Get Screened for Sexually Transmitted Diseases

Safe sex means that you care about your sexual partner’s and your health and well-being, you reduce risk of unwanted pregnancy, and you prevent infection when you have any sexual contact. It also means that you get screened for STDs whenever it is necessary.

Vaginal sex and anal sex are unsafe activities, since blood and sexual fluids can spread diseases. Hormonal contraception options and condoms can make these unsafe activities less risky. Many believe that oral sex is considered safe sex, however, it is a misbelief. If you have oral sex, you are supposed to use condoms (for fellatio) or Sheer Glyde dams or other barriers (for oral sex performed on women). Oral sex is “safer”, but unprotected oral sex can give you ugly surprises: gonorrhea, syphilis, and hepatitis B.

Sex without intercourse – mutual masturbation or online sex – is safe activity. It is safer than penetrative sex, however, you still can get herpes or human papilloma virus. You had better get vaccines against human papilloma virus and hepatitis B.

Get Screened

As a responsible person, you should reduce risk and get screened for STDs. Probably you want to act responsibly, however, you are unaware of the fact that you are infected. Some sexually transmitted diseases like gonorrhea, chlamydia or syphilis do not have obvious symptoms for several months. If you are infected with HIV(human immunodeficiency virus) and hepatitis B, you will not have any symptoms for several months, perhaps years. 

Again, sexually transmitted infections may not have any symptoms, however, they can lead to diseases all the same. Get screened, since it is the only way to tell whether you are infected or not.

You should get a medical check on a regular basis, or, at least, when you sense that something is not all right with your health. If you have unprotected sex, you might face serious consequences, and it is not only HIV that you should think of. Chlamydia, human papilloma virus, pelvic inflammatory disease and trichomoniasis are sexually transmitted diseases. Half of the American population gets a sexually transmitted disease at least once in a lifetime. Buy Maxidus

Painful urination, discharge from your genitals, itching genitals, bleeding, pain in the lower body are tell-tale signs. You should get checked if you have had sex with a risky partner: someone whom you do not trust or who has had a disease just recently.

If you have had sexually transmitted diseases during the past few years, you should get your sexual health monitored and get tested regularly. You do not want any unpleasant consequences. If you have several sex partners, you are at an increased risk.

You must not be shy when it comes to your safety. Tell your partner that you do want to reduce risk and use protection. Always be very honest with your doctor! Listen to your health care provider’s advice. Have physical exams and tests for STDs at least once a year. These tests are not painful, they are somewhat unpleasant, but they are much better than the alternatives. You might have to provide urine sample, blood sample, or a swab of the affected area. Those who belong to the baby boomer generation - they were born between 1945 and 1965 – should get screened for hepatitis C, too.

Birth Control: How Not to Get Pregnant

Thousands of women want to know how not to get pregnant against their will. Birth control and planned parenthood are amongst the most sensitive, most debated areas of sex and sexual health. Safe sex is part of your well-being. One occasion of carelessness is enough to turn your life upside down – so it is important to know how not to get pregnant. Always use protection.

Birth control includes all the methods that you can use to prevent pregnancy: birth control pills, condoms, intrauterine devices, vasectomy, tubal ligation, hysterecotomy (partial or radical).

How Not to Get Pregnant: Hormonal Contraception

Hormonal contraceptives are safe. If you want to know how not to get pregnant, read the following list of hormonal methods.

Combined oral contraceptives, commonly known as birth control pills, are amongst your safest choices. These pills contain hormones named progestin and estrogen. This method has a failure rate of 0.5 percent if used perfectly, its typical failure rate is 9%. It is important to follow your gynecologist’s advice and read the medicine label carefully. It is best if you take your pill at the very same time every single day, for instance, 10.05 p.m. The more accurate you are, the less risk you take.

Progestin only pill or minipill has a failure rate of 9%. It does not contain estrogen. Take the pills at the same time every single day.

An intrauterine device is a T-shaped contraceptive device that a doctor will insert in your womb. It is a long-term solution. It may cause menstrual bleeding that is heavier than usual, and it can cause other painful symptoms like cramps during your period. Its failure rate is low. A copper T intrauterine device can stay inserted in the womb for ten years, it has a failure rate of 0.8%. A hormonal IUD, known as levonorgesterel intrauterine system, LNG IUD, can stay within your womb for five years, its failure rate is 0.2%.

An implant is the safest solution, with a failure rate of 0.05%. Your doctor will insert it beneath your skin on your upper arm. The tiny device contains progestin, released in your body throughout 3 years.

Injections are safe, too, they contain the hormone progestin. You can get a shot every three months. The failure rate is 6 percent, somewhat lower than that of the pill.

Patch should be worn on your lower body – buttocks, abdomen – or upper body, except for the breasts. It releases progestin and estrogen into your system. Put on a new patch every week for three weeks, on the fourth week, you are supposed to have your period. Its failure rate is 9 %, for women over 200 pounds it is higher.

Hormonal vaginal contraceptive ring: you put it inside your vagina and wear it for three weeks. Remove it for a week to have your period, then use another ring. Its failure rate is nine percent.

Emergency contraception must not be used often. It is for cases when you did not use any protection or when protection failed. You can take emergency contraception pills up to 5 days after having sex unprotected.

Barrier Methods

Take your time to learn about methods of how not to get pregnant.

Barrier methods are much less safe than hormonal contraceptives. Do not use them if you want to avoid getting pregnant at any cost.

Diaphragms have a failure rate of 12 percent. Male condoms are good enough to protect you from sexually transmitted diseases, but when it comes to unwanted pregnancy, their failure rate is considerable, 18%. Female condoms have an even higher risk, a failure rate of 21 percent. Spermicides have a failure rate close to 30 percent, which means using them is never a safe option.

Permanent Methods of How Not To Get Pregnant

If you are sure that you do not want children, your best option of how not to get pregnant is contraceptive sterilization.

If you have a radical hysterecotomy or you just get your ovaries removed, you have no chance to get pregnant ever again. If you have a partial hysterecotomy, you leave your ovaries intact, but you get your whole womb removed, you cannot get pregnant. No risk is involved here.

Tubal ligation has a low failure rate, 0,1%. Transcervical sterilization is also safe, with a failure rate of 0,1%. Vasectomy has a similarly low failure rate.

Unsafe Ways

Hopefully you know that the rhythm method and interrupted coitus are absolutely unsafe ways of how to not get pregnant. Even the most vehement naturalists admit that time and again they “result in the births of wonderful children”.

Abortion

Abortion and abortion pill are emergency methods for birth control, only for cases when other protective methods have already failed. There are unfortunate situations in life when it can be an option.

How to take care of your private parts while on vacation?

People make a lot of preparations before they go on a summer vacation. They often bring all kinds of items and in many cases many of those items are completely unnecessary. But what most of them forget is that we should take care of our sexual health and private parts before and while we are on vacation. 

Those who are planning to go in some hot areas should be especially careful because most popular tourist destinations usually have ideal climate for bacteria procreation which can result in some serious infections. That’s why before you go on a summer vacation you should make a well organized plan for intimate hygiene that will protect you from your long, hot journey.

First and foremost check your underwear. Manufacturers today produce underwear made of different materials (some of them are natural and some are artificial). If you are planning to go in some place where the weather is hot then the best option is to wear underwear made of cotton. 

Unlike underwear made of synthetic material, cotton underwear has strong anti-bacterial properties. They tend to soak the sweat which occurs because of the hot weather. Remember to change your underwear regularly. Changing your underwear once a day is a good routine. In this way you can be sure that you are providing ideal amount of freshness and cleanness for your private parts. If you are used to wear daily pantiliners should take a break from them at least while they are on vacation. They are made of synthetic material and no matter how good air flow they provide they are still potentially dangerous for the skin in your vaginal area.

Products for intimate hygiene are very important for sexual health and that’s why they should be part of the necessary items in your bag. Make sure you buy some wipes for intimate hygiene. Thanks to these wipes you can freshen up your private parts especially if the trip is long or in case you are on some excursion where there is no access to water. Depending on your skin type choose wipes with suitable pH levels. These wipes are not suitable for children. Because of the change of climate, environment and water occurrence of fungal or other infections is very probable so take a shampoo for intimate hygiene. These shampoos are very helpful and once again make sure you buy one with appropriate pH level. Besides these medical products you can also make your own home remedy by using sugar-free yoghurt. You can apply this yoghurt on your private parts and keep it for a while. This remedy is highly efficient against fungus.   

If you are planning to stay longer then you will certainly experience a menstrual period while on vacation. Carrying tampons and pantiliners is a must. Of course you can find these items in most stores around the world but it is always good to be cautious.

Finally, if you are going on your summer vacation without a partner, try to avoid sexual intercourses with strangers. But if you still want to do that, make sure that you practice safe sex.