Have an idea for a story? Let us know! Contact: Brittney MacDonald, Life & Style Editor Milifeandstyle@theotherpress.ca This issue: (¥ Women's issues and the red carpet (¥ The ECO-nomist and tuna (Y The realities of toxic shock syndrome And more! The realities of toxic shock syndrome » What causes it, how to avoid it, and how to recognize if you have it Brittney MacDonald i Life & Style Editor gE Miifeandstyle @theotherpress.ca Ee woman has heard of toxic shock syndrome (TSS), or, at least, she should have. Unfortunately, because sexual education in high school and elementary school isn’t standardized, this dangerous and potentially fatal result of ignored. When I was going through those awful and embarrassing puberty classes in grades 5-7, I never heard TSS mentioned once. Instead, I had to hear it from my older sisters when | decided to make the switch from sanitary napkins to tampons. To me, this seems like a major gap in education—essentially, you are risking young girls suffering extreme illness in an effort to avoid a public discussion : : inserted for more than eight : hours. This was done in an effort : to avoid TSS, though for a lot of : brands the risk of TSS is never about menstrual cycles. Does anyone else think that’s a little ridiculous? Toxic shock syndrome is poor period handling goes largely be fatal. : a build-up of bacterial toxins : in the body. In menstruating ? women, the most common cause : is leaving a tampon in too long. : Because the uterine lining was : essentially meant to “feed” a : developing fetus, it is packed full : of nutrients and other things : that organisms, such as harmful : bacteria, could use to rapidly : reproduce. This is why the body : needs to expel it every month, : should pregnancy not occur. Toxic shock syndrome can In fact, during the : Renaissance, menstrual blood : was considered poison that : caused “hysteria” (an early : name for “period rage”) in : women. Expelling the blood : was therefore necessary. This : myth was perpetuated by the : fact that women who inserted : cloth or sponges into the vagina : in order to stem the flow, would sometimes die. Most tampons carry a warning that they shouldn't be : mentioned in the instruction : manual. This is changing, : : thankfully, as the public becomes : : more outspoken about women’s: : sexual and reproductive health. : Some brands have started : including a section explaining : the disease and its symptoms : in their instruction manuals : included in every box of : tampons. Symptoms of TSS include : high fever, low blood pressure, : confusion, a general sense of : discomfort or uneasiness, and : sometimes a sunburn like rash, : which can appear anywhere on : the body. These symptoms can : quickly progress, leading to coma : : and multiple organ failure— : : hence why the disease can be : fatal. So, how do you avoid all of : this? Avoiding tampons with : high absorbency, such as the : heavy flow ones; ensuring if : you do use them you change : your tampon every three to five : hours; and switching to sanitary : napkins at night, when you : won't be awake to change your : tampon within the allotted time. : Your last option is eliminating : tampons in general—which : is probably the best option, in : my opinion. Doing this doesn’t : necessarily mean youre stuck : with the “diaper” of a sanitary : napkin. DivaCups are available : and they are similar to tampons : in that they are inserted, but, : because the blood doesn’t remain : : trapped in the uterus, they : Photo illustration by Joel McCarthy : greatly reduce the risk of TSS. : Also, DivaCups can remain in : place for upwards of 12 hours, : meaning you can sleep in them, : and they’re more cost effective : because they last for about a year. : If you like math, that’s about $330 : ayear in savings, and I’m low- balling. Fighting Fit: Eye of the storm » Maelstrom’s kali gurus teach knife defence Adam Tatelman Staff Writer f you've ever wondered where the phrase “mano y mano” comes from, look no further than the martial arts of Southeast Asia. Kali, now a national sport in the Philippines, was invented in the 1500’s by the peasant class as a means of self-defense against : : classes in the building’s garage. : Between the hanging strike : dummies made of tires and the : cheap foam mats on the floor, : the place seemed very low-rent, : a definite contrast to Loki’s slick : website and the dance studio on : the floor above. For a moment, : wondered if I was even in the : right place, but, sure enough, the : instructors arrived. the occupying Spanish forces. Due to these humble origins, there are few written records of the art; kali has survived mostly through oral tradition. Today it is taught by militaries worldwide due to its efficiency and unparalleled knife defence training. Enter Loki Jorgenson, the second-highest ranked kali instructor in Canada and founder ! : atmosphere, I was engaged by : the instructors’ friendly, patient, : and professional attitude. That : and they also let me pick up : wooden knives in my first class. : As opposed to most martial arts, : kali training covers weapons of Maelstrom Martial Arts, a collection of Southeast Asian martial arts aficionados. Loki has studied Pekiti-Tirsia Kali for 20 years under world famous instructors like the Dog Brothers : (Philip Gelinas and Marc Denny) : and Dan Inosanto, the world’s : premier kali expert and one-time : Bruce Lee opponent in the film : Game of Death. That is some ; impressive pedigree. Given all this prestige, I was : rather surprised when I found : that Maelstrom shares a building : with Aché Capoeira, a school for Brazilian street dance. Loki leads Though leery of the Fight Club : combat before hand-to-hand : combat. Dual and single baton : training comes first, then knife — : : training, then unarmed. All these : : forms are based on triangular : footwork designed to move in : and out of your opponent’s range : during each attack. It’s actually : dynamic and fun to practice. Beginners often face : uncertainty when learning basic : forms. Will this technique work : ifmy opponent doesn’t attack : exactly like we’ve trained? Does : karate only work against karate? These are typical fears. Fortunately, the mechanical : theory behind kali is that all : attacks—barehanded, bladed, or : otherwise, follow similar angles. : Thus, kali teaches students to : cover these angles instead of : matching defences to certain : attacks. Since martial arts can : become rigid when they focus on : the latter method, the kali ideal : of mastering angles is one I find : appealing. Despite its sallow accommodations, I liked : Maelstrom. The training quality : is undeniable, and the love : these instructors have for the : Southeast Asian martial arts is : inspiring. If you want to keep : practicing, they’ll stay after class : as long as you will. Maelstrom offers training at Image via maelstromcore.com : 341 East Broadway Street from : Tuesday to Sunday for training in : kali, panantukan, krabi-krabong, : and pencak silat. You can also : find them in Tactix Gym at 1149 : Hornby Street, where they offer : kali on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and : Saturdays.