S*x is an amazingly thrilling experience
that most people look forward to having with their partners, however
certain things can limit the full enjoyment the experience affords.
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.
S*x 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:
1. Shaving or waxing before s*x:
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 s*x,
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 s*x, never shave before s*x.
2. 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
(s*x hormone) levels, hence, people are advised not to smoke before s*x.
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 p*nis. “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.
3. Eating too much or taking energy drinks:
No doubt, s*x 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, s*x, 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 s*x, 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.”
4. 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 s*x. 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 s*x.
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 s*x. So, to have a sustained
healthy s*xuality, masturbating should not be an option.
Meanwhile, medical experts have advised
that if a woman pees after s*x, 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 s*x, 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.”
0 comments:
Post a Comment