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How DNA testing may wrongly nail your wife (2) By Tunde Odesola

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How DNA testing may wrongly nail your wife (2) By Tunde Odesola

 

When the blindfolded head drops on the hard floor, kpi!, like the back-kick of an angry horse, please, know that not all guillotined heads are guilty.

 

 

 

That is why the Yoruba say, “Ori yeye ni Imogun, t’aise lo po.” Imogun is the Yoruba Golgotha; the place of skulls, where many innocent heads have rolled down the pit of death, spurting hot blood.

 

 

 

If man didn’t reach for the sky at Babel, and all languages were one, I wouldn’t be saddled with the burden of translating this Yoruba proverb into English. But, it’s ok, I’ll try.

 

 

 

 

“Ori yeye ni Imogun, t’aise lo po” alerts the heedful to the limitations of human judgment and the evil that lurks in man’s heart.

 

 

 

I felt like going beyond the translation of the proverb into English. So, I went in search of the Araba of Osogbo, Chief Ifeyemi Elebuibon, to unravel for me the story behind the proverb.

“Once upon a time,” Elebuibon began, “Ogunda and his friend, Irosun, had an argument. Ogunda contended that many of those beheaded at Imogun are guiltless, but Irosun disagreed, saying, “Ika to ba se, l’Oba nge,” meaning: “It’s only the offending finger that the king cuts.

“So, one night, Ogunda killed an antelope in the forest. He sneaked into Irosun’s house and smeared his sleeping friend’s hands with the blood of the kill even as he sprinkled the blood on the ground, all the way to the king’s pen.

“Very early the following morning, Irosun was still sleeping when the king’s guards broke down his door and arrested him for killing the king’s antelope. Irosun pleaded his innocence, but he was dragged away, all the same, his toes barely touching the ground.

“The guillotine was the final journey for anyone that stole from the royal farm. Irosun’s fate was sealed. He must honour a date with death.

“On the Day of Death, many people trooped out to Imogun, to watch how the thief’s head would tumble down the headful dumpsite, squirting blood.

“The masked hangman with bulging biceps and a razor-sharp sword curved at the tip like Go-to-hell advanced slowly towards the shackled Irosun. He stood at arm’s length and raised up his shiny sword to heaven for the swift strike that would cut off the neck bone, separating the head from the body.

“He brought down his sword impatiently as Ogunda stepped out, and told the truth. Irosun was shaken back to life, sweat and urine had soaked his clothes. Ogunda asked his friend if it was only the guilty that got punished. A shivering Irosun answered, ‘Ori yeye ni Imogun, t’aise lo po’.”

Globally, many women and men have been wrongly accused of not being the mothers and fathers to their biological children because they are chimeras.

Who should she forgive – DNA testing machine or her unbelieving husband – the woman wrongly accused of infidelity because the genotype of her child doesn’t match that of the biological father? Can she even ever forgive?

Who should he blame, DNA testing machine or his fate, the man wrongly denied the joy of fatherhood because he is a chimera?

What is chimerism?
According to the European Journal of Medical Genetics, scientificamerican.com, and healthline.com, a chimera is generally an animal or human that contains the cells of two or more individuals – that is, their bodies contain two different sets of DNA, with the code to make two separate organisms.

Natural chimerism
Scientificamerican.com says, “One way that chimeras can happen naturally in humans is that a foetus can absorb its twin. This can occur with fraternal twins, if one embryo dies very early in pregnancy, and some of its cells are “absorbed” by the other twin. The remaining foetus will have two sets of cells, its own original set, plus the one from its twin.”

Healthline.com says microchimerism, which is another form of natural chimerism, most commonly occurs in humans when a pregnant woman absorbs a few cells from her foetus, adding that the opposite may also happen, where a foetus absorbs a few cells from its mother. “These cells may travel into the mother’s or foetus’s bloodstream and migrate to different organs,” it says.

Tetragametic chimerism
This is also a form of natural chimerism. It happens when two different sperm cells fertilise two different egg cells. Then, these cells all fuse together into one human embryo with crossed cell lines.

Artificial chimerism
“Artificial chimerism,” according to healthline.com, “occurs when a person receives a blood transfusion, stem cell transplant, or bone marrow transplant from another person and absorbs some of that person’s cells. This is called artificial chimerism.

“Artificial chimerism was more common in the past. Today, transfused blood is usually treated with radiation. This helps the transfusion or transplant recipient to better absorb the new cells without permanently incorporating them into their body.”

Cases of chimerism
In its September 2020 publication, the European Journal of Medical Genetics says human chimeras have been described for nearly 70 years by experts but the phenomenon gained public attention in the last 20 years with three high-profile media reports of coincidental findings during parentage testing.

The issue of the American woman, Karen Keegan, mentioned in the first part of this article, was a high-profile case of chimerism reported in 2002, in Boston, when genetic tests were conducted on her as she prepared to receive a kidney from any of her family members. After the tests, it was ‘discovered’ that two of Keegan’s three sons were not hers.

Another high-profile case of chimerism was that of another American, Lydia Fairchild, who had to be videoed at childbirth when genetic tests showed that she wasn’t the mother of her two sons when she applied for assistance for them from the State of Washington. She was subsequently charged with fraud. Even her third childbirth showed she wasn’t the mother of the child. After an extensive medical investigation, however, the genetic composition of her children matched a second DNA lineage found in the narrow tube that connects her vagina to her uterus.

The third reported case of chimerism was that of an unnamed 34-year-old man in California who, in 2015, failed a paternity test after the child was found to have AB blood group while both parents were A. According to an article, How a Man’s Unborn Twin Fathered His Child, published in Times magazine, the sperm that fertilised the wife’s egg belonged to the man’s unborn twin.

A June 2021 article published by The Embryo Project Encyclopedia paraphrased Policy Professor at Tufts University in Medford, Massachusetts, Sheldon Krimsky, and genetics expert, Tania Simoncelli, warning in their 2012 book, Genetic Justice: DNA Databanks, Criminal Investigations, and Civil Liberties, that human chimerism could potentially upend the US court system’s reliance on DNA evidence, citing Fairchild and Keegan as case studies.

But, in a response, legal professor David H. Kaye, in an article, Chimeric Criminals, published in the Minnesota Journal of Law, Science and Technology in 2013, debunks the assertion by Krimsky and Simoncelli.

Kaye, however, ‘acknowledges human chimerism should be a consideration in DNA testing, given its unknown frequency, but rejects the statement that it is a significant obstacle to its use in forensic investigation’.

Kaye also agrees that any human could display some traits of chimerism because there are numerous ways one could be considered a chimera.

Appearance and Reality are, oftentimes, at variance. When serious nations of the world are honestly fighting corruption, the Nigerian government has done everything to shield its son, DCP Abba Kyari, from facing criminal prosecution in the US for fraud.

I watched the video of Kano Governor, Abdullahi Ganduje, dancing with a spurting hose as he washed a vehicle at a car wash inauguration. I think Nigerians shall soon see the launching of the babaringa with the biggest pocket in Kano.

Concluded

NB: I thank Kemi Samuel, secondary schoolmate and London-based registered nurse, for sharing her knowledge on chimerism with me. God bless Kemo!

Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @tunde_odesola
Facebook: @tunde odesola
TundeOdesola.com

Health/Beauty

Doctor Warns On The Danger Of Excessive Masturbation

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Doctor Warns On The Danger Of Excessive Masturbation

 

 

A British doctor has warned that excessive masturbation is behind the rise of male health problems.

In moderation, self-pleasure helps to reduce stress, and improve sleep quality and mood, but it can become ‘an unhealthy habit’ and trigger a form of erectile dysfunction, says Dr Donald Grant, GP and senior clinical advisor at The Independent Pharmacy.

Doctor Warns On The Danger Of Excessive Masturbation

‘Overall, there’s no strict rule or guideline on how much people should masturbate.’

‘But when masturbation gets out of hand, there’s a variety of ways it can impact sexual and physical health.’

A key concern is the rise of porn use: half of adults in the UK now access graphic material online, according to a recent survey by media watchdog Ofcom, and Dr Grant links this to the rise in porn-induced erectile dysfunction, or PIED.

 

Up to 50 percent of adult men suffer from some degree of erectile dysfunction, according to the British Association of Urological Surgeons. It is often associated with obesity, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes but can also have no obvious cause. One lesser-known culprit could be PIED, claims Dr Grant.

‘PIED is a type of erectile dysfunction that stems from an unhealthy consumption of pornography.

‘This unhealthy porn usage can lead to desensitisation, making it more difficult for men to achieve and maintain an erection — as they’re used to more intense sexual activity seen on screen.

‘It can lead to reduced interest in sex with actual partners as men prioritise porn and masturbation instead.’

More worryingly, Dr Grant warns that compulsive masturbation could trigger physical changes that affect intimacy.

‘Compulsive masturbation can lead to reduced sensitivity in the genital area, making it more difficult to achieve sexual pleasure or stimulation.

‘It can occur when nerve endings become damaged from too much activity, creating a loss of sensitivity.

‘This can also impact individuals who masturbate too roughly, causing potential friction damage.

 

‘Thankfully, this is a short-term issue and factors such as taking breaks or utilising lubricants can help restore sensitivity.

‘And thankfully, there are a range of treatments available to men who are struggling with ED, helping them manage a healthy sex life and achieve erections with ease.’

Dr Grant added that ‘over-masturbating’ can be damaging in other ways.

It can cause men and women to become ‘hyper-focused on their own pleasure, meaning when the time comes for sexual intercourse with a partner, individuals could experience performance anxiety, which directly impacts sex drive.’

The question of how much is too much is subjective, he admitted.
‘Masturbation habits can differ largely from person to person with some people doing it daily, weekly or not at all.

‘It’s important to monitor the sexual activity to ensure it doesn’t interfere with social lives, work or relationships.

‘Additionally, discomfort or injury is usually a telltale sign that the masturbation sessions are becoming too much and harming health.

‘It’s important to maintain a healthy but sensible sex life through masturbation, ensuring it’s not at the expense of daily activities.

‘Some people can even experience mental distress due to guilt or shame relating to their masturbation — this can stem from porn usage or other factors, but can have a big effect on people’s mental well-being.

‘Overall, common sense is required to ensure it remains a recreational activity without interfering with other aspects of daily life.’

 

 

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Nigerian women embrace sex toys As Replacements 

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Nigerian women embrace sex toys As Replacements 

Nigerian women embrace sex toys As Replacements

 

Despite Nigeria’s deeply conservative and religious fabric, where sex is often a hushed topic, the sex toy industry is booming — and dildos are flying off the shelves, reflecting a surprising surge in this unconventional market as more citizens boldly embrace erotic pleasures amid economic hardships, Victor Ayeni reports

Most days of the week, Niniola (surname withheld) is as busy as a bee, catering to the diverse clientele who frequent her adult entertainment store.

Her well-lit store features a spa parlour alongside a wide array of intimate products and sex toys, including lingerie, sexual enhancers, lubricants, vibrators, dildos, and BDSM kits.

The microbiology graduate from a state university in the South-West, ventured into the sex toy business in 2020, a year after completing her National Youth Service Corps.

The 28-year-old believes her store’s location on an estate in the Ogudu axis has been a core selling point for her pleasure-enhancing business as most of her clients preferred a high degree of anonymity.

Niniola admitted that she sells more of her products via social media platforms and messaging apps to meet the demand for professional discretion.

“My customers don’t have to come down here physically, this business has evolved beyond that,” she told Saturday PUNCH.

 

 

 

“They can contact us, tell us which of their products they want, we give them a catalogue to make their choices and they pay for the services including delivery and we get it across to them.

“From time to time, I get nice feedback. Some of those who patronise us are married, some are single, some divorced, some have spouses outside the country, some of our clients are women and some are men. Their maximum pleasure is our goal,” she said, smiling brightly.

On her X and Instagram accounts, Niniola regularly showcases a variety of sex toys available in her store.

She also includes her WhatsApp number, encouraging potential clients to reach out to her through private messages.

In a recent post, she announced the arrival of new dildos, assuring women that they would provide “long-lasting pleasure.”

When our correspondent inquired from her about the patronage of dildos and whether the economic situation has affected its demand, she giggled.

“I started this business in the middle of COVID-19 and I can tell you that we made a lot of sales during that period. You know, the lockdown and social distancing affected many relationships. Many lovers were stranded and people sought sexual fulfilment from our adult novelty products.

“Even now, I can’t say the economy has affected our business because we still make good sales. We even receive orders from outside Lagos. No matter the economic situation, people will always have enough to attain sexual satisfaction because it’s important,” Niniola added.

‘I’m helping my husband’s weakness’

When Mrs Bunmi Awoyemi (not real name) was first introduced to sex toys a few years ago, she felt a tinge of shame, reflecting the influence of her strict religious upbringing.

The mother of two explained that she arranged for the delivery to a location slightly away from her home, ensuring that no one in the neighbourhood would recognise her or guess the contents of the package she was picking up.

“My husband was the kind of man who downloaded even before the play began. Within a minute or two, it was over. He is a lovely man and a good husband but that’s just our only problem.

“I wasn’t satisfied and rather than cheat on my husband, I decided it was time to try out sex toys. I ordered a vibrator and a dildo and so far, I can say they have made up for my husband’s weakness,” Awoyemi told Saturday PUNCH.

Like Mrs Awoyemi, Saturday PUNCH gathered that many married women and ladies in relationships use sex toys such as dildos to satisfy themselves.

 

 

Single ladies who have been jilted by men or have not yet found a man to warm their beds also use artificial penises to pleasure themselves.

“It’s safer to use dildos than to sleep around and get infected with venereal diseases. I would rather pleasure myself with dildos than allow men to lie to me, cheat on me, and break my heart like they like to do,” a hairstylist who gave her name as Cynthia, told Saturday PUNCH.

Dildo varieties

Dildos are adult sex aids that are often used to attain sexual climax for women and also for men.

“While they are sometimes meant to feel like a penis, they don’t have to look like one. They come in different materials, shapes, and sizes. Some dildos are curved to stimulate the prostate or G-spot,” according to WebMD.

Findings by Saturday PUNCH revealed that there are different kinds of dildos based on their structure or designs.

Some dildos are made to look like a penis with testicles while some are made to be strapped on with a harness.

 

 

Some dildos are made with a suction base to adhere to a surface, others vibrate to stimulate the user while some, known as double-sided dildos, are designed for two partners to use at once.

The materials with which these dildos are made also vary. There are glass, silicon, rubber, plastic and wooden dildos, some of which are also sold by traditional herb vendors.

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Health/Beauty

160,000 kids living with HIV in Nigeria

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160,000 kids living with HIV in Nigeria

160,000 kids living with HIV in Nigeria

 

 

The Christian Council of Nigeria, CCN, has raised the alarm over the high rate of children living with the Human Immunodeficiency Virus, HIV, in Nigeria, saying of an estimated 160,000 children living with HIV in Nigeria, only 45,000 are receiving treatment.

 

CCN urged the government and other stakeholders to intensify efforts to combat the spread of HIV/AIDS among children in the country.

The council made the call weekend at the close-out ceremony of the HIV intervention programme implemented in collaboration with the World Council of Churches, WCC, in Abuja.

The CCN President, Most Rev. David Onuoha, represented by Archbishop Peter ogunmuyiwa, decried the high number of children living with HIV in Nigeria, stressing the need for urgent action to address the situation.

He said, “Our mission is to identify with the needy and less privileged, and to make a positive impact on their lives. Our efforts have been enriching and impactful. We are committed to combating the HIV epidemic in our society, and we urge all relevant NGOs and government agencies to join us in this crusade.

“While we have made some progress in preventing the transmission of HIV from mother to child, we still have much work to do. According to statistics, Nigeria has a high number of children who are HIV victims – 160,000, with only 45,000 undergoing treatment. This is unacceptable, and we must do more to address this issue.”

The WCC representative, Ms Gracias Ross, reiterated the organization’s commitment to supporting Nigeria in the fight against HIV/AIDS, lamented that “160,000 children are living with HIV, but remember that two million people are living with HIV in Nigeria. They will have partners and children. In what condition will these children be born?

“We must change things. If these children are alone and don’t have a family, the church has to be their family. This is the calling that we should become the father of the fatherless and fight for the widows and fight for justice.

 

“You can imagine how many young people don’t have any positive orientation on sexuality. So the Church should be bringing light to these large numbers of young people in Nigeria who are not having information.”

 

 

Rev. Dr. Evans Onyemara, the General Secretary of the CCN, appreciated the WCC’s support in the fight against HIV/AIDS in Nigeria, highlighting the success stories from the programme’s implementation in several states.

 

 

 

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