How effective are female condoms?

The female condom stops sperm from meeting an egg. It loosely lines the vagina to form a barrier that stops the sperm getting through. If they're used correctly, they are 95% effective. Five women in 100 will get pregnant in a year.

You must insert a female condom before your partner’s penis touches your vagina or genital area. You can put a female condom into your vagina up to eight hours before you have sex.

Why do children have so many hearing tests?

One or two babies in every 1000 are born with hearing loss in one or both of their ears. For most babies born with hearing loss, there is usually no family history of the condition.

Hearing is very important for a young child’s early development, it plays a crucial part in the development of speech and social skills.

Any hearing impairment needs to be identified as early as possible in order to provide appropriate support for the child, plus relevant information and support for the child’s parents.

Young children who have a hearing impairment can be given additional help and support with their education.

Some types of hearing problems are permanent. These include:

• deafness caused by nerve or brain damage, which may be due to an illness or prolonged exposure to very loud noise, and

• congenital defects: problems that you are born with.

Other types of deafness are temporary, such as problems caused by a build-up of earwax, or glue ear (a build-up of fluid in the ear).

Once the cause of your hearing impairment has been identified, you will be able to get the right treatment and support. Therefore, as with babies and young children, it is important that your condition is diagnosed as soon as possible.

What is Astigmatism?

Astigmatism is a common and usually minor condition of the eye that causes blurred or distorted vision. It occurs when the cornea or lens is not a perfectly curved shape. Most people who wear glasses have astigmatism.

If left untreated, astigmatism can also cause:

• headaches

• eye strain and fatigue (tiredness) – particularly after doing tasks that involve focusing on something for a long period of time, such as reading or using a computer

Astigmatism is usually the result of an irregular-shaped cornea or lens.

The cornea is the transparent layer of tissue at the front of the eye. The cornea should be shaped like a football, but in cases of astigmatism it has an irregular curve, more like a rugby ball. This means that light rays entering the eye are not focused properly, creating a blurred image.

In most cases, astigmatism is present at birth. However, it sometimes develops after an injury to the eye or as a complication of an eye operation.