Although sexual health can be an awkward topic, the fact it can be awkward makes it more important. Not everyone talks about it, and it should be talked about. There are things that can happen to your overall health that are directly related to our sex lives.
Our reproductive system is just one more part of the body that should be cared for. It is all connected.
Both men and women can take steps to be sure their reproductive health stays where it should. This article will be especially helpful for men or women that want to have children, those who have frequent urinary (or other) infections, or those who just want to be sure their whole body is in good shape.
1. Hygiene is essential! Washing your private areas every day is part of staying healthy. Take a bath or a shower every day, if only to wash a few of the more “important” areas. The consequences to avoiding washing down there can cause infections or cause your partner to get infections. Did you know that you should always also wash your hands right before sex? Germs on your hands can cause an infection in your partner. That infection can easily spread to the kidneys and cause severe consequences.
2. Communicate with your partner! What reproductive or sexual topics are relevant to you? Ask your partner if they have anything going on that you need to know about. For example, if a woman has frequent Urinary Tract Infections (UTI’s) or yeast infections, that is important for them to tell their partner.
3. Go to doctors trained for helping with reproductive health. Not only should you be going for issues you have, you should go regularly for screenings. Cervical cancer and testicular cancer are often aggressive, so it is important to look for them as often as you can. You may have some kind of condition or infection you didn’t know you had. That’s the power of preventative care. Reproductive healthcare is not an exception and should be taken seriously.
4. Stay hydrated and eat nutritious foods. Believe it or not, water intake and food choices can affect your reproductive system. Just like every other system in the body, good food and beverage choices are important to the function of this system, too.
5. Practice safe, smart and careful sex. It goes without saying that you should have protection. It can be dangerous to have sex with many partners that you do not know very well. Sexually transmitted infections can have serious consequences, even if you take antibiotics to get rid of it. Some of them have no cure. Keep this in mind.
There you have it, an awkward but incredibly helpful article on health and wellness. Advocate for the wellness of your whole body!