Maintaining a healthy sex life is very important for our well-being as humans. However, although it can be crucial for our overall happiness, it should not come at the detriment of our physical health. Being irresponsible with sex can lead to permanent damage for you and your sexual partners which could even stop you from having children. Here we give you some practical advice on maintaining your sexual health and how to avoid contracting an STD.

Protect Yourself First

One of the most obvious precautions you can take is to protect yourself at all times, especially with new sexual partners. Ensure you use condoms every time you have sex. The only occasion when it’s not necessary to wear a condom is if you and your partner are only having sex with each other and that you have both tested negatively for STDs at least six months ago.

Making sure that you wash before and after sex and avoid sharing towels or underwear is another preventative measure to stop the spread of any STDs. If you do find out that you’ve contacted a STD, it’s important to ensure that it does not spread. So, avoid having sex again until your doctor says it’s ok and return to the GP to get checked again regularly.

What Symptoms To Look Out For

Unfortunately, there are often no symptoms when it comes to sexually transmitted diseases, particularly for women who have contracted Chlamydia. However, the disease can still have an impact on the success of pregnancy if left untreated. There are some signs that something might be up, so if you’ve noticed any of the below symptoms be sure to get checked.

  • Pain during urination
  • Blisters or sores around your genitals
  • Itching around the genitals
  • Discharge from the vagina or penis
  • Black powder, or white dots in your underwear (eggs/droppings from public lice

Get Checked Regularly

As mentioned previously, there are often no symptoms when it comes to sexually transmitted diseases. With that in mind, it’s very important to get checked regularly. If you’ve recently had unprotected sex with a new partner, then you should get checked right away. The sooner you can catch an STD, the better your chances of treating it. However, as always, prevention is better than a cure.

Maintain Your Sexual Health With Duality Health

If you need to book an appointment to talk about your sexual health or any other ailments you might have, then don’t hesitate to get in touch or apply for membership. Out Newry practice is located at 9 Monaghan Street, Newry, BT356BB and our Dungannon practice is located at 39 Thomas Street, Dungannon, BT701HN.