The Perception of Self

Everyone thinks they look shit in photos.  I’m no exception.  I think we see something in the photo that just doesn’t seem to be there in the mirror – and it’s a little bit sobering; it reminds us that our self imagine, like how we hear our own voice, is somewhat distorted.

However, as a photographer, this perception of self is very, very annoying.  People will tell you a photo of them is shit, just because of how they see themselves in it.  As I mentioned before, my immediate reaction is one of revulsion.  But I listened to other peoples responses, and guaged whether the image of me was good or not.  Now I learn to accept it when others say it’s good.

Also, I’ve decided to apply this to the rest of my life.  Because what I see in the mirror is influenced by my current level of self confidence, self worth, and that complex stew that is ‘the upbringing’, I’m not going to rely on it anymore.  I’m not going to be obsessed with how I think I look, anymore, because it’s just not that reliable.

And anyway – I’m hot, baby.

 

Cheers,

Adrian.

Children

 

Okay, so I think every medical student has at least a broad idea of what kind of doctor they’d like to be in terms of specialty and subspecialty.  Some swing between medical and surgical, others are adamantly opposed to surgery, and then there are those like me – we want to do surgery, just not sure what kind.

I always thought I’d like to deal with emergency situations and trauma.  And I would, but I’ve been looking at surgical subspecialties with the bigger picture in mind – such as regularity of work, renumeration, and a balance between medical and surgical objectives in the job description.  To this end, I’ve stumbled across paediatric surgery, and I kind of like what I read. 

The job encompasses several specialties in one, including urology and throacic surgery, neonatal surgery and the medical care of these patients.  Not only this, but the job requires you to develop great bedside manner in dealing with children and their families.

Anyway, this will probably change in the future…but I’m not sure that I want that to happen!

 

Cheers,

Adrian.

Blood Lines

Okay, so I feel the need to preface this entry by making it clear that not everything on this blog will have a gay agenda.  This happens to be something that I’ve wanted to get off my chest for quite a while.

It’s a well-known fact that homosexual and bisexual men (or ‘those who practice male-to-male sex, like there’s a difference) are excluded from donating blood if they have been sexually active at least once in the last 12 months.  Now, unless you are woefully underserved in the bedroom, chances are most gay or bisexual men will fall into this category.

Naturally, the theory behind this effective ‘blanket-ban’ is that the risk of contracting HIV from donated blood would be reduced.  As at 2005, the percentage of sexually active gay men with HIV was ~10-15% as opposed to 1% in heterosexual men.  The survey was conducted in Sydney – Australia’s gay capital – and while the figures will be slighty skewed because of this, there is no denying that homosexual status is a risk factor for HIV.

What annoys me is that the other sexually related exclusion criteria (besides being a sexually active gay or bisexual man) is limited to those who have had sex with a prostitute.  Here are some points of interest I would like to draw attention to:

• Being gay or bisexual does not mean you are promiscuous;
• Being gay or bisexual does not mean you practice unsafe sex;
• Being heterosexual does not mean you aren’t promiscuous, and
• Being heterosexual does not mean you practice safe sex.

I understand that HIV antibodies can take up to 6 months to appear in the blood in large enough quantities to be detectable, and that lifting the ban could potentially increase the risk of HIV transmission.  But that doesn’t mean we can’t expect a bit of equality.  Maybe the Red Cross should ask for the number of sexual partners one has had in the last 12 months, and if protection was used.  I’m sure the risk of contracting HIV is higher in a heterosexual man who has unprotected sex with random women that in a manogamous homosexual man who wears condoms.  It just seems the blanket-ban was a lazy and overzealous move.

The part that upsets me the most, is when I see an advertisement on television or in a magazine.  Be a hero – donate.  Save a life.

Well, let me.

 

Cheers,
Adrian.

 

Addendum:  The AIDS Council of New South Wales (ACON), Australian Federation of AIDS Organisations (AFAO) and the Australasian Society for HIV Medicine (ASHM) all support the Red Cross’ 12-month deferral period for blood donations from sexually active homosexual and bisexual men.