For women, keeping your sexual health in check is important because it impacts your overall health. It’s important to stay in tune with your body and listen to what it’s telling you so you will be aware when something is amiss. Simple actions like taking supplements and speaking with a doctor can make a great impact on your overall sexual health.
1. Exercise
Exercising on a consistent basis is important because exercising puts you in a better state of mind and encourages good digestive health. Being in a good mental state and having a well-working digestive system is important because both play a large role in your sexual health.
2. Wash Your Hands
Washing your hands is important in all aspects of your health, including your sexual health. Women are constantly on the go, moving from one task to the next, so it might be easy to skip washing your hands or only wash your hands before you eat. However, you should be washing your hands frequently to prevent illness and to eliminate the spread of germs. Germs will impact all areas of your health, even your sexual health, so it’s crucial to limit the amount of germs your body comes in contact with.
3. Eat Well
There’s no quick fix for the “heartburn” that comes with sex. However, a little proactive healthy eating can go a long way. Eating plenty of fruits, vegetables, fiber, and protein will help improve your sexual health, and it’s smart to eliminate how much fatty and sugary foods you eat.
4. Use Probiotic Supplements
Whether or not you’re feeling down and out from a bad date, there’s a pretty easy fix: A probiotic supplement may be your new best friend. Probiotics are ‘good’ bacteria that help promote healthy and good bowel movements.
5. Talk to Your Doctor
If you’re experiencing pelvic pain on a regular basis, or are unsure about what’s going on, make sure you speak to your health care provider about sexual health. There are several conditions that may be going undiagnosed or misdiagnosed, including endometriosis, uterine fibroids, vulvovaginal atrophy, fibroids, or adenomyosis.
While it’s not exactly the most pleasant thing to discuss in a doctor’s office, it’s important to get screened for STIs. While most people can take the non-contraceptive route, more and more health clinics are offering women a standing order to test for cervical and breast cancer, gonorrhea, chlamydia, herpes, HPV, and syphilis. There are also clinics dedicated solely to genital health. Most of these provide a vaginal HIV test, breast cancer and STD testing, and pap tests, as well as pap smears and HPV tests, and most are able to do a vaginal swab. In addition, you should get a pap smear every three years starting at age 21, and every five years starting at age 30 if a woman has had any vaginal intercourse in the past three years.
Menopause can be a major mood-killer, as well as a major trigger of inflammation in the body. Improving overall hormone balance is a good way to increase sexual satisfaction. New research shows that it’s not just enough to add omegas-3-rich foods to your diet.
When your gut is out of whack, you can’t even think about doing the deed! Drink lots of water to keep your body hydrated and clear-headed, and stay away from alcohol, which can dehydrate you and keep you from having sex!