Vector Volume 12 Issue 2 - 2018

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Foreword Aidan Tan Once, standing ankle deep in the wet sand, I thought that I heard the Pacific Ocean in a conch shell. The conch shell, I theorised, was an Earth-bound black hole in thermal equilibrium, absorbing the temper of the tide and emitting a lost Vivaldi, ‘The Four Seasons of the Submerged’. Turns out, there are no oceans in conch shells, only the attenuated frequencies of ambient noise in a calcium carbonate cavity. I prefer the ocean. Now, with an active imagination and origami instructions, you can turn this issue of <strong>Vector</strong> Journal into your own conch shell. If you listen carefully, you might just hear a call for ethical fashion by medical students, debate on clinical trials in developing nations, dialogue on developments in artificial neural stimulation, discussion on the effects of internet pornography, report on transgender and other gender-diverse persons, critique of South Asian perceptions of depression, summary of low birth weight in Laos, study of sexually transmitted infections in Ethiopia, commentary on social media causing psychological distress, recount of the United Nations Climate Conference, or review of a book on AIDS in Africa. Whatever you hear, I hope it strikes a chord with you. 1
Manifesto à la mode Feature article Aneka R Larsen Aneka R Larsen is a final year medical student at the University of Sydney who spends far too much time thinking about clothes, and not enough time studying. Despite what your mother may have told you, it’s not just what’s on the inside that counts. As medical students, our external image matters greatly. We dress to impress, to show patients that we are capable and trustworthy. But how would our patients feel if they knew who made our clothes? Sustainable fashion is by no means a new idea, and most people I know support the idea, yet many of us still wear brands that are known to engage in unethical practices. Although we as medical students generally wish to improve others’ quality of life, too often we put ethics on the backburner as we convince ourselves that we are too busy, too tired, too whatever-it-happens-to-be that day, to think of the consequences of our actions. If we were truly compassionate, it would seem incongruent that we would not also express this in choosing which brands to support. After becoming increasingly concerned, I discussed the issue with a friend who told me that given the opportunity, most people will choose to do good. That is, most people don’t want to benefit from the exploitation of others but will unthinkingly ignore the reality of how most clothes are made. Every day we are exposed to marketing on billboards, bus stops, shop windows, YouTube, Facebook, fashion blogs, and Instagram feeds. Our first thought is not ‘who made this?’, but ‘I want that’. It’s automatic, and that’s why it works. I choose to believe that my peers are not consciously deciding to fund a harmful industry, and that instead their choices simply reflect a lack of opportunity to consider their purchases. Here is said opportunity. Think carefully and buy ethically, so as to avoid a fashion faux-pas that’s more than just embarrassing— one that results in child slavery, abysmal wages and factory collapses causing thousands of deaths. If you would like to join me in protesting an industry that fuels the maltreatment and exploitation of others, then read on. This is my manifesto to fashion, and all the illnesses, injuries 2
Page 1 and 2: V O L U M E 1 2 I S S U E 2 F O U N
Page 3: CONTENTS Foreword 1 Aidan Tan FEATU
Page 7 and 8: these brands for your perusal. Some
Page 9 and 10: Exploring the ethics and legality o
Page 11 and 12: also be a force for beneficence in
Page 13 and 14: The changing landscape of artifical
Page 15 and 16: implementation in the developing wo
Page 17 and 18: Pornography: the pyschological and
Page 19 and 20: arriers to research into this quest
Page 21 and 22: Improving interactions between tran
Page 23 and 24: Centre in Sex, Health and Society b
Page 25 and 26: of teaching on sexuality broadly, i
Page 27 and 28: The public perception of major depr
Page 29 and 30: awareness of their role in depressi
Page 31 and 32: Guidelines for low birth weight: a
Page 33 and 34: current decentralisation of authori
Page 35 and 36: Appropriate number and timing of AN
Page 37 and 38: Vientiane, Lao PDR. Eur J Clin Nutr
Page 39 and 40: “ The experience of Mekelle Unive
Page 41 and 42: ongoing review is enabled by fortni
Page 43 and 44: Table 4. HIV prevalence among femal
Page 45 and 46: HL, Maddur S, et al. An integrated
Page 47 and 48: ubiquity, we remain largely ignoran
Page 49 and 50: United Nations Climate Conference C
Page 51 and 52: extremely appreciative at how well-
Page 53 and 54: There is No Me Without You Book rev
Page 55 and 56:
Complimentary Membership & Cover Di
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Vector Volume 12 Issue 2 - 2018

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