Taking care of your reproductive health is taking care of your overall health essentially. Your quality of life depends on the choices you make and the actions you take regarding your body.
Take a look at these practical tips to help you maintain a healthy reproductive system and sex life.
1. Get Yourself Tested
If you are sexually active, be proactive in protecting yourself against sexually transmitted infections, or STIs, that can result in diseases known as STDs.
These infections or diseases are spread by various forms of sexual and intimate contact. They are also common, with more than 1 million STIs acquired every day in 2016. As experts acknowledge, most STIs don’t show obvious symptoms, or if they do, the symptoms are often mild. You or your partner may have it without knowing you have been infected.
Against this backdrop, get tested for your sake and that of your partner. How often should you get checked for STIs? The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that sexually active people get tested for HIV, gonorrhea, chlamydia, etc., once a year.
Being pregnant, having unprotected or unsafe sex, having multiple partners, and sharing needles for drugs are also compelling reasons to undergo testing.
If you need to get treatment, do so right away. STIs are treatable with antibiotics and preventable through vaccines and other appropriate interventions. Seek expert advice on how to avoid contracting such conditions.
2. Take Supplements for Feminine Health
Bacterial vaginosis, or BV, is one example of STI. This bacterial infection can change the pH of your vagina. Like other STIs, BV may not have noticeable symptoms, but some report a strong odor post-sex and greyish vaginal discharge.
You may be prescribed antibiotics for BV treatment. You can also consider using probiotics for BV and related issues.
Take this probiotic supplement, for example. It is formulated to help with vaginal odor and discharge related to BV by regulating vaginal pH. The supplement also helps with urinary tract infections. While not an STI, UTI can occur as a result of sexual activity.
Other supplements to help with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) and other reproductive health concerns are also available.
3. Plan Your Pregnancy
When to have children and whether to have children are matters you can decide. There are several ways to prevent pregnancy, as outlined in this Office of Population Affairs guide. Find out the methods or practices that work best for you.
Some facts about birth control:
- It can be reversible. Birth control methods, such as pills and intrauterine devices, can prevent pregnancy for a specific period. You can stop taking or using them when you want to get pregnant.
- It can be permanent. This is through sterilization, whereby females undergo a surgical procedure called tubal ligation and vasectomy for males.
- It can be done naturally. Abstinence and family planning are examples.
- It can be done by a barrier. A male or female condom, diaphragm or cervical cap, and spermicide can block the entry of the sperm.
Not all contraceptives are designed to prevent both pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections. You will need to use a female (or male) condom for this.
Needless to say, practice safe sex at all times.
4. Boost Fertility
There may be several reasons you are struggling to get pregnant, and infertility can be one of those. And this problem is not exclusive to women because men can have infertility issues too.
If you have trouble conceiving after six months to a year of trying, consult a doctor. You may have to undergo tests to determine the causes of fertility problems.
From your end, you can strive to be healthy to curb risk factors associated with infertility. Here are some lifestyle changes to help you get pregnant:
- Quit smoking.
- Cut back on drinking alcohol, or avoid it.
- Maintain a healthy weight. Check your BMI.
- Eat a healthy diet. For your fertility diet, include foods high in fiber and folic acid.
- Exercise, but do it in moderation.
- Sleep.
5. Talk about It
Pregnancy, infertility, diseases, and sex may be difficult to discuss, but you and your partner need to talk about them at some point. These issues are encompassing and can affect both of you emotionally, physically, and financially.
Communication is always central to a healthy relationship. Emotional support from your partner and people around you is particularly helpful in dealing with a myriad of reproductive health issues.
Pay attention to your body, and take control to protect it. Do you know of other best practices when it comes to maintaining your reproductive health? Let’s hear it in the comment section below.
