Sexual knowledge

Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) are the ones transmitted through the genitals, mouth or anus during sexual intercourse. It can also be transmitted from mother to her baby, during pregnancy or after childbirth. Sexually transmitted diseases have become one of the major global public health concerns, involving both men and women.

Although most STDs are treatable, some of them, such as HIV (AIDS), genital herpes, and Human Papillomaviruses (HPV), which is the root cause of genital warts, are incurable.

Sexual health, contraception, condoms

There are various methods of contraception for men and women, some of which protect an individual from the transmission of sexually transmitted diseases. Condom is a type of pregnancy control – in addition to contraception – that helps prevent the spread of sexually transmitted diseases as well. There are two types of condoms, female condoms and male condoms.

STD can be transmitted to others through individuals who are not aware of their infection. Therefore, always use safety tools during sex, even oral sex, unless you are sure of your partner’s sexual health.

If you are in a relationship, be sure of the health of yourself and your sexual partner before sex.

The only confident way of preventing infection is absolute avoidance of sexual contact, which includes oral sex and intercourse.

Talk about safe sex with your partner.

Talk about sexually transmitted diseases before having sex with someone. Even if your partner does not have STD symptoms, he/she may still be infected.

Ask these questions from your sexual partner:

• How many people has he/she had sex with?
• Has he/she ever had sex without a condom?
• Has he/she ever had unsafe oral sex?
• Has he/she had a relationship with more than one?
• Does he inject drugs? Has he/she had sex with someone who has been a drug addict?
• Has he/she ever had an unsafe relationship with a prostitute?
• Has he/she ever been tested for HIV? What have been the results?
• Has she/he ever had a sexually transmitted disease such as hepatitis B and hepatitis C? Has it been cured?

Safe sex practices

Some sexually transmitted diseases such as HIV, up to a few months after infection can not be identified.  Genital herpes and Human Papillomavirus (HPV) could be transmitted when the symptoms of the disease have not yet appeared. Even if you and your sexual partner have been tested, use a condom for a month and get tested again later.

• Recognize the symptoms of sexually transmitted diseases and search in yourself. The symptoms consist of abnormal discharge, wounds, redness, suspicious changes in the sexual parts of the body, and burning when urinating.
• Do not have more than one sexual partner at a time. The safest sex is the one in which you are confident of your partner about having sex only with you. Every time you add a new sexual partner, you will be exposed to all the diseases that they and their prior partners have had. Individuals with multiple sexual partners are at higher risk of sexually transmitted diseases.
• Use a condom whenever you have sex. Condoms are the best way to protect yourself against sexually transmitted diseases. Latex and polyurethane condoms do not allow infectious virus transmission. condoms made out of sheep guts are not safe against these viruses.
• Use water-based lubricants such as K-Y or Astroglide gels to prevent genital skin scratches during sex. Small vaginal scratches during sex may cause the infection to reach your blood.
• If you are a female, avoid vaginal douching because it can alter the natural balance of vaginal organisms and increase the risk of sexually transmitted diseases.
• Be responsible. Avoid sexual intercourse if you have symptoms of an infectious disease or are being treated for a sexually transmitted disease or AIDS. If you or your sexual partner have herpes, avoid sexual contact when they appear and use condoms in other cases.

Contraception

Some women may not use birth control pills or their methods have been failed. If it happens to you, you may be able to prevent pregnancy provided that you act quickly.

What is contraception?

Methods which are used for preventing pregnancy are known as contraception.

If you have sex without contraception considerations, your chance of getting pregnant is very high, even if you have not menstruated or are close to menopause. Annually, approximately ?? women out of ???  who do not pay heed to contraception considerations become pregnant unintentionally.

The only way of contraception is not to have sex; however, through approaching a proper way, you can prevent unwanted pregnancies during any sexual intercourse.

Methods of contraception

There are several types of contraceptive methods, each of which has its advantages and disadvantages. Learning about all methods will assist in finding the best solution.

Hormonal methods include birth control pills, injection, contraceptive patches, subcutaneous capsules, and vaginal rings. Using Mirena IUD along with levonorgestrel is also recognized as a hormonal prevention method. Hormone contraceptives are very effective in this manner.

IUD is a tool placed in the uterus and operates very well safely for a few years. Using Mirena IUD containing hormone can be associated with severe and painful periods.

Blocking methods include using condoms, diaphragms and sponges. In general, hormonal IUD has a better impact than these tools in preventing pregnancy. Blocking methods should be used in every sexual intercourse.

The natural prevention method can also be effective if you and your sexual partner are very accurate. This method requires abstinence from sex or using blocking methods during the menstrual cycle in which pregnancy is more likely.

Permanent control (sterilization) is the last approach in contraception. Sterilization is suitable for individuals who do not plan to have children in the future.

The emergency method of contraception shall be used when you have forgotten prevention concepts or the condom has been torn during sexual intercourse.

In order for the hormonal or blocking contraceptives to operate well, you need to do them exactly based on your doctor’s instructions. Even then, an issue may occur. Therefore, having an alternative method seems necessary.

How to choose the best method?

The best control method is one that protects you each time you have sex. According to the various methods of prevention, it is the best approach you can make use of. To find the most suitable, think about the following concepts:

• How effective is the selected method for you? Remember how important contraception is to you and then check the quality of each contraceptive method. To illustrate, if you have decided to have children in the future, you do not need to use more reliable methods. If you do not plan to have children, you can use a safer approach.
• How much effort does your selected method require? For instance, if you are a forgetful one, taking birth control pills may not be the right solution. If you are not sure of using one of the blocking methods for each sex, it is better to cease your prevention method and replace it with another solution.
• When do you plan to have a baby? For example, if you have decided to have a baby in a couple of years, hormone injection would not be the right approach, because you may face problems months after the injection. If you have decided not to have children at all, natural contraception is by no means a good way, as it often faces errors.
• How much does your selected method cost? For example, condoms are cheap and some clinics offer them even for free. Some insurance companies cover the cost of contraception; however, the cost criterion sometimes is misleading. IUD costs a lot, but as they can be used for years, the cost will diminish over time.
• How much can your selected method protect you against infection? Latex condoms can protect you from transmitting sexually transmitted diseases such as HIV, but they are not the best way. Use condoms along with other contraceptive methods to prevent pregnancy and diseases.
• Have you ever had a problem with one of the prevention methods? Sometimes you have to try different methods to find the best one. You may also need to change the way once worked well for you. If you are currently using a method that you are unsatisfied with, consult with your doctor on changing the method.

What might limit your choices?

In accordance with your health condition, some contraceptive methods may not be safe. Your doctor needs the following information to make sure which methods work for you:

• Are you smoking?
• Are you pregnant? Are you suspicious of your pregnancy?
• Are you breastfeeding?
• Do you suffer from a serious disease? Such as heart disease, high blood pressure, migraine headaches, diabetes.
• -Have you ever had a blood clot in your legs (deep vein thrombus) or lungs (pulmonary embolism)? Do you have any family members with these diseases?
• Have you ever had breast cancer?
• Have you ever had a sexually transmitted disease?

How to get one of the contraceptive methods?

You can purchase some contraceptive tools from pharmacies.

• Condoms, sponges and spermicidal sprays can be obtained from pharmacies without a prescription.
• Emergency preventive methods are also available in most pharmacies without a prescription. But you have to prove that you are at least 18 years old.

Visit a doctor or specialist:

• Receiving instructions on how to use pills or other hormonal methods.
• Insertion of an IUD into the uterus.
• Insertion of diaphragm or cervical ring.