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One of the major concerns of having sexual contact is the
threat of sexually transmitted diseases ("STD's"). In women
over the age of thirty, the most often seen STDs are Chlamydia,
Genital Herpes and Human
Papillomavirus ("HPV"). STDs are most prevalent among
teenagers and young adults who account for two-thirds of all
STDs, but everyone is at risk except for those who are in
monogamous relationships. Routine testing is suggested for
those who have sex with more than one partner or upon changing
sex partners.
Anyone who is sexually active should do the following to prevent
obtaining and transmitting an STD.
 Have
regular checkups even in the absence of symptoms
Educate
yourself about the different types of testing done for each
STD
Learn
the common symptoms
Avoid
anal intercourse
Avoid
douching as it removes the normal protective bacteria from
your vagina
Chlamydia
This infection is caused by bacteria and is now the most common
of all bacterial STDs. The symptoms in both men and women
are an abnormal genital discharge and burning upon urination.
This STD is known to show NO symptoms in many women and an
untreated infection may lead the Pelvic Inflammatory Disease,
one of the leading causes of infertility and ectopic pregnancy.
This is why you should be regularly tested upon changing sex
partners. Once diagnosed, an antibiotic will be prescribed
by your health care professional.
Genital Herpes
Genital Herpes affects over 60 million Americans with over
500,000 new cases annually. Another statistic we found estimated
25 percent of adults in the United States have genital herpes
and that most don’t know it because their symptoms are too
mild to notice. Herpes is caused by the Herpes Simplex Virus
("HSV"). The symptoms in both men and women are blisters and
open sores in the genital area. The blisters and sores last
for approximately two to three weeks but the virus remains
in the body for life. Outbreaks of sores may recur from time
to time. Having sexual contact, either oral or genital, with
someone who is in the middle of an outbreak spreads the virus.
Sharing a vibrator or dildo can also spread herpes but you
would have to be actively sharing, as the virus cannot live
outside of the body for long. Did you know oral sex with some
one who has a cold sore could also cause a transfer of the
virus to the genital area. Herpes can be treated with antiviral
medication that may ease the severity of the outbreaks, but
will not eradicate the virus. To find out more about types
of testing conducted for Herpes and other helpful information
click
here.
Genital Warts
Genital Warts are caused by the Human Papillomavirus ("HPV")
which is a relative of the virus that causes common skin warts.
The warts usually appear as small hard painless bumps in the
vaginal area, on the penis, or around the anus. They will
grow if left untreated and become fleshy and cauliflower like
in appearance. Genital warts are removed by a topical drug
or by freezing. Certain high-risk types of HPV not only cause
genital warts but also cause cervical cancer. Once diagnosed
and treated for genital warts it is important for women to
have regular pap smears.
Everything You Need to Know About
Pap Smears
Pap smears consist of cells removed from the cervix which
are specially prepared for microscopic examination. A gynecologist
or other health care provider removes the cells by brushing
or scraping the cervix during a pelvic examination. The removed
cells are evenly spread on one or more glass slides. Each
slide typically contains hundreds of thousand of cells. All
Pap smears should be sent to an accredited laboratory to be
stained, examined under a microscope, and interpreted.
More recently there is another method for obtaining pap smears.
The method of scraping is the same, but instead of spreading
the scraping from the cervix immediately on a glass slide
the swab is placed into a liquid which suspends the debris
and cells. The container is then centrifuged (Spun so that
the heavier matter settles at the bottom) and the cells are
then separated from any mucous or other matter found on the
swab and then placed on a slide for reading. This procedure
may be more accurate as it isolates the cells from other vaginal
material.
There are certain things that a woman can do to ensure that
she gets the most accurate Pap smear available. Remember the
Pap smear is taking cells from your cervix on the inside of
your vagina, so any foreign substances can make your pap smear
inaccurate. You should always try and schedule your pap smear
for two weeks after the first day of your last menstrual period.
Pap smears should not be scheduled during your menstrual period.
Do not use any vaginal medications, creams, contraceptives,
douches or lubricants for at least 72 hours prior to your
exam. Do not have sexual intercourse or masturbate for at
least 24 hours prior to your exam. Always make sure that your
pap smear is being sent to an accredited laboratory and remember
to follow-up with your health care provider.
Libido - Yours, Mine and Ours
Libido, or lack of it can be one of the major stresses in
a relationship or marriage. But what causes a lack of sex
drive when everything else in the relationship is working?
There are two different major types of causes of lack of libido,
physical and psychological.
The major physical causes for decreased libido, or lack of
sex drive in women specifically are as follows:
- Hormonal imbalances caused by the natural ebb and flow
of our monthly cycles with generally the lowest sex drive
coming just before our period and the highest during ovulation.
- The aging process itself decreases the amounts of hormones
that are cycling through our bodies and we have less of
the three major hormones progesterone, estrogen and testosterone
that affect our libido.
- Atrophic Vaginitus, which is changes in the vaginal
tissue, caused by the aging process and is characterized
by vaginal dryness that leads to painful sex. The pain
of sex itself is what causes the lack of sex drive and
can be alleviated with the use of a good lubricant such
as Eros for
Women.
- Women in there thirties and forties suffer from fatigue
due to the demands of childrearing and fatigue is a major
cause of lack of sex drive for women.
- Some medications can have the side effect of lowering
your sex drive. In particular, high blood pressure medications
and antidepressants are known to affect libido.
- Hypo-Thyroidism which is when your thyroid gland is
not producing enough hormones, can cause lack of libido
and exhaustion among other symptoms.
The Major Psychological Causes for
Decreased Libido
 Marital
issues. Disharmony in a relationship or marriage can cause
a lack of wanting to
be
intimate. Unfortunately, sometimes being intimate is just
what the relationship needs.
Issues with family such as teenagers, children and parents.
Depression
Anxiety
Premenstrual Syndrome(PMS)
The majority of women are familiar with the term PMS. Premenstrual
Syndrome (PMS) is a complex of symptoms that occur with greatest
severity 5-11 days prior to the onset of your menstrual period.
In most cases, the symptoms abate within 1-2 days of the onset
of the period. The incidence of PMS is reported to be between
20-90% of women, with only about 20% having symptoms severe
enough to limit daily functioning. PMS occurs most frequently
in women between the ages of 30-40 years. Symptoms of PMS
include the following:
Irritability
Depression
Crying Spells |
Mood Swings
Sleep Disturbance
Appetite Changes
Changes in Libido |
Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD) differs from PMS in
that symptoms markedly impair one's ability to work or attend
school, or conduct usual social activities. This disorder
requires medical attention from a psychiatric specialist.
If you feel that your symptoms are severe, you should be evaluated
accordingly.
Treatment of PMS is aimed at reduction of symptoms. Conservative
approaches include the following:
Stress Reduction: relaxation
exercises, biofeedback, and reflexology
Symptom Diary: monitoring
daily symptoms help to obtain a degree of control and allow
one to avoid making major decisions when symptoms are worse.
Diet: well-balanced diet,
rich in fruits and vegetables and whole grains; a trial
of caffeine elimination to determine if symptoms are alleviated
is warranted.
Vitamin Supplementation:
many supplements are on the market that promote PMS relief.
See your healthcare provider for more information. Supplements
have been shown in studies to reduce PMS symptoms.
Herbal and other therapies:
notify your healthcare provider if you are taking herbs
to relieve your symptoms; discuss this openly to prevent
interactions with current medications that you may be using.
Above all, discuss this issue openly with your healthcare
provider.
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