its nutritional value. Who doesn’t leave their fruit and veg sitting out until the last minute before tucking in, after all? The more time you leave your produce before eating it, the more the air and light cause changes in its composition.

The bottom line: frozen smoothies are healthy! 

Here’s the thing – frozen produce tastes great, is more nutritious, lasts longer, and costs less! You will find that drinking smoothies are an excellent way of increasing your consumption of fruits and vegetables, which will ensure you get your essential vitamins, fibre, minerals, and antioxidants. Therefore, continue enjoying your homemade frozen smoothies – they will help you improve your health and wellbeing!