Girl Loses Breasts As Result Of Teasing

By Kikonyogo NgatyaFriesian, Dairy Corporation, or piggy wiggy.’ These and many other nicknames make many young girls live a nightmare each day. They are abusive terms for referring to girls or women with big breasts.Olive Nalubega, 14, a P7 pupil at Bulawuli Primary School in Kamuli district, decided she had had enough of the insults. She thought she could do away with the breasts. Crying in excessive pain at Jinja hospital, Nalubega said children at school were calling her grand mother because her breasts were too big for her.In May last year, she chose to suffocate her breasts by tying a tight bra and other pieces of cloth tightly around her breasts for four months.There were many advantages for her. She looked pretty and the students at school stopped calling her names. Little did she know that pus and blood had clotted inside her breasts. Her mother, Muteesi noticed some strangeness about Nalubega. Upon asking her to remove her clothes, she saw it all: Pus and blood jetted out of her breasts and she had severe pain by now.Dr Josephat Jombwe, a surgeon at Mulago Hospital said although Nalubega will get better, it was unlikely that she will keep her breasts. He confirmed that they would have to be cut off.Name calling, according to Dr Fred Kigozi, a mental health expert at Butabika National Mental Health referral hospital, is very disturbing to young people. This is because they are still growing up and feel psychologically very bad. They may even develop eating disorders and other complications due to anxiety. These may never go away, he said.He noted that young people need counselling: First to appreciate their bodies and the numerous changes that come by. Counselling is also needed in schools and communities to help young people gain confidence about school.Susan Ajok, a peer counsellor with Straight Talk says many young people hate their bodies and can do terrible things to themselves. This includes among others cutting off some body parts and committing suicide. She says young people need a lot of counselling and guidance to learn to appreciate different changes in their bodies. Straight talk Foundation seeks to promote confidence among young people to appreciate themselves. However, the problem of hating self is not only for ladies. Many young boys, after watching magazines or sex movies also feel bad especially regarding the size of their penises. Others practice unprotected sex with older women in the hope of making their penises grow longer. Some masturbate frequently, thinking they would make their penises stronger. Ajok said teachers need to counsel children to understand changes on their bodies. “But most important, teachers and parents should stop using the nicknames to refer features as a punishment,”she observed.Nalubega said she feels sorry that she could loose her breasts. Kigozi said a number of counselling visits to schools have been organised by Butabika hospital to talk to the students about appreciating their bodies. He said that upon arrangement, the team can visit and talk to students.“It looks like a small problem on the outside, but many youths generally need counselling. This is because many are not so sure who they are. They are at a stage of self identification,” Kigozi explained.Ends