Sex & you

Sex & you
Showing posts with label sexually transmitted diseases. Show all posts
Showing posts with label sexually transmitted diseases. Show all posts

Wednesday, February 3, 2016

A Basic Guide to Red Penis (Balanoposthitis)

You are probably wondering why a red penis should be a signal for any problem. After all, this is the natural color of penis and a sign that everything is well down there. But, when this red color becomes unusual and intense like the redness that accompanies inflammation, this might be a signal that something is wrong. In many cases, this is the first stage of a health condition in men known as balanoposthitis. It is good to point out that prevention and fast reaction are key factors to solving this problem without any permanent effects.

If you have some knowledge in male sexual health, you might have heard about balanitis. This term is used to describe a common inflammation of the glans penis or the head of the penis. But, only a small number of people have heard about posthitis. This is a health condition that can be found only in uncircumcised men because it actually starts as inflammation of the foreskin. There are situations in which the two aforementioned conditions occur at once and this is what we call balanoposthitis. This is not an uncommon health condition and this is why it is very important for every man to learn more about penis health but not only cure of erectile dysfunction

In order to protect yourself in the beginning, you must be able to identify the symptoms of this health condition. Of course, the most obvious symptom of balanoposthitis is inflammation, but there are few other symptoms and signs that can indicate its presence. Here’s a list of symptoms that occur besides the red color of the penis:

- Discharge that occurs in the subpreputial area. It comes in the form of wet, thick and in some cases smelly discharge located right under the foreskin.
- increased sensitivity and soreness in the penis which increases when the penis is touched. It is obvious that these symptoms can make sex life more complicated.
- Visible sores
- Tightness of the foreskin which makes folding difficult and painful.
- Low energy
- Pain in the lower back area
- Rashes on the penis

It is interesting that this health condition is caused by more than one reason. Al these causes can be separated into two groups – those that have infections as their basis and those that don’t. What every man should know is that some of these causes are dangerous and indicate the presence of more serious problems. Red penis is often a side effect of sexually transmitted diseases like gonorrhea, Chlamydia and syphilis to name a few. Experts agree that one of the most frequent causes are certain dermatological problems like psoriasis, dermatitis and poor hygiene.   

The type of treatment that is recommended depends on the cause. If the root is some STD, doctors will start treating the STD and the red penis effect will be gone once the disease is healed. If the cause is some dermatological problem, men usually have to use some creams or antibiotics.

Make sure to act as soon as you notice some of the changes we have mentioned before. 

Saturday, January 3, 2015

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.

Wednesday, October 15, 2014

How to have sex with a new partner?

You have finally met someone who makes you feel happy and maybe you have already fallen in love. Your mutual attraction can be felt from miles and the sexual tension is rising. It is only a matter of time when you and your new partner will have your first sex. All these things sound nice but before you make your next move it is always a good idea to take few things into consideration.

First of all, you need to be very careful. It is a well known fact that when a relationship is fresh you have the feeling that your partner is ideal but you should know better than that. Having sex with someone that you don’t really know can be extremely dangerous. Many sexually transmitted diseases like genital herpes, syphilis, Chlamydia and HIV cannot be spotted because they don’t have any distinctive external symptoms. This is why it is really hard to tell if someone is infected with some of these diseases or not. Feel free to ask him when the last time he had a test for these diseases was. Even if he had a long serious relationship before you that doesn’t mean that his or her partner was faithful. If you want to be sure that he or she is completely healthy you should both take a test.

Once you know that you are both perfectly healthy you will certainly feel more relaxed and forget about the stress. Don’t be afraid about your sexual performance and don’t think about failures. Remember that the first sex is usually intended to get familiar with your partner and explore each other’s bodies. You can’t expect full sexual play so don’t push to hard in order to impress your partner.

What was driving your ex partner crazy in bed doesn’t mean that it will work with your new partner too. But don’t worry about that. Exploring and researching of new reactions to certain moves and things is very interesting, fun and it will surely improve your sex life. If you start feeling that you are under a lot of pressure it is best to postpone your first sex. There is a lot of time ahead when you can freely explore your bodies. It is better to make sure that both of you are relaxed and ready for your first sexual experience.

In the past men and women usually practiced the so-called missionary sex position but those days are long gone. Today couples practice dozens of different sex positions and on top of that thing like using sex toys or practicing anal and oral sex are nothing unusual.

If you are used to more simple sex, don’t be afraid of using sex toys that your partner may have in the drawer. There is a big chance that the sex toy was brought on purpose and that she or he was planning to use during the sexual intercourse with you. Don’t refuse to have anal sex, but if your partner feels uncomfortable you should first talk about that.  

Monday, May 26, 2014

What are Pearly Penile Papules?

Pearly penile papules are very common in young men. They are also known as Tyson Glands and Hirsuties papilaris genital (medial term).

Pearly penile papules are easy to spot. They come in a form of tiny, white-yellowish embossed dots and they are completely normal variation of the way the penile skin looks like. The surface is smooth and a little bit raised from the surrounding skin, in the form of a dome or similar form. What is typical for them is that in most cases they don’t appear all over glans penis. Over time they fade and they become less visible. Most men have small number of papules that are less than one millimeter long and they are usually located around the glans penis. In some cases they can be larger than one millimeter. Men who have pearly penile papules often describe them or confuse them with acne, pimples or some kind of skin change.

It is important to understand that pearly papules are very common and they usually appear during adolescence or when the men is entering his sexually most active period. Doctors are still unable to determine what the exact cause of their occurrence is. What is certain is that they are not a result of sexually transmitted diseases and sexual contact of any kind or poor hygiene. Men that are uncircumcised have twice the chance to develop pearly penile papules compared to circumcised men. Taking care of your hygiene can improve sexual performance as well. 

Men who are younger than 30 years have a lot more chance to get pearly papules, cases of occurrence of pearly papules above this age are rare. They are definitely not a venereal disease, they can’t turn into a tumor and they cannot cause any other medical condition.

Many men visit their doctor when they notice a change like that in their penis and that is completely normal. But, only after the first examination the doctor rules out the possibility of disease. In some cases papules are similar to genital warts and that’s when biopsy is performed.

Pearly penile papules don’t have symptoms and don’t require treatment. If there are symptoms like itching, redness or similar symptoms they are coming from another condition not because of the papules. However, some patients still want to remove these pearly papules and they can choose various methods to do that. Removal of papules can be successfully done with laser therapy, electro therapy and plastic surgery. Although there were attempts to treat papules with cryotherapy, those attempts are almost never successful. There aren’t any drugs or creams that have proven to be effective in the process of removal of pearly penile papules. Scraping the papules on your own is not recommended because it can lead to infection and damages to the tissue and the papules tend to reoccur after a while.

Many men feel unattractive and embarrassed because of the papules and they tend to avoid sexual intercourses. They can also have negative impact in their self-confidence. The easiest thing to do is to accept that these papules are just a normal variation of penile skin structure. 

Tuesday, April 29, 2014

Tips to improve your sexual health

A lot of people think that if they are using protection and they are frequently performing STD tests that they have done everything they can for their sexual health. Of course, these things are important but there are few other tips that can help you a lot to determine and improve your sexual health.

Those who want to take care of their sexual health and keep it on a high level should always know their situation in the genital area. This means that you should often explore your intimate zone. In order to keep your sexual and reproductive health in good shape, you must observe and explore it. According to some experts you should check this area every month and if you notice some unusual changes a visit to a doctor is the right thing to do.

They way you are taking a bath can significantly affect your sexual health. Try to avoid perfumed soaps, gels and very hot water. A simple mild soap made of natural ingredients and lukewarm water will get the job done. All those scents from perfumed soaps and gels could lead to vaginal irritations and vaginal dryness and hot water can also impact the moisture in the vagina too. After all, who needs a vagina that smells perfectly if it is very dry?

As you can see dryness can negatively affect the whole sexual act and that’s why you also need to pay attention to the way you dry your intimate area. The best way to do it is if you dry only the upper part of the vagina. Of course we are talking about mons pubis, the area where the hair grows. The inner part should be left to dry in a natural way. This inner part must carry moisture and you shouldn’t feel irritation when you are walking. Because of this humidity you are able to enjoy sex.

Many women think that their vaginas should have pleasant smell and often but products that guarantee that their genital area will smell good. Keep in mind that a healthy vagina doesn’t have any special scent. If you are clean and you don’t have any infection or other complication you don’t need to use those perfumed products. In fact, these products can cause damage instead of helping you. They only have short effects and after that you will have to deal with their side effects. In many cases you will end with some infection.

Every time you suspect that you are suffering from some infection consult your doctor. A lot of women think that they can perform self-diagnosis and buy medications unsuitable for their situation. There are different types of infections that require different treatment. Many of them share the same symptoms such as burning sensation, irritation and itching but they are not the same.

Using lubricants during the sexual intercourse is a great idea. You can use condoms with lubricants or specialized lubricants. These lubricants are good because they reduce the chances of a broken condom and they also reduce the chances of damages to the vagina during the intercourse. If you decide to use lubricants try the ones based on water or silicone.

Use these tips to improve your overall health and achieve complete sexual health.

Sunday, April 20, 2014

How to choose proper protection against pregnancy?

Choosing the right method against unwanted pregnancy can be a very difficult task since there are several types of protection. The best thing to do is answer some questions that will help you determine which type of protection is the best for you. If you don’t plan to conceive, before you make the decision it is necessary to see all the negative and positive aspects of some knows methods of birth control. Whatever method you choose, make sure you do it properly.

-         Will that method prevent sexually transmitted diseases?
If you are worried about STDs, you should know that using a condom is the only method that can guarantee you almost total protection against all types of STDs (HIV for example). A condom is a perfect option for those who don’t know their partner well. Women who are changing partners very often and have problems with infections should definitely choose a condom.

-         How would I feel during the sexual intercourse?
This is another legitimate question. People should enjoy sex and certain contraception methods can be very convenient. Make sure you are not allergic to latex if you want to use a condom and also make sure that you are not uncomfortable with the idea of inserting items in your vagina as birth control methods (intrauterine devices for example).

-         Do I want a child in the future?
Since there are permanent and temporary methods of contraception, you should decide whether you want to have kids in the future or not. If you are not very sure always choose a temporary contraception method. Most people avoid permanent contraception methods because it is usually an irreversible method.

-         Will it be difficult to use that method?
Some contraception methods are much easier to use compared to others. For example, a condom is much more practical compared to intrauterine device. Before you decide which method you will use consider all these reasons and find the one that will make you more comfortable.

-         How can an unwanted pregnancy affect my life?
Imagine if you get pregnant after the sexual intercourse and think about how you would feel. Would you feel devastated and would it ruin all your plans for the future? Those who have a stable relationship an don’t want kids at the moment might find unwanted pregnancy not that tragic. That’s why they can use methods that are not that efficient and in most cases those methods are more comfortable.

-         How efficient is a certain method?
Although most of the contraception methods are very efficient there is no method that can guarantee you 100% safety except maybe if you don’t practice sex. That’s why you need to be very serious when you are choosing a contraception method. Methods that are permanent are usually the most efficient. But of course they are more difficult and serious than other methods.

-         Can my medical condition affect my choices?

Although almost every contraception method is designed to suit every person regardless of his or hers medical condition, consult your doctor before you use some method that you might find risky for your health.