KNYSNA NEWS - Stephen Malherbe has embarked on a cycle around the Western Cape in a bid to raise awareness around Klinefelter's Syndrome, a little-known disease that affects men, and he stopped over in Knysna recently.
The rider set off from Cape Town in early October, making his way up the South African coastline over the next month until he reached Knysna on Thursday 31 October, after which he took a bit of a break.
Malherbe then continued on his journey on Tuesday last week, staying over in Sedgefield before making his way to George on the Wednesday.
On Thursday he planned to get through to Oudtshoorn, from where he would make the trip back to Cape Town via the Karoo.
The 62-year-old Capetonian was diagnosed with Klinefelter's at the age of 17 after having struggled through high school. This was the start of his lifelong journey to raise awareness about the syndrome, which appears in one in every 500 males – meaning there could be one boy in every high school with Klinefelter's without even realising it.
If you haven't heard of Klinefelter's no one would blame you, as knowledge of the syndrome is scarce, according to Malherbe. "Very few people know about it, even in the medical field information on the syndrome is few and far between," he said.
Malherbe aims to be back in the Cape in six weeks, and will be looking for any assistance along the way.
What is Klinefelter's?
Klinefelter's is a genetic disorder – not hereditary – that sees males develop at least one extra X-chromosome in their cells, so instead of the "normal" 46 chromosomes (23 pairs), an affected male would have 47. The typical male chromosomal structure is "XY", but with men like Klinefelter it is instead "XXY" (a female's chromosomal makeup is "XX"). Some of the symptoms include learning disability, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), low sex drive, lack of libido, infertility, poor expressive and receptive language skills, low muscle tone, and potential rudimentary breast development.
How do you check for Klinefelter's?
You will need to go for blood tests to determine the levels of hormones such as testosterone. You will also need to undergo a karyotype test to determine whether there is indeed an extra X-chromosome.
How does one treat Klinefelter's?
It is best treated from the age of 12, but if you are diagnosed as an adult, it is nowhere near the end of the world.
You will most likely receive testosterone injections, but there are other options such as patches, gels, solutions, and creams. There is no need for affected men to follow any special diet.
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