To avoid diseases in general, it’s indispensable to keep a sexual hygiene on a daily basis. Strong odors in the genital area may indicate infections.
FOR MEN: Hygiene: daily baths or showers. Non-circumcised penises require special attention when it comes to cleaning the gland area, retracting the foreskin to prevent secretion accumulation. At any sign of unusual secretions, it’s better to go see a clinician. Self-Exam: It consists in examining your own testes regularly. Testicular cancer, which is common ground among young men has a recovery rate of 90% when detected on time.The best moment to perform a testicular exam is after a bath or a shower, since the scrotum skin is relaxed and loose. Roll each testicle between your thumb and your forefinger, softly moving the skin and touching the entire surface, looking for changes in texture, size and weight. You may feel the epididymides (highly coiled tubes in which the sperm is stored at the backside of the testicle) as being too firm to touch, but don’t take it as being a tumor. FOR WOMEN: Hygiene: It’s recommended to clean the genital area whenever you change from vaginal to anal penetration, to prevent germs that may cause genital infection. It’s suggested avoiding soaping the vaginal lips while cleaning the genital area, since it may cause irritation on the tissues of the vulva. During menstruation it’s recommended to take baths regularly. However, don’t use vaginal douches or deodorants, except by medical prescription. After sex, vaginal douches are not only ineffective as a contraceptive method, but also not recommended, since it destroys the vaginal flora, increasing the risk of infections. In case of any unusual secretions it’s wise to see a clinician. Self-Exam: through a regular breast exam it’s possible to detect lumps, changes in shape or secretions in the nipples. Every woman should perform this exam once a month. The best time to perform the exam is two or three days after menstruation, since the breasts are less likely to be tender. After menopause, women should exam their breasts always at the same day of the month. Lumps can be malign tumors, although usually lumps are nothing too serious, caused by Pre Menstrual Syndrome or even a cyst (a closed pouch of tissue, filled with fluid), a fibroadenoma (a solid and painless lump) or an abscess (an accumulation of pus). An exam of the cervical secretion or the nipple secretion is a procedure that allows an early detection of abnormal cells in the cervix.
Every sexually active woman should perform this exam every three years. The cervical secretion test is essential for people with genital herpes, since it’s a disease associated with a high chance of developing cancer. It is also important for every woman who happened to have sexual intercourse with a man having genital sores to do a re-test every year during her entire life, since it brings out more possibilities of developing a pre-cancerous condition in the cervix.
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