Sexual Health:
Sexual Health is nothing but a reflection of your overall physical and emotional well being. Try to keep your body healthy al the times. And you yourself will observe how much of a difference it makes to your sex life and pleasure derived from it.
Generally, your overall health depends on your lifestyle, diet and your fitness regime. Let us take a closer look what all matters for our sexual health
Lifestyle
Here are some things that you can do to safeguard and enhance your reproductive health. Read carefully, If you have any of following habits, and you want to improve your sexual health, Then it is the RIGHT time to MODIFY those habits, which you anyway planning for long.
- Quit smoking. Cigarette smoking is linked to low sperm counts, and research shows a 64% increase in miscarriages when both partners smoke or just when the man smokes.
- No marijuana. Long-term use of this drug also results in a low sperm count among men, as well as sperm that exhibits abnormal patterns of development.
- Cut down on alcohol. Chronic alcohol abuse damages your reproductive system, which reduces your ability to produce normally-formed sperm cells.
- Increase your daily dose of Vitamin C. Low levels of Vitamin C may cause your sperm to clump together, rendering almost 16% of all men infertile.
- Watch your nutrition. If you're malnourished or not getting enough of the proper foods and nutrients, your sperm count could suffer.
- No intense exercising/exertion. Men who exercise excessively can reduce their sperm count due to the heat that builds up around the testicles during an overly-strenuous workout.
- Keep your scrotum cool. It's true what they say... excessive heat in the scrotal area can result in lower sperm count volume. Wear loose-fitting underwear, and avoid tight jockey shorts and jogging pants. Also avoid hot tubs, hot baths, saunas, or hot work environments.
- Stay clear of environmental poisons and hazards, including pesticides, insecticides, lead, ionizing radiation, heavy metals and toxic chemicals.
- Finally, abstain from sex. Brief periods of sexual restraint (three to six days) will increase both the volume and potency of semen. Don't abstain for long periods, though! Prolonged abstinence results in higher volume of older sperm, which exhibit decreased mobility.
Be more knowledgeable about your health in general. Be conscious about YOURSELF.
Diet
Diet – believe it or not. The most essential part of a health regime. To keep yourself fit, your diet must be well balanced with all essential nutrients, vitamins and minerals.
"DOs" - Here’s a list of the best foods for better sexual functioning:
- Vitamin B1 - Beans, peas, lentils, raw nuts, yogurt, brown rice, whole grain flour, pork
- Niacin - Brewer's yeast, peanuts, beetroot, swordfish, salmon, tuna, pork
- Vitamin B6 - Sunflower seeds, lentils, bananas, carrots, avocados, eggs tuna, shrimp
- Folic acid - Chick peas, lentils, green leafy vegetables, citrus fruits, cheese, tuna, salmon
- Vitamin C - Citrus fruits, green leafy vegetables, tomatoes
- Vitamin E - Raw nuts, seeds, wheat germ, spinach, egg yolks, oils
- Beta carotene - Fruits and vegetables which are yellow and red in color
- Zinc - Beans, peas, lentils, sunflower seeds, spinach, pumpkin, molasses, oysters, turkey, beef, pork
- Selenium - Brewer's yeast, whole grains
Drink lots of water!
150 - 200oz of pure bottled water everyday does wonders to your overall health. Water is a great cleansing agent and the good habit of drinking lots of it everyday helps you detoxify your body.
"DON'Ts" - Foods to avoid:
- Excessive alcohol and caffeine - These tend to constrict blood vessels and impair circulation which is very important for proper sexual functioning.
- Nicotine from cigarette smoking – Smoking is known to affect sperm count adversely.
- Certain medications (please consult your doctor) tend to impede sexual performance.
- Stay away from sugar, food additives, preservatives and processed food. Learn to have things like chocolate, soft drinks, candy, coffee, frozen dinners, doughnuts, pastries in moderation.
Refrain from bingeing on things you know are bad for your health.
Fitness
Fitness is something which is always on tomorrow’s agenda, and usually the same case with almost everyone. But this postponing of fitness curriculum is adding unnecessary fat deposits and adding to your waist line. If that is the case, take off all the blocks and start exercising. Once you begin, you will get used to it, and your body will show the benefits.
Self esteem and confidence levels are the package parts of the fitness and you’ll notice it will make you more desirable to the opposite sex. A general aerobics workout should help you keep your bulging waistline tucked well in shape. Start with a 20-30 min workout thrice a week and increase it gradually to 30-40 min 4-6 a week.
Some easy, healthy and effective tips for fitness:
NOTE: You should consult your physician before beginning any new fitness plan. Choose activities that you would ENJOY.
- Weight loss, if necessary
- Eat more fruits and incorporate fresh juices in your daily intake.
- Don’t overdo the salt!
- Drink more water.
- Walk, Walk, Walk!
- Fry less, bake/boil more
- Do 5 sit-ups each morning.
- Do NOT skip breakfast.
- Maintain a fitness regime.
- Jump rope.
- Ride a bicycle.
- Invest in a Personal Trainer.
- Believe in yourself. And you’ll get there eventually.
* Join a fitness center ONLY if you can commit to going at least 3 days per week.
Contraception
Sex is a magnificient and stimulating experience for anyone, if performed properly. However, taking precaution is a MUST when you don’t want to land up in undesirable situations. It is thus advisable to consider various forms of birth control available, with your partner, however, never simply assume that contraception is being taken care of by your partner.
Various form of Contraception:
Abstinence: Abstinence is the decision to abstain from sexual intercourse. Absolutely doesn’t mean to abstain from all sexual contact but vaginal intercourse.
Condoms: most prevalent and commonly used. Condoms are easy-to-use and successful most of the times. Condoms are available for both, Men and Women.
Ovulation method: The Cervical Mucous produced near ovulation (fertility sign) is necessary for sperm migration and nourishment and is only present for a week or so every cycle. Approximately, a week before and after the menstrual cycle is considered SAFE.
Birth Control Pill: These pills act to produce changes in the uterus making it inhospitable for implantation of an egg and makes difficult for sperms to get thru ovarian wall.
The Morning-After Pill: This is a high-dose combination of the female hormones estrogen and progestin. This is only used in case of emergency when you forgot to use or your chosen contraception has failed.
Vaginal Spermicides: comes handy as a gel form, is a chemical that kills sperms.
Withdrawal: The withdrawal method involves the man to withdraw his penis from vagina, right before ejaculation. If the man neglects to do this carefully and in time, this method will certainly fail.
Sexually Transmitted Diseases
Sexually transmitted diseases (STD) are another major concern beside unwanted pregnancy. Also known as Sexually transmitted Infections (STI) or Venereal Disease (VD) or social diseases, these are the infections have a transmission mode between humans only via sexual contact, vaginal intercourse, oral sex, and/or anal sex.
Especially, when you are planning to indulge with new sex partner, it is crucial to use some form of protection that can minimize the likelihood of contracting an STD. If you happen to acquire one, or you believe if something is wrong, please contact you physician immediately. Your physician will be the right person to diagnose your condition, give you accurate information and prescribe the correct medication to deal you problem.
STDs and their symptoms:
The United States has the highest rates of STDs in the developed world. An estimated 15.3 million new cases of STDs are reported each year in the US alone. In comparison with men, women suffer more frequent and more severe complications from STDs.
If you develop any of the following symptom, please get yourself checked from a healthcare professional. Don’t delay as it could lead you to more painful and serious problems!
Symptoms of an STD include:
- Painful urination
- Dark Yellow Urine
- Cloudy urine
- Abnormal discharge from the penis
- Itching, tingling, pain, or burning of the genitals
- Sores, lumps, blisters, rashes, or warts on / around the genitals
- Crusting at the tip of the penis
- Epididymitis (pain, swelling/ tenderness in the scrotum)
- Prostatitis (deep pelvic ache)
- Fever
Note: If you suspect you may have symptoms of an STD, it is not advisable to have sexual contact or activity till it has been diagnosed and treated. This will reduce the possible spread of infection to your sexual partner.
