10 Steps to Good Sexual Health
One of the few pleasures in life is indeed sex. It is not only physically satisfying, but also a highly intimate emotional experience for you and your partner.
You may be looking forward to another mind-blowing orgasm with your partner, but don’t forget something important. Being sexually active also means you are at risk of certain sexual health problems.
So don’t throw caution to the wind. Take an active role in taking care of your sexual health, in ten easy steps:
- Play safe
- Be faithful
- Avoid needle use
- Get tested for HIV
- Know your body
- Get screened regularly for other STIs
- Go for a pap smear test
- Visit a gynaecologist
- Maintain good personal hygiene
- Look out for your other half
The danger of STIs and HIV is that it’s invisible. You cannot see it and you cannot know when it will strike. So it is best to protect yourself through safer sex at all times.
STIs and HIV are transmitted via exchange of any bodily fluids. Be vigilant and always use condoms correctly during sexual intercourse. And that includes oral sex too!
In many instances, people are infected by STIs and HIV because of unprotected sex with multiple partners. So give those flings and affairs a miss because you could put you and your other half at risk of STIs and HIV infection. Stay faithful and strengthen your relationship.
HIV can also be transmitted through the sharing of needles. When going through any medical procedures, always make sure the needles are new and the equipment is clean. If you are a drug addict who uses needles, seek help to break free from this habit.
It is always good to err on the safe side, so get yourself tested for HIV periodically. If you are sexually active and choose not to use protection with persons whose HIV status is unknown to you, you should seek a HIV test. Getting tested will allow for early detection and a chance to extend your life if you are infected. It’s even easier now in Singapore, as you can go for rapid HIV testing. Find out more »
Be familiar with your body so that you will know when something does not feel right. Some STIs have observable symptoms, such as unusual discharges from the vagina or experience of pain while passing urine. So be alert and aware of your body, and seek medical attention as soon as you notice anything different. Early treatment is important for a quick recovery and prevention of further infection to your other half or any other health complications.
Take note - some STIs don’t have symptoms. For women, infections such as gonorrhoea and chlamydia do not show symptoms so they can be difficult to detect on your own. Thus it is vital that you get screened for STIs on a regular basis to ensure a clean bill of health.
STI screening is not complicated. All it involves is an examination of your vagina and cervix. Additional swabs may be taken from the rectum and throat. Swabs will be taken and you will usually be tested for candida, bacterial vaginosis, trichomonas vaginalis, chlamydia and gonorrhoea.
Besides getting tested for HIV and STIs, it is also important to take care of your reproductive and sexual organs. So make a trip to any clinic and request for a Pap smear test once a year.
A Pap smear test is an examination of the cells around your cervix to help detect any cancerous or precancerous conditions in your cervix. For the test, cell samples are collected from your cervix using a spatula and speculum. It is a simple, quick and painless process so you have nothing to worry at all. Just relax and let your doctor do the job.
A gynaecologist isn’t just someone you see for pregnancy-related advice and care. He or she is also the best person to provide you with professional and accurate sexual health advice and treatment. So if you have never visited a gynaecologist, perhaps it’s time to make an appointment!
Believe it or not, your hygiene habits can also affect your sexual health. Your vagina, if uncared for, can become a hotbed of bacterial infections. This can be easily avoided - always clean yourself properly after going to the toilet, wear clean underwear and change your tampons/sanitary pads often during menstruation.
HIV and STIs are easily transmitted between people during sexual contact when bodily fluids are exchanged. So look out for your other half because he is also at risk. If you find yourself infected with STIs, including HIV, do not hide the truth from your other half. He needs to protect himself, and he has the right to know and to be your source of support.
Good sexual health is well within reach. All it takes is just some precautions from you.
If you have any questions about your sexual health, you can always seek help and advice from professionals through:
- The AIDS Helpline at 1800 252 1324 (office hours)
- The AIDS Hotline at 6295 2944 (24 hours)
- The Health Promotion Board’s HealthLine at 1800 223 1313
