When it comes to sex, it is every
married couple’s desire to enjoy it and still be able to relish the
thought of it thereafter. Apart from the numerous health benefits of sex
to the human system, the pleasure that comes with it is electrifying
and almost unrivalled.
Notably, there are many routes to sexual
satisfaction, but the mostly adopted means of reaching climax is
through intercourse, which is about the most effective for men, unlike
women who are more likely to reach orgasm faster through nipple or
clitoral stimulation.
Sex is to be enjoyed, but
understandably, there are medical conditions that prevent or forbid
people from having sex, usually for some time. Meanwhile, beyond those
conditions, there are some other things people do that may tamper with
how much they enjoy sex and even impact on their overall health
afterwards.
Some of these issues directly affect
sexual performance, while some are safety tips. Hence, it may be helpful
to discuss what people should take cognisance of when they are about to
have a romp in the sack so as to enjoy it and guide against infection.
These include:
Shaving or waxing before sex:
Due to the belief that the pubic hair could breed unpleasant smell and
because some people do find it disgusting, people tend to shave or use
wax to remove the hair in that region. But inasmuch as being ‘clean’ in
that region is seen as a good hygienic practice, experts have advised
that it is advisable not to shave before sex, simply because shaving or
waxing tends to open up the small pores in the skin and while the sexual
activity is ongoing, body contact could lead to infection, or rashes,
which could multiply in little time because the place is usually warm
and so germs and bacteria could multiply there quickly. Some people
shave shortly before sex because of the feeling that their partner might
find the pubic hair unattractive.
A medical doctor, Emily Gibson, said
removal of pubic hair would always inflame the hair follicles in that
region and leave some open wounds that could cause irritation of the
shaved or waxed area, leading to the spread of sexually transmitted
infections.
She added, “When that irritation is
combined with the warm moist environment of the genitals, it becomes a
happy culture media for some of the nastiest of bacterial pathogens,
namely group A streptococcus, staphylococcus aureus and its recently
mutated cousin, methicillin resistant staph aureus.
“There is an increase in staph boils and
abscesses, necessitating incisions to drain the infection, resulting in
scarring that can be significant. It is not at all unusual to find
pustules and other hair follicle inflammation papules on shaved
genitals.
“Additionally, I’ve seen cellulitis,
soft tissue bacterial infection without abscess of the scrotum, labia
and penis from spread of bacteria from shaving or from sexual contact
with strep or staph bacteria from a partner’s skin. And some clinicians
are finding that freshly shaved pubic areas and genitals are also more
vulnerable to herpes infections due to the microscopic wounds being
exposed to virus carried by mouth or genitals. It follows that there may
be vulnerability to spread of other STIs as well.”
Also, a consultant endocrinologist, Dr.
Michael Olamoyegun, explained that shaving before sex does not influence
performance, but that “in the course of shaving, the person can sustain
injuries, and during sex, there would be body contact and the ease of
transmitting infection into the injured area would be high because the
pubic hair serves as a form of protection.”
So, to avoid infections from creeping into your system courtesy of sex, never shave before sex.
Smoking: Apart from the
negative effect smoking has on the heart, it turns out that it also has
an effect on people’s sexual performance. It could reduce libido as it
lowers testosterone (sex hormone) levels, hence, people are advised not
to smoke before sex. The same applies to taking alcohols.
According to a
sexual health expert, Dr. Vijaysarathi Ramanathan, smoking could affect
a man’s erection. He said, “Smoking affects almost every system/organ
of the body including sexual functioning. People need to understand that
erection in men has a lot to do with a healthy heart, blood vessels and
good blood flow. So anything that affects blood flow will definitely
affect the erection.”
In his explanation on Health Site, he
said further that Nicotine, a toxic oily liquid that is the chief active
constituent of tobacco, could clog the arteries and restrict blood flow
to the genitals, which would affect performance.
For couples aiming at pregnancy,
Ramanathan said smoking could also lower a man’s sperm count; cause
genetic damage to the sperm and reduce the ability of the sperm to swim
to where it will fertilise the egg. And in women, it could also cause
sex-related problems, like reduced sex drive, among others.
On smoking, Olamoyegun said the
constituents of cigarettes can narrow the arteries and veins that supply
blood to the penis. “Smoking causes vasoconstriction; narrowing the
blood vessel, so, the amount of blood that goes into the penis will
reduce. And since the erection of the penis has to do with blood flow,
it may affect the man’s erection.
Eating too much or taking energy drinks:
No doubt, sex is an activity that is very involving and tiring, and so
it is not uncommon for some people to eat before sex as if they are
going to fight, especially men, all in the name of preparing for the
act. But findings have shown that it is better to eat snacks, nuts or
light food before doing ‘it’ to avoid feeling drowsy. In the same vein,
experts have said that people should do away with heavy, gassy and
high-fibre food to avoid frustrating the partner with a sluggish and
poor performance eventually. So, it is not the time to eat five wraps of
heavy food like someone going to the war front. Also, it has been found
that it is not advisable to take energy drinks. People do this to have
some energy to ‘deliver’ but experts have said the impact may not last
long and that it tends to leave the person tired and weak after a
(short) while.
According to Olamoyegun, sex, just like
other forms of exercise, should not be preceded by eating heavy food. He
said, “Normally, if you want to do any exercise, including sex, you are
not supposed to take any heavy meal, because doing so could lead to
aspiration in the course of the activity; the food can come from the
stomach to the air pipe, and that is not good. So, it is better to eat a
light food.
Masturbating: This is
one tactic some people use, usually done hours before the intercourse,
so as to prolong sex and it is mostly done by men who have premature
ejaculation or women who crave prolonged sex. They believe that having
ejaculated (men) or reached orgasm (women) moments before the sex would
delay their next orgasm, but findings have shown that such can make
erection almost impossible and the fact that it can kill sex drive when
it comes to having real intercourse with someone of the opposite sex.
Ultimately, experts have found that masturbation can be addictive, and
after engaging in it for a long time, such persons tend to lose interest
in real sex. So, to have a sustained healthy sexuality, masturbating
should not be an option.
Meanwhile, medical experts have advised
that if a woman pees after sex, it could reduce the likelihood of her
getting urinary tract infection. They said the urine would have flushed
out any bacteria present. It is not a must, but it is helpful.
Olamoyegun had this to say on it, “The
vagina and the urethra are close, so after sex, if you pee, you flush
out the bacteria before it settles into the tract. You don’t necessarily
have to do that but it could be helpful too.”
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