Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1082991
13 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 17 FEBRUARY 2019 NEWS practices including bondage, discipline, dominance and submission], and in prod- ucts such as sex dolls, which weren't that popular previous- ly," the PleasureMalta spokes- person said. A spokesperson for Toysfourplay.com, launched earlier in 2002, had similar views on how more people were embracing the use of sex toys and related products. "Since Fifty Shades was a mainstream film, it helped many to explore more their sexuality without feeling ashamed or judged by society. And Fifty Shades branded products, and other products related to the film, saw an increase in sales," he remarked. Various niches of people will fall across two vague categories of BDSM consumers: those opting for heavy gear, while others preferring 'lighter' bondage objects, which tend to be more popular. "The plastic stuff – such as whips, handcuffs and blindfolds – are sold regularly. But others, who are more seriously into BDSM, buy more durable accessories," PleasureMalta's spokesperson said. And naturally, apart from toys, comes an interest in products that help people with sexual problems, most commonly items such as sprays which delay ejaculation. "We have a sex and sexual- ity consultant who advises us, and this is reflected in the products we choose to or- der. Disabled people, older people and pregnant women might also want to buy prod- ucts which they can use in their particular situation," the spokesperson said, adding that even condoms and lubri- cation are being purchased online, by consumers seeking to avoid awkward situations at the supermarket till. The spokesperson for Toysfourplay remarked how a more open-minded and sexually mature society had helped business, confirming the effect of Valentine's Day on the sale of sex toys. "The Valentine's period is always one of the peaks of annual sales… The products are bought by people of ages ranging from 18 to well over 70, but they are most popular with those aged 30 to 50. Clients come from all walks of life." While sex is definitely less of a taboo in Malta in this day and age, confidentiality remains a key factor of the online business. "We receive an order without knowing anything about the person buying it. One person receives the order, and the other dispatches the wrapped product, so nobody would know which person bought which product. The toys are wrapped in discrete packaging, which gives no indication of what is inside," PleasureMalta's spokesperson highlighted. "Deliveries can be made to a person's home, but we also accept requests to deliver to places such as hotel rooms, and sometimes the buyers come to pick up the products they purchased themselves." mcosta@mediatoday.com.mt JAMES DEBONO GETTING pregnant after the age of 35 increases the risk of high blood pressure, gestational diabetes and caesarean delivery, a study published in the Malta Medical Journal shows. The study analysed 55,943 single-birth pregnancies between 2000 and 2014. These included 6,838 mothers aged between 35-39 years and 1,325 mothers aged 40 years and older. These accounted for 13% of all 61,365 births in this period. The study excluded mothers giving multiple births (1,917) and those who were under 20 years of age (3,410). The study indicates that the number of mothers aged between 35 and 40 has in- creased consistently from less than 400 in 2 0 0 5 to nearly 700 in 2014. The authors of the study contend that women should be support- ed in their decisions on when to plan child- bearing. They also propose the set-up of a multi-disciplinary specialised clinic for pre-conception, ante-natal and post- natal care for these mothers aimed at im- proving the outcome in pregnancies of over-35-year-old women. "Accordingly, women should be coun- selled regarding how fertility and preg- nancy outcomes change with age". The study found that 4% of women aged over 35 and 5% of women aged over 40 suffered from gestational diabetes up from just 1.5% among 20 to 24-year-old mothers. Gestational diabetes is the result of high blood sugar that develops during pregnancy and usually disappears after giving birth. The incidence of induced hypertension (increased blood pressure during pregnancy) increased from 5.4% among 20 to 24-year-olds to 10.9% among over 40-year-olds. The risks faced by over-35-year-old mothers increase with weight. In this study 26.4% of pregnant women were overweight and 16.5% were obese. "The combination of Advanced Maternal Age and an elevated Body Mass Index increase the risk for the occurrence of gestational diabetes." The percentage of women delivering by normal vaginal delivery was noted to decrease with advancing age. In mothers over 35 years, an increase was also noted in the rate of emergency caesarean sections. The study suggests that one reason for the higher rate of induced childbirths could be a greater caution on the part of obstetrics when dealing with older women. The study was authored by Mandy Col- lict and Yves Muscat Baron from the Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecol- ogy and Miriam Gatt and Neville Calleja from the Directorate of Health Informa- tion and Research. Mums getting older 13% of post-millennial mothers aged over 35 The authors of the study contend that women should be supported in their decisions on when to plan childbearing The number of mothers aged 35-40 increased consistently from less than 400 in 2005 to nearly 700 in 2014