Intimate hygiene in women

Hygiene is next to godliness is an ancient saying found in many nations. Nowadays, people are taking more than one shower a day and if you are a woman, you should know that excessive use of aggressive soaps can seriously disrupt the delicate balance of microflora in the intimate regions and reduce the possibility of self-defense. Almost every modern woman has experienced tingling, itching or pain in the vagina accompanied by exaggerated secretion at least once in her life. These problems rarely stop on their own and they are usually one of the main reasons to visit a gynecologist.

In the period of puberty, women experience the process of secretion in this area which occurs due to the peeling of cells located in the lining of vagina and cervix. The smell,, color and the quantity of secretions vary depending on the period of the cycle. The secretion contains millions of bacteria and the vast majority of them are harmless. The most important microorganisms in the intimate region are the lactobacilli that can turn glycogen into lactic acid. The glycogen can be found in the cells of the vagina and the lactic acid is here to maintain the protective pH value. Disorders in the microflora and changes in the pH levels of the vagina can occur for various reasons – stress, low immunity, fatigue, hormonal changes and misbalance, antibiotic therapy, pregnancy, menopause etc. Wearing a thong or too narrow pads, pants and underwear made of synthetic material contributes to the development of the imbalance because it prevents the skin to breathe and favor the transmission and spread of bacteria.

In order to avoid discomfort, it is crucial to take proper care of your intimate hygiene. There is a huge choice of products and means for keeping proper maintenance of the hygiene in the intimate area on the market. Almost all famous cosmetic brands produce baths, gels, shower gels, wet wipes etc. What is important is to choose a product that has pH value of about 4 and doesn’t contain perfumes. You should be especially careful with shower gels because many of them don’t have pH adjusted to the pH value of skin. This value is about 5.5 and the pH of intimate areas is 3.8 or 6.8 in women in post-menopause period. Since it is not a wise choice to overdo things, don’t overuse these products too. It is enough to apply them once a day or even less frequently. Many gynecologists even advise to wash only with water in order to give chance to the microflora to regenerate in a natural way. When you are traveling, use wet wipes which are specially designed for intimate care, but keep in mind that they are not an appropriate alternative for washing. Intimate hygiene is especially important during the period of menstruation. By practicing proper hygiene you will be able to reduce the risk of development of airborne bacteria and fungi. Try to change the tampons every 2-3 hours and replace them over night too. They should be made of completely natural materials.            

Human Papillomavirus

Human papillomavirus is a DNA virus that affects the keratinocytes or mucous membranes at the genital areas and throat and mouth areas. It is a sexually transmitted virus. It has several different types; one can have more different types of HPV at the same time, and different types can lead to different health problems. In many cases, HPV infection has no particular consequences, the patients have no symptoms, this is what we call subclinical infection. The body’s immune system can deal with a subclinical infection, so the patient can heal within two years, without any medical treatment. However, HPV can be present in the body for several years, causing no symptoms, and one cannot foresee whether the subclinical infection will go away on its own or it will lead to serious health issues. In some cases, HPV can cause benign papillomas or lesions. It may cause genital warts in both sexes. There is a link between some types of HPV and cancers, i.e. cervical cancer, a disease that might be fatal.

Human papillomavirus is the most common sexually transmitted infection, about 40 types of HPV can infect you through sexual activities. If you are sexually active, chances are that you will come across HPV sometime in your life. Vaginal and anal sex activities are particularly risky, but you also take chances when you have oral sex or non-penetrative sex. There are types of HPV that infect the genital area; rarely, the same type of HPV may infect the throat, causing warts within, we call this disease recurrent respiratory papillomatosis.

Notice Signs and Symptoms of Human Papillomavirus Infection

Since human papillomavirus infection may not cause symptoms, infected persons might not know about their condition. This is why screening is important. If you have multiple sexual partners, you might be at risk. Get screened for HPV on a regular basis.

Prevention is vital. Use latex condoms and other barrier methods. You can prevent human papillomavirus infection if you get vaccinated. Young men and women – in their early teens to their mid-twenties – should get vaccines.

Genital warts can appear after several months of your getting infected. They are bumps or clusters of bumps at the genitals, outside the body or within the body. They can be small or large, lumpy, flat or cauliflower shaped. When you have such symptoms, turn to your doctor. Probably your warts will go away with time, but perhaps they will not. Either way, they will not turn into a cancer: this particular type of HPV does not lead to cancers. On the other hand, while the specific type of HPV that cause warts does not cause cancer, you can be infected with other, more dangerous types of human papillomavirus at the same time.

When you are infected with HPV, you can develop cervical cancer and other HPV-related cancers. Cervical cancer rarely has symptoms. By the time it does, it is in an advanced stage. This time, it is hard to handle. Prevention is the key. Screening tests can help a lot, because you will not experience symptoms. Other cancers – cancers of the vulva, vagina, penis or the back of the throat – caused by HPV have no signs and symptoms until their last stages.

Recurrent respiratory papillomavirus means that the patient may have warts within the throat.

Few Things Some Women Are Too Afraid to Ask For in Bed

Most women find easy telling their partner anything about them or themselves and admit things that made them feel ashamed, but they won’t say a word when it comes to expressing their own sexual desire. Many women feel the same – they are in a horizontal position with their partner who knows his routine and they know their move and what comes after every step. They feel desperate and visualize their partner kissing or touching the parts of the body they want, but nothing happens. After the sex is finished they feel sorry that they didn’t say anything and promise to tell them the next time but fail once again.

It is good to mention that every relationship is different and it is very difficult to generalize what happens in someone’s bed, but some tips and advice can certainly help people overcome some psychological barriers that many women have about openness and confidence when it comes to engaging in sexual activities. It sounds almost unbelievable, but the fact is that most women don’t speak about their sexual desires with their partners mostly because they feel ashamed. By following some of these tips you can expect to enjoy sex more, but you should also be prepared to give something to your partner that you have never given before because chances are that your partner will express certain sexual desires.

Oral sex

Many women would love to experience oral sex, but they are afraid that their vagina smells or tastes bad. This is simply not true because the vagina secretes the same substances as the penis and this doesn’t stop men to ask for oral sex. Before you ask for oral sex make sure to remove excess hair from the genital area and maintain hygiene on a high level. Cleanliness and neatness will surely give you a lot more confidence and make your partner feel better down there. A subtle way to show your partner that you want oral sex is to take your partner’s finger in your mouth, lick it and place it between your legs.

More action in public

This doesn’t mean that some of you want to practice sex in public. This action is more than a regular sexual intercourse; it can involve more passionate kissing in a corner of a nightclub or hot dancing on a dance floor. Many men have trouble when it comes to relaxation in the public, but luckily there are few tips that can help you with that. For example, you can both drink some alcohol (not too much) in order to relax. Once you had a couple of drinks, wait for your favorite song and start dancing with your partner. Sex in a public place requires more boldness and there is no way to prepare your partner for this except a direct proposal (you can also decide to go outside without wearing underwear).

You want to be dominant

Don’t forget that sex is like a game. There are situations when you can lead the sex game while in other situations your partner will be the leader. If you want to be dominant it is a good idea to be the first one that initiates sex. Men will gladly leave their partner to be dominant if they were the ones that initiated sex. If during the sex act your partner wants to take the lead, tell him to relax and enjoy and let you be the one that will satisfy him.