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ANATOMY OF THE FEMALE SEX ORGANISM

Every woman should be given plain, practical, sane, sensible instruction concerning the sex organism of woman, its functions, its laws, its use, and its abuse. This important feature of the physical organism plays an all powerful part in the life of every woman, and particularly in the life of the married woman. It is nature’s mechanism for the reproduction of the race. Every child that is born into the world is conceived, gestated, and finally delivered as a result of the functioning of this organism. Therefore, such instruction and knowledge is vitally necessary, not only for the intelligent performance of the duties of parenthood, but also for the best interests of race-preservation, race-culture, and the physical well-being and health of the individual woman.

And yet, custom and ancient prejudice have drawn the veil over this most important subject, so that it is difficult for the average woman to find practical, clean information concerning her own anatomy and physiological functions concerned with her sex-life. To many it has appeared that the particular organs and parts of the body concerned with the reproductive functions of the woman are base, unclean, and impure, and that any woman discussing them, or seeking information regarding them, must be immoral or at least not “respectable.” Anatomical charts and physiological treatises on the subject are tabooed outside of the doctor’s office. Women are considered immodest if they seek to acquaint themselves with the facts of life concerning one of their most important classes of physical functions. It is considered “not nice” for a young woman to know anything about her physical being in those phases which play the most important part in her life. Can there be anything more ridiculous and insane? This is a matter which excites the most intense surprise, disgust, and despair in the average person possessing a scientific tendency. But the dawn is breaking, and a better day is ahead of the race concerning these things.

The sex organs of the woman are divided into two classes, as follows: (1) The external organs; and (2) the internal organs. Let us consider each of these classes in turn.

THE EXTERNAL SEX ORGANS OF THE WOMAN.

The external sex organs of the woman are as follows: The Mons Veneris; the Labia Majora; the Labia Minora; the Clitoris; the Meatus Urinarius; and the Vaginal Orifice. The term “the Vulva” is applied to the external sex organs of the woman in general, but more particularly to the Labia Majora and the Labia Minora (the larger and smaller “lips,” respectively). The term “Vulva” is the Latin term meaning “folding doors.”

The Mons Veneris is the fatty eminence or elevation just above the other external organs, which forms a mount from which its name (literally, “The Mount of Venus”) is derived. At puberty it becomes covered with hair.

The Labia Majora are the large “outer lips” or folds of skin which enclose the Vaginal Orifice, and which are situated just below the Mons Veneris.

The Labia Minora are the small “inner lips” of folds of membrane, which are concealed within the Labia Majora, or “outer lips,” and are seen only when the latter are parted.

The Clitoris is a small organ, about an inch in length, situated at the upper part of the Labia Minora or “inner lips,” and usually being partly or wholly covered by the upper borders thereof. At its extremity it has a small rounded enlargement which is extremely sensitive and excitable, and which is the principal seat of sensation in the woman’s sexual organism.

The Meatus Urinarius is the orifice of the urethra of the woman, the purpose of which is to afford an exit for the urine. It is located about an inch below the Clitoris and is just above the Vaginal Orifice. It is a common error among uninformed women that the urine passes out through the Vagina; but this, of course, is incorrect, as the two canals and their respective orifices are entirely separate from each other, though situated closely together.

The Vaginal Orifice is the outer entrance to the Vagina, or Vaginal Canal or Channel. This orifice is located just below the Meatus Urinarius. In the virgin it is usually partly closed by what is known as “The Hymen,” (vulgarly known as the “maiden head”), although in many cases the latter is absent even in the case of young girl infants. It was formerly regarded as an infallible sign of virginity, and its absence was regarded as a proof that virginity was lacking. But this old superstition is passing away, for science has shown that the Hymen is often absent even in the case of young children and infants, and, on the other hand, is sometimes present after several years of married life, and even during pregnancy. Much unhappiness has been caused in some cases where the husband has doubted the virginity of his wife because of the absence of the Hymen, but consultation with a capable physician usually removes this misunderstanding.

The Hymen is a membranous fold, sometimes circular in shape, with an opening in the center, though in other cases it extends only across the lower part of the orifice. The opening in the center is for the purpose of allowing the menstrual blood and the other secretions of Uterus and Vagina to flow through. In a few cases this opening is absent, the Hymen being what is called “imperforate”; in which case the girl experiences difficulty when menstruation begins, and a physician is required to make a slit or opening in it. In some girls and women the Hymen is quite tough, while in others it is very thin and is easily broken. In the latter cases the young girl frequently breaks the membrane during vigorous exercise, such as jumping rope, etc. And, as has before been said, in some cases infant girls are born without even a trace of the Hymen. Under the circumstances, it is seen that the presence or absence of the Hymen is far from being an infallible proof of the presence or absence of virginity, and the belief in the same is now regarded as almost a superstition of the past.

THE INTERNAL SEX ORGANS OF THE WOMAN.

The internal sex organs of the woman are as follows: The Vagina; the Uterus and its appendages; the Fallopian Tubes; the Ovaries, and their ligaments, and the round ligaments.

The Vagina is the canal or channel leading from the Vaginal Orifice to the Uterus or womb. It is situated in front of the rectum, and behind the bladder. In length, it averages from three to five inches; and it curves upward and backward, reaching to the lower part of the neck of the womb, or Uterus, which part of the neck is enclosed by it. It is a strong fibro-muscular structure, lined with mucous membrane; and is not smooth inside, but is arranged in inner folds or rings which are capable of great extension.

On either side of the Vagina, near the outer orifice, are two small glands, about the size of a pea, which secrete a peculiar fluid, and which are known as the Glands of Bartholine. The office of the Vagina is that of a complementary to the male organ during the copulative process; to also sustain the weight of the Uterus; to also afford a passage for the infant at the time of its birth; and also to serve as a passage for the menstrual fluid.

The Uterus, or Womb, is the internal sex organ of the woman which serves to hold the fertilized ovum, or egg, from the time of impregnation, during the period of pregnancy during which the ovum develops into the young child, and until the time of the delivery of the child.

The Uterus is a hollow pear-shaped muscular organ, about three inches in length, nearly an inch thick, and about two inches broad across its upper part, or fundus; the lower part, or cervix, being much narrower. The cervix, or “neck” of the womb, projects into the Vagina, forming the “os uteri,” or “mouth of the womb,” at that point. The Uterus is composed chiefly of a muscular coat, its walls consisting of strong muscular fibres which contract independently of the will, as do similar muscles in the stomach and bladder. These muscular walls are capable of enormous distention during pregnancy. The muscles of the healthy womb are capable of a tremendous pressure and resistance, and are capable of expelling the child with but slight labor at the time of delivery.

The Uterus is located just behind and slightly above the bladder, and is supported by eight ligaments which, in a healthy condition, hold it firmly and easily in place. Displacements of the Uterus are due to the weakening or relaxing of some or all of these ligaments, generally caused by general weakness or else by excessive physical exercise or labor. The principal Displacements of the Uterus are as follows: Prolapsus, or lowering of the womb in the vagina; Antroversion, or the bending forward of the womb; Anteflexion, or the “doubling up” of the womb forward on itself; Retroversion, or the bending backward of the womb; and Retroflexion, or the “doubling up” of the womb backward on itself. Extreme degrees of the last four mentioned forms of displacement often interfere with impregnation.

The internal surface of the Uterus is lined with mucous membrane thickly studded with minute hairlike cells which manifest continuous motion. This motion, in the lower part of the womb, is in the direction of the fundus or upper part of the womb; in the upper part of the womb, the motion is in the opposite direction; the purpose of these opposing movements being to carry the male elements toward that portion of the womb into which the Fallopian Tubes discharge the products of the Ovaries, as we shall see presently.

The Uterus is supplied with follicles around its neck which secrete a very firm, adhesive mucus substance, which serves as a gate or door across the mouth of the womb during the period of pregnancy, and which also serves to prevent the accidental displacement of the ovum or egg. During and just after menstruation, the Uterus becomes enlarged and more vascular. During pregnancy, it largely increases in weight. After delivery, it resumes its normal size, but the cavity is larger than before conception. In old age, it becomes atrophied and denser in structure.

The Fallopian Tubes are the ducts of the Ovaries, and serve to convey the ova, or eggs, from the Ovaries to the cavity in the Uterus. They are two in number, one on each side, each tube being about four inches in length. They extend from either side of the fundus of the womb, through the broad ligaments which hold them and the Ovaries in position until they communicate with the Ovaries. They are lined with a membrane composed of the same kind of peculiar hair-like cells which are found in the lining of the womb, the purpose in this case being to urge forward the ova or eggs toward the Uterus.

At the ovarian end of the tubes the latter expand into a fringed, trumpet-shaped extremity, the fringe being known as “the fimbria.” The tubes are only about one-sixteenth of an inch in diameter, and their small caliber makes it easy for them to clog up as the result of slight inflammation, or to become clogged up or sealed at their mouths or openings, thus causing sterility or inability of the woman to conceive. If the tubes are clogged, or sealed up, it of course is impossible for the ova or eggs to reach the uterus.

The Ovaries are the two oval-shaped bodies lying one on either side of the Uterus. In them the ova, or eggs, are formed. They are each about one and one-half inches long, about one inch wide, and about one-half an inch thick. In addition to their attachment to the broad ligament, they are held in position by folds or ligaments running to the fundus of the Uterus and to the fimbriated extremities of the Fallopian Tubes. The Ovaries are covered by a dense, firm coating which encloses a soft fibrous tissue, abundantly supplied with blood-vessels, which is called the stroma. Imbedded in the mesh-like tissue of the stroma are found numerous small, round, transparent vesicles, in various stages of development, known as the Graafian follicles, which are lined with a layer of peculiar granular cells. These Graafian follicles are the receptacles or sacs which contain the ova, or eggs, which constitute the female reproductive germ. Each vesicle contains a single ovum or egg.

Summary.

From the foregoing, it is seen that we may enumerate the sex organs of the woman as follows, proceeding from the external to the internal organism: First, the Mons Veneris, or prominent eminence above the more important external sex organs; then the Labia Majora, or large outer “lips” or folds, which are plainly discernable to the ordinary view; then the Labia Minora, or smaller inner “lips” or folds, and the Clitoris or small sensitive organ, and the Meatus Urinarius or urinary orifice, all of which are discernable only when the folds of the Labia Majora are parted or opened. Then, proceeding upward and backward from the Vaginal Orifice, we find the Vagina, or channel or canal leading to the Uterus or Womb; then we find the Uterus or Womb at the upper end of the canal or channel of the Vagina. Then extending from either side of the Uterus or Womb we find those two important sets of organs known as the Fallopian Tubes, and the Ovaries, respectively. The Ovaries discharge their ova, or eggs, into the Fallopian Tubes, from whence they are conveyed to the Uterus or Womb, with which the tubes are connected and into which they open at its upper and large end.

The Pelvis is that bony arch in the cavity of which are contained the internal sex organs of the woman. The Pelvis is a bony basin which holds and supports the pelvic organs, and is composed of three important parts, as follows: (1) The Sacrum, consisting of five sections of the vertebral column, or spine, fused together so as to constitute the solid part of the lower spine and the back of the Pelvis; (2) the two Hip-Bones, one on each side of the Pelvis; (3) the Pubic Arch, or the front part of the Pelvis, formed by the junction of the two Hip-Bones in front. Attached to the Hip-Bones are the thighs, and also the large Gluteal Muscles which constitute the buttocks, or “seat.”

The Pelvis of the woman is quite different from that of the man. It is shallower and wider, and lighter in structure than that of the male, and the margins of the Hip-Bones are more widely separated, thus making the hips of the woman far more prominent than those of the man. Also, the Sacrum is shorter than that of the man, and the Pubic Arch wider and more rounded than his. This difference in the bony structure is made necessary by the demand for larger space in the female Pelvis required for the purposes of childbirth. These differences are not so perceptible in childhood, but become marked and pronounced at puberty.

PRIVATE Sex Advice to Women By R. B. Armitage, M. D.

For Young Wives and those who Expect to be Married.

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April 10, 2020
PRIVATE Sex Advice to Women By R. B. Armitage, M. D.

Sex Advice to Women

In this book the writer thereof seeks to convey to women—particularly to young wives and women expecting to be married—certain important facts of knowledge, certain necessary information, which all such women should possess, but which few are given the opportunity to acquire.

It would seem to require no argument to convince a rational individual that before a woman is capable of intelligent motherhood she should be made acquainted with the physiological processes which are involved in the sexual functions leading to the state of motherhood; but we are confronted by the fact that few young women are given such instruction.

It is a strange thing that while even the ordinary school child is made acquainted with the physiological processes concerned with the processes of digestion, respiration, circulation, elimination, etc., and while such education is highly commended, yet at the same time not only are the young of both sexes reared as if there was no such thing as sexual functions in existence, but even full-grown adults are left to pick up their instruction on sexual subjects from chance sources—often polluted sources.

Even those about to enter into the important offices of matrimony and parenthood are permitted to assume those duties and responsibilities without intelligent and scientific information or knowledge being given them. What would we think of expecting a woman to cook, without previous experience and without even the most elementary instruction on the subject? What would we think of expecting any person to undertake any important task or duty without experience or instruction regarding the same? And yet we seem content to allow young women to enter into the important relationship of marriage, and to undertake the important office of motherhood, often in absolute ignorance of the physiological processes involved, and the physical laws governing the same.

All this absurd practice and custom results simply from the antiquated notion that it is “not nice” to speak or think of the subject of the sex functions. The subject has been considered “taboo” by our particular section of the human race since the Middle Ages, because the ascetic ideals of that dark period of human history brought forward a totally false and unnatural conception of sex as fundamentally impure. If the results were not so deplorable and often tragic, this condition of affairs would be a fit subject for laughter and scornful ridicule. But, alas! on the part of the thoughtful observer of this state of things there is rather great wonder and amazement accompanied by the feeling of deep sorrow.

It cannot be honestly denied that in our present age, and period of modern civilization, and particularly among the Anglo-Saxon branch of the race, the question of the sex functions is associated with impurity, at least so far as the popular mind is concerned. In previous civilizations the subject was accorded its proper place, and was discussed sanely and thoughtfully, without any sense of shame or impurity. The Middle Age ideals of celibacy and asceticism brought about the public conception of the human body as a thing impure—something to be modified, tortured, subdued and reviled; and a corresponding conception of sex as a vile, impure thing above which the pure in heart rose entirely and completely, and which those of a lesser spiritual ideal were permitted to indulge with a due sense of their degradation and weakness. It was considered a most worthy thing to lead an ascetic life with its accompaniment of disdain and punishment of the body. It was considered most pious and spiritual to forego the ordinary human relations of sex, marriage and parenthood. From these distorted conceptions naturally evolved the idea that sex, and all connected with it, was a subject unclean and impure in itself, and to be avoided in thought, conversation and writing. Not only the ordinary sex relations of human life were placed under this taboo, but also the phenomena of birth and parenthood. Not only did these incidents of life grow to be considered impure, but they became that which to many was still worse, that is to say, they became to be regarded as “not respectable.”

Ignorance regarding the plain elementary facts of sexual physiology is undoubtedly the cause not only of much immorality among young people of both sexes, but also of many unhappy and inharmonious marriages. The intelligent portion of our race is now beginning to realize very keenly the fact that the first requisite of sane marital relations and intelligent parenthood is a practical and clear knowledge of the physiology of sex; education concerning the sexual organism, its laws, its functions, its normal and healthy conditions, its anatomy, its physiology and hygiene.

The average physician of experience in general or special practice can tell tales of almost incredible ignorance on the part of young women who have recently entered into the relationship of marriage. In some cases the ignorance is more than a mere absence of knowledge—it consists too often of false-knowledge, untruthful ideas concerning matters of the most serious import. It is sad enough to think how such persons may work results harmful to themselves, but it is even sadder still to realize that these same ignorant young women must eventually gain their real knowledge through sad experience—experience paid for not only by themselves but also by their children. It is a hard saying, but a true one, that the knowledge of many young wives and mothers is to be gained by experience paid for by their (as yet) unborn children.

The writer of the present work is one of the rapidly growing number of thinking persons who believe that the time has come to educate the race concerning the importance of sane instruction concerning the functions of sex. He, and those who think as he does, believe that the time has come to “Turn on the Light!” They believe that the importance of the subject will be realized by all intelligent persons, once that their attention is directed to the subject, and once they have considered it apart from the old prejudices and distorted customs. When public opinion on this subject is reformed, then will the taboo fall away from the body of truth; then will the subject take its place among the “respectable” topics which may be considered, discussed, and taught, without loss of caste or prestige.

In a few decades, perhaps even much sooner, it will be regarded as quite reprehensible to permit young persons to enter into the relationship of marriage without a sane, practical knowledge of their own reproductive organism and the functions thereof, and of their physiological duties to themselves, to their companions in marriage, and to their children born or to be born. We may even see the practical application of the somewhat startling prophecy of Newell Dwight Hillis, D. D., who said: “The State that makes a man study two years before a license as druggist is given; that makes a young lawyer or doctor study three years before being permitted to practice; ought to ask the young man or young woman to pass an equally rigid examination before license is given to found an American home, and set up an American family.”

While the information above alluded to should be given alike to the young husband and the young wife, it cannot be doubted that the latter is the one of the pair who is most in need of this kind of instruction. While both the young man and the young woman require this instruction, the need is the greater in the case of the young woman, by the very nature of the case. The sex functions and processes play a much more important part in the life of the woman than in that of the man, the protests of some of the modern feminists to the contrary notwithstanding. The careful student of the sex life of men and women frankly confesses that in both the physical and the psychical realm the sex offices make a greater demand upon the time and attention of the woman than of the man.

The love-life of the woman is far fuller and more absorbing than is that of the man. Unhappiness concerning her love-life renders the remainder of the life of the average woman of comparatively little account; while, with a happy love-life she will put up cheerfully with the absence of many other things which are usually regarded as necessities for happiness. As a writer has said: “Essentially, a woman is made for love—not exclusively, but essentially; and a woman who has had no love in her life has been a failure.”

The same rule operates on the physical plane. As the same writer has said: “Physically, the woman is also much more cognizant of her sex and much more hampered by the manifestation of her sex nature than man is.” The manifestation of the incidents of menstruation is a constant reminder to the woman that she is a creature of sex. The phenomenon of pregnancy is, likewise, something from which the man is free. And, finally, the menopause, or “change of life,” with its incidents greatly influencing the physical, mental, and emotional well-being of the woman, is Nature’s final word to the woman that she is the active pole of sex-life. As the above-quoted writer has said: “Altogether it cannot be denied that woman is much more a slave of her sex-nature than man is of his. Nature has handicapped woman much more heavily than she has man.”

And so, in this book, the young woman—the young wife—is directly addressed, her companion and mate being referred to only indirectly.

PRIVATE Sex Advice to Women By R. B. Armitage, M. D.

For Young Wives and those who Expect to be Married.

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April 10, 2020
Ebola epidemic in Democratic Republic of the Congo to be declared over

The DRC’s Ebola epidemic will be declared over on 12 April but there’s little time to celebrate as the country pivots towards tackling the coronavirus

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https://www.newscientist.com/article/2240268-ebola-epidemic-in-democratic-republic-of-the-congo-to-be-declared-over/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home

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April 10, 2020
Should You Focus on Web Experience Management Today?

For companies currently getting their web content management technologies and processes up to speed for the purpose of greater business agility, the questions are: Do we have time to ?do? WEM in the sense and to the degree that the business media is saying we must? Does this need to be one of our highest priorities as a practice apart from or in addition to other brand and digital-content projects?

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http://www.associationofmarketing.org/articles/view.php?article_id=5328

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April 10, 2020
Growing Your List with Email Append

Is the success of your email marketing program limited by the size of your subscriber list? Email append, the
process of adding email addresses to a postal customer database, is a quick and affordable way to expand the size of your email list. If you haven?t considered it in the past, it?s time to take a look.

Perceptions about email append and the methods for doing it have matured over the past few years, and it?s now a predictable and reliable email list growth tactic. This white paper provides guidelines and best practices for consumer email appending.

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http://www.associationofmarketing.org/whitepapers/view.php?whitepaper_id=68

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April 10, 2020
‘Work out daily to stay healthy’

PETALING JAYA: Being forced to stay indoors is no excuse to let up on daily exercises. This is the advice from health instructor Jay Sharma, who is encouraging people to stay in shape for the duration of the movement control order (MCO).

He is urging Malaysians to continue with their daily workout to stay healthy, and has recommended several routines that are not time consuming, yet effective.

“Try body weight squats, which can be done with your hands either extended forward or crossed at the chest,” he told theSun yesterday.

“Do this at least 45 times, with breaks after every 15 squats. That will be three sets altogether,” he said.

Another is push-up.

“Do 10 push-ups, take a break and then go for another 10. Do at least three sets of 10 push-ups each.”

The final routine is the jumping squat, which is the most challenging.

“Try three sets of 10 to 12 times per set but pace yourself. Just do what you can,” he added.

Sharma said each person will likely burn up 300 to 400 calories with each session of these exercises. Those wanting to burn more calories should try these routines several times a day.

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https://www.thesundaily.my/local/work-out-daily-to-stay-healthy-EF2241464

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April 10, 2020
Living with pets during MCO

KUALA LUMPUR: Working from home (WFH) is not as easy as many people think, especially when you have young children and pets.

Yes, even pets. To others, it might seem easy having pets in the house. After all, don’t you just let them be and you do not have to give much attention to them?

In reality however, looking after pets is just as much a responsibility as looking after young children. A look at the postings on Facebook and Twitter will show that many see the responsibility as similar, for to them, pets are as much a member of the family as children.

Going into 24 days of the Movement Control Order (MCO) period, which means 24 days of WFH, the stories on the social media abound of the struggles that pet owners, especially those with cats, face juggling the responsibilities of work and looking after their pets.

Interior decorate Intan Suhaiza Razak, 35, found that there were many secrets her cats kept from her which she only found out after she started to work from home from March 18.

“It is only now that I am really getting to know my three cats. I did not spend much time with them before but now that I am with them all day, I am slowly learning their behaviour.

“For instance, I was shocked to find out that they could turn the tap in the kitchen sink and would play with the water,” she told Bernama.

Auditor Amirul Iqbal Razali, 30, has found that working from home can be quite challenging when you have cats.

“I have three, and the minute I turn on the computer, they come around demanding my attention.

“That would be the time they want to sit on my lap and play, and ask for food, even though I had prepared everything for them. And my work-station has become their bed,” he said.

Media practitioner Muhamad Saufee Rosman thinks his cat Ethan loves the fact that he and his housemates now have to work from home during the MCO period.

“He is extra demanding now, maybe because he enjoys the fact that we are home now, whereas previously, he was always left alone in the house. Now, he keeps snuggling up to us all the time,” he said.

Muhamad Saufee and his housemates do not find Ethan’s demand for attention troublesome, and in fact, he is a stress-buster to them.

“Life is less boring with him around. Sometimes, he does get in the way, but it would be lonely without him,” he said.

To these animal-lovers, the Health Ministry’s announcement that pets do not carry the COVID-19 virus was good news.

“In the beginning, it was a bit worrying, so it was a relief when the ministry said that pet-owners did not have to worry and do not have to take their pets for Covid-19 screenings.

Nurana Mukhriz, 29, who works in information technology said she cannot imagine being separated from her two cats which she had bred since five years ago.

“I live alone, so my cats ‘Adik’ and ‘Che Yam’ are my companions. Talking to them reduces my stress level and I don’t feel so lonely during the MCO period,” she said. – Bernama

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https://www.thesundaily.my/local/living-with-pets-during-mco-EF2241413

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April 10, 2020
State govt contributes RM10,000 to part-time journalists in Terengganu

KUALA TERENGGANU: Terengganu Menteri Besar Dr Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar today extended assistance to part-time journalists in the state whose income are affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.

The RM10,000 contribution under the state Covid-19 Emergency Aid Fund was presented to the Terengganu Journalists Club (Kawat) for distribution to the affected members.

The contribution was handed over by Ahmad Samsuri’s press secretary Adram Musa to Kawat president Khairul Azlam Mohamad at Wisma Darul Iman, here.

Khairul Azlam said the contribution would definitely help ease the burden of part-time journalists who did not have a fixed income.

Normally, they would be paid based on the number of news they produced he said adding that the current situation of the Movement Control Order had made it difficult for them to generate income. – Bernama

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https://www.thesundaily.my/local/state-govt-contributes-rm10000-to-part-time-journalists-in-terengganu-FF2241106

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April 10, 2020
WhatsApp tightens sharing limits to curb virus misinformation

SAN FRANCISCO: WhatsApp on Tuesday placed new limits on message forwarding as part of an effort to curb the spread of misinformation about the coronavirus pandemic.

The new policy limits users to forwarding certain messages to one “chat” at a time, aiming to limit the rapid propagation of content that is provocative but likely to be false.

The Facebook-owned messaging platform said it took the action to enable people to concentrate on personal and private communications during the health crisis.

In recent weeks, “we’ve seen a significant increase in the amount of forwarding which users have told us can feel overwhelming and can contribute to the spread of misinformation,“ WhatsApp said in a blog post.

“We believe it’s important to slow the spread of these messages down to keep WhatsApp a place for personal conversation.”

Last year, WhatsApp set limits on forwarded messages to five chats at a time, “to constrain virality,“ responding to events in India where the rapid proliferation of unverified information led to mob violence.

The new policy applies to messages forwarded “many times” and marked with a double-arrow, indicating that it did not originate from a close contact, according to WhatsApp.

“In effect, these messages are less personal compared to typical messages sent on WhatsApp,“ the blog said.

“We are now introducing a limit so that these messages can only be forwarded to one chat at a time.”

Damian Collins, a British member of parliament and co-founder of the Infotagion fact-check blog, called the move “a timely intervention,“ noting that WhatsApp was being used to spread recent hoaxes that 5G wireless networks were spreading the virus.

“The online conspiracy theories about #5G exposed last week, and their real-life consequences, are a clear call to fight disinformation about #COVID19,“ Collins tweeted.

“A lot of the false content sent to us at @infotagion came from @WhatsApp.”

Scrambling to stop hoaxes

WhatsApp along with its parent Facebook have been scrambling to curb an explosion of rumors and hoaxes about the coronavirus and at the same time seeking to promote verified content.

With more than a billion users worldwide, WhatsApp has become a key source of information and communication during the pandemic.

Facebook said last month it has nearly doubled server capacity to power WhatsApp as people in isolation place more voice and video calls using the popular messaging service.

But WhatsApp has also been used to spread inaccurate information about the Covid-19 outbreak including about untested treatments.

Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar last month warned people against sharing unverified coronavirus information on the messaging platform.

“These messages are scaring and confusing people and causing real damage. Please get your info from official, trusted sources,“ the leader tweeted.

One problem faced by the messaging service is that the encrypted information is seen only by the sender and recipient, making it harder for fact-checkers to debunk.

WhatsApp said that as part of its efforts to fight the spread of false information, it was working with the World Health Organization and some 20 national health ministries, “to help connect people with accurate information.”

The platform has been funding fact checking organizations and created a Coronavirus Information Hub within the app. – AFP

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https://www.thesundaily.my/world/whatsapp-tightens-sharing-limits-to-curb-virus-misinformation-CE2240848

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April 10, 2020
Strengthening accountability to end TB
WHO today released a Checklist to enable Member States and their partners to assess the status of work at the national level to strengthen accountability to End TB, principally: national commitments made, actions taken on those commitments, monitoring & reporting approaches, and the nature of any high-level review mechanisms. The Checklist has been developed in response to requests from Member States, regions, civil society and partners as a tool to support the adaptation and implementation of the WHO Multisectoral Accountability Framework (MAF-TB) released in 2019. It responds also to the UN General Assembly request to WHO to ensure implementation of the Framework.

There are four components of the MAF-TB that form a cycle for strengthening accountability: Commitments, Actions, Monitoring and Reporting, and Review, that were released during the World Health Assembly in May, 2019. In the political declaration of the first UN high-level meeting on TB, world leaders called for WHO to finalize the framework and ensure its implementation in 2019.

After its publication in May, 2019, WHO began work with pathfinding country counterparts who were seeking to move ahead on key elements including, among others: formal adoption of country-specific targets for 2022 for increased TB case detection and treatment in line with the global targets in the political declaration; updating or development of new national TB strategic plans based on 2022 and 2030 targets and other new commitments; coordination platforms across sectors and stakeholders; formalizing engagement with civil society across End TB efforts; producing robust performance reports; and, using those reports to inform high-level review bodies that will assess and drive faster progress. Based on the MAF-TB document, relevant country experiences, and specific requests from countries and partners, WHO developed the MAF-TB Checklist. The Checklist is especially relevant for high TB burden countries, but has content relevant to all countries. The appropriateness of different approaches may vary, according to national constitutional, legal and/or regulatory frameworks or other relevant factors.

The MAF-TB Checklist has three annexes on:
1. engagement across government ministries and bodies;
2. engagement of civil society and affected communities; and,
3. adoption and implementation of WHO TB guidance.
In releasing this MAF-TB Checklist today, Dr Tereza Kasaeva, Director of the WHO Global TB Programme noted, “At this enormously difficult time, all countries and partners are focused on the COVID-19 pandemic. Lessons learnt from ongoing TB programmes are helping the response. Likewise, TB efforts will benefit from learning underway on collaboration, innovation and accountability in confronting the virus.”

WHO will be helping Ministries of Health and partners to use the Checklist, hold related consultations and move forward with more effective collaboration and review mechanisms. The WHO Civil Society Task Force on TB also will support countries and civil society partners, using the Checklist. Progress in strengthening accountability will be assessed in the 2020 Report of the UN Secretary-General on progress since the 2018 TB UN high-level meeting, as well as in the WHO Global TB Report 2020.

The WHO TB Civil Society Task Force, National TB Programme Managers and other country officials, WHO staff at all levels, consultants working with WHO and The Global Fund, and staff of partner agencies, contributed content to, and/or provided feedback on, the MAF-TB Checklist during its development. Access the Checklist and 3 annexes.

An online form of the checklist will be available shortly here, along with additional information.

Translations of the Checklist and annexes, as soon as available in Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian and Spanish, will be posted at the above link as well. Kindly contact gtb programme@who.int if you have questions regarding the MAF-TB Checklist or to request versions in MS Word format if needed.

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https://www.who.int/news-room/detail/08-04-2020-strengthening-accountability-to-end-tb

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April 10, 2020