NatCon13 - Bengaluru
The thirteenth annual two-day event, the National Meet of the Save Indian Family Movement (SIF Movement) was organized in Bengaluru on August 13 and 14. The National Meet serves as a catalyst enhancing tools men need to strategise the growth of both the movement and as men themselves.
Luminaries of the SIF Movement, the Men’s Rights Movement of Bharat, gathered to share their expertise in men’s rights activism, men’s health and wellness, relationships, personal equity, representation, vision, self-development strategies, and other pertinent topics. Their voice, experience, and knowledge were a critical addition to help turn the relatively fresh activists of today into leaders of tomorrow.
Our sincere congratulations to Shri Suraleen Sarkar, Shri Sumedha Bhosekar, Shri Hitesh Maisheri, Shri Abhinaw Sachan, Shri Virendra aka VP, Shri Nithin Kadam, Shri Vijay Rathod and the entire team of Puruhotra (Bengaluru chapter of the SIF Movement), for this extremely successful event.
An Extravaganza
NatCon13 was an extravaganza, especially in terms of Men's Health, the most ignored among men's issues! Most activists disregard their health, although personal health is the most important item for all of us, especially because of our additional stresses.
The outstanding parts of this year’s event were:
First, the detailed health check-up facilities, and
Second, the presentation on 'Male Health - New perspective Risk prevention', by Dr M. Sitaram, a renowned UroAndrologist in Bengaluru
Male Health - New perspective Risk prevention
On the 12th night, when we arrived in Bengaluru for the event, our friend Abhinaw was there to receive and help us. We learned from Abhinaw that a UroAndrologist will give a presentation about male health issues during the event. Since I had no idea what a "UroAndrologist" was, I looked it up.
I discovered the following that day:
A urologist is a doctor who specializes in diagnosing and treating diseases of the urinary system. This system keeps the body clean by filtering out waste and toxins and taking them out of the body. A urologist also treats conditions involving the reproductive organs.
Andrology deals with medical conditions that affect males and is part of urology. An andrologist is a medical expert who specializes in the male reproductive system and treats male reproductive disorders.
Dr. M. Sitaram's presentation was so informative that it introduced new concepts to the audience. So, I decided to blog about the presentation and share the knowledge with men who weren’t there to witness it. Although due to certain personal compulsions, it took me around a month to post this first part, I'll make sure to post the remaining parts as soon as possible.
I coordinated with the Puruhotra team to seek Dr. Sitaram’s permission to blog about his lecture. I'm grateful to Dr. Sitaram for not only granting me permission for the blog but also for sharing a part of his presentation PPT.
We are sharing Dr. Sitaram's lecture information in this blog post solely with permission for informational and awareness purposes. The readers are not allowed to reproduce any content in whole or in part without express written consent from Dr. Sitaram.
About the Presentation
Dr. Sitaram emphasized the following six points as ‘key elements for longevity’:
Early Vascular Aging or Cardiac Risk Assessment
Sexual function – Hardness / Length & Girth / Premature Ejaculation
Male Aging – Andropause – Low Testosterone
Prostate Health
Malignancy Risk Assessment
STRESS- Effects on Body
I'll focus mainly on "Early Vascular Ageing or Cardiac Risk Assessment" in this piece to keep the blog from growing too long. In my subsequent blog, I'll discuss the rest.
Erectile Dysfunction (ED) and Early Vascular Ageing or Cardiac Risk Assessment
Inquiring as to how many people in the audience, who are generally between the ages of 40 and 50, experience Erectile Dysfunction (ED), Dr. Sitaram posed a very intriguing question.
Even though there was no specific response from the audience, it is widely recognised and accepted (even by the audience) that the majority of people in this age group experience ED. When the reasons for ED were discussed, almost everyone in the audience cited increasing age as the reason.
On this, at least I was under the impression that he might recommend some medication or physical activity to cure ED! The explanation he provided for the ED in this age range, however, genuinely startled and stunned me.
He told us that one's ED may be related to "cardio health" and "arterial blockage," among other things.
Also, we discussed how ED could be a reason for the lack of an early morning erection.
When cholesterol or fats clog the artery that supplies blood to the heart, it causes cardiovascular disorders that can be deadly without treatment. Such blockages brought on by cholesterol or fat deposits start not necessarily only in the coronary arteries which are 3-4 mm in diameter, rather they could affect the penile artery first, which is only 1-2 mm in diameter.
Since Erectile Dysfunction is strongly linked to Cardiovascular Diseases, here’s some brotherly precautionary advice for men, who suffer from erectile dysfunction! With proactive evaluation, you can easily detect Cardiac Risk much earlier than symptoms. Likewise, if you have heart disease, getting the right treatment might help with erectile dysfunction.
Symptoms of Erectile Dysfunction
Decrease in the Penile Erection Hardness in the first symptom as summarized below
Optimal Erection - Penis is completely hard and fully rigid
Suboptimal Erection - Penis is hard enough for penetration but not completely hard
Moderate ED - Penis is hard, but not hard enough for penetration
Severe ED - Penis is larger but not hard
Screening for Erectile Dysfunction - SHIM
The Sexual Health Inventory for Men (SHIM) is a questionnaire for male sexual functioning. It is quick and reliable and can help you and your doctor identify if you have ED symptoms.
Make a note of your response for each question by circling the number that roughly corresponds to your belief. To see what your score might signify, add your numbers together and refer to the table below.
Men with scores in Red should go for a heart screening
SHIM Scores | You May Have… | Is Heart Screening Required? |
22-25 | Normal Erectile Function | |
17-21 | Mild ED | |
12-16 | Mild to Moderate ED | Yes |
8-11 | Moderate ED | Yes |
1-7 | Severe ED | Yes |
Tests to detect cardiac risk
We highly recommend / request / pray that if you are experiencing Erectile Dysfunction or any other symptoms of cardiovascular issues, you get yourself tested for any cardiac risk. These tests are:
Outpatient-based / Non-Invasive tests (do not involve tools that break the skin or physically enter the body)
This can be done at home for privacy if needed
Ideal for all men with low scores and for all men with Diabetes, Blood Pressure, Cholesterol, High Stress, Obesity
Our experience shows that the mortality rate of those separated is much higher than normal folks, and the movement is facing an unfortunate situation where several activists personally known to us pass away every year.