Happy Valentine’s week to all the beautiful couples out there. As we celebrate Valentine’s week, it is important to keep sexual life healthy and happy. In this article, you will find some tips by a doctor on ensuring to keep your sexual life healthy and safe.
Sex education has long been a taboo and people till date are not ready to speak openly about it. On the other hand, lack of sexual awareness is leading to sexually transmitted infections and diseases causing serious health complications as dangerous as cancer.
To know how an individual can maintain a proper sexual health, the OnlyMyHealth team connected to Dr Jagriti Varshney, gynaecologist and obstetrician, New Delhi.
Importance Of Maintaining Sexual Health
Dr Varshney said, “It is very important to maintain a good sexual health, as it implies that people are having satisfying and protected sex, having the capability to reproduce and have freedom to decide when and how to do so. It is also important to have access to accurate information and affordable contraception.”
According to Dr Varshney, people must be informed and empowered about various sexually transmitted diseases, which are very prevalent these days because of multiple partners and IV drug abusers.
Also read: Benefits Of Ashwagandha For Sexual Health As Per Experts
Keeping Sexual Infects At Bay
Shedding light on the importance of perineal hygiene for both males and females, Dr Varshney said, “Maintaining a good perineal hygiene can help you get rid of and prevent several infections. This goes without saying, you should alway clean your private areas after using the washroom, especially public washrooms.”
Advising on how to maintain hygiene, “Do not blindly fall for the advertisements or someone’s recommendations about the various perineal washes in the market which are being endorsed. It is advisable to clean your private areas with plain water or if needed, a mild soap, nothing else is needed,”
She further said, “Urinating after sexual intercourse is advisable after sex as it helps flushing out the germs which might take a chance to enter the body through urethra and can cause urinary tract infections.”
Talking about condoms and sexual toys, Dr Varshaney said, “If one is using sex toys then it is important that they clean it after every use. If you’re using condoms, both male and female, make sure you’re disposing of them well and using the same condom may increase the risk of infection and it negates the purpose of using it.”
She advised making a visit to a gynaecologist if you see any symptoms like redness around the area or white discharge, itching or anything that is unusual.
Condoms
Explaining the importance of condoms, Dr Varshaney said, “Condoms not only protect you from unwanted pregnancy but also from the various sexually transmitted diseases which could spread through the bodily fluids or spread via skin to skin contact. It protects you from STIs like Syphilis, Human Papillomavirus and Herpes.
When asked how an individual can protect themselves from the above infections apart from condoms, she said, “Monogamous relationship is one of the best and most reliable ways to avoid STDs and STIs.” She emphasised on taking available vaccinations for HPV and Hepatitis B.
Also read: Early Signs Of STI You Should Not Ignore
Other Measures To Keep Sexual Life Healthy
Dr Varshaney helped us list down some measures on keeping sexual life healthy.
Exercise
Regular exercise can have a positive impact on the sexual health and libido of a person as it stimulates the production of endorphins in our body. Giving an example of exercise named kegel, Dr Varshaney said exercising is important for both men and women to increase their stamina.
No smoking
Smoking increases the risk of erectile dysfunction and it impacts greatly on a couple’s sexual life. Similarly, women who smoke may experience a drop in libido. Smoking also interferes with the oestrogen production leading to infertility
Awareness before being sexually active
According to Dr Varshaney, it is utterly important to be aware of contraceptives and how to stay safe from STIs before starting your sexual journey.
Bottomline
Concluding, Dr Varshaney said, “Introducing sex education to children right from school is important for both disease prevention and promoting good sexual health. The main aim of sex-education should be avoiding the two most prevalent problems among young people are STIs/STDs and unintended pregnancies.”