10 Sexual Hygiene Tips for Better Sex

Pubic Hair Has Its Purpose

In the last couple of decades, body hair for both men and women has become a grooming battleground. “People didn’t do this in the past, you just accepted the way your genitals naturally had hair,” says Tavener. Women are still significantly more likely than men to go bare down there but most everyone admits to some trimming. While this is a fairly harmless personal preference, people should know that pubic hair does serve some purpose. People believe that pubic hair may help your stuff stay clean and warm, while also adding some comfort during intercourse. Pubic hair (and armpit hair) is also believed to hold onto and diffuse pheromones, helping people attract each other.

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Hidden Damage

Ignoring more extreme activities, many common sexual practices involve some level of skin tearing and bleeding. This includes vaginal and anal sex. “If someone chooses to engage in either behavior, then it’s recommended that they use a condom,” says Taverner. Don’t depend on seeing bleeding in order to know when you might be in trouble. Many of these tears are tiny but even microscopic openings in the skin can contribute to STD transmission. For this reason, condom use is strongly advised for most sexual activities.

Keep Cleaning Simple

Just about everyone has some kind of odor going on down there, no matter how much they clean. Follow the rules of cleaning once a day and after sweaty activities and you should be fine. Soap and water is all that’s needed for the job (even soap is a questionable choice for women), so don’t go hunting for any special products or deodorizers, which could simply create irritation without helping a whole lot. Anything beyond basic washing is unnecessary.

Loose Fit

Whether we’re talking about underwear or pants, a looser fit is better for your functioning down there. Restriction and overheating can both affect fertility and contribute to infection, like jock itch. It’s still important to wear supportive clothes during sports but wash yourself and your clothing if you’ve worked up a sweat in order to stay as hygienic as possible.

Check Each Other Out

Intimate partners can care for one another by checking each other for signs of infections or other sexual health problems. Oftentimes, partners are the ones who find lumps and bumps that could use attention from a medical professional. Just as with men, women should be notified of any redness, lumps, blisters, or warts. It’s important to note, however, that many STDs do not show any visual symptoms. So, that yearly test is still warranted, even when all looks well.