Sexual Hygiene refers to the intimate hygiene factors that come into consideration before, during, and after any kind of sexual activity. Taking good care of sexual hygiene plays a crucial role to maintain good intimacy and overall health. Poor sexual hygiene not only affects the act but the health of your partner involved in the act too.

Sexual Hygiene practices to follow!

• Before the act- A lot of times we tend to miss out on the basic factors which create a huge impact on our sexual and physical health. We often think that we are clean because we have been home and not been exposed to pollution but that is not the case. Our habits and lifestyle determine if we are hygienic or not, like from changing underwear and taking a shower regularly, to washing your hands before initiating a physical touch with your partner, to keeping your intimate area well groomed, trimmed and washing them properly before involving in any kind of sexual act. It is also necessary to have clear knowledge about your physical and sexual health, since the chances of spreading a communicable diseases is maximum during sexual intercourse. 

• After the act- While post-sex cuddling and being lazy in bed totally overpowers the idea of sexual hygiene, what you don’t realise is that getting up to clean yourself should be the first thing that needs to be done. The latex,lubes, spit, and bodily fluids shouldn’t be allowed to linger around the intimate areas for a longer time as it may be the breeding ground for infectious germs. Cleaning externally is not enough and douching can actually have an adverse effect by pushing the germs inside the body. It is advised to pee immediately after sex and clean the intimates gently with mild soap and water. If possible, consider changing your underwear too and wear a fresh set. 

• Self-stimulation hygiene- Good intimate hygiene shouldn’t be a factor that comes into consideration only when your partner is involved in the act. Intimate hygiene is a much wider aspect and neglecting it can have a crucial impact on overall physical and mental health. Staying clean and washing your hands and intimates, before and after self-stimulation or masturbation is a must. 

Why is sexual hygiene important?

A  huge part of adult life revolves around sexual health and hygiene, it not only impacts your performance in bed, but has and impact on factors like physical, mental, emotional and social health too. 

Bad sexual hygiene gives room to the growth of bacteria and other infectious germs in the intimate area which results in foul stink, irritation, rashes, infections and overall, a bad sexual experience. 

If sexual hygiene is ignored for a long time, then the chances of getting intimate infections increase which can lead to severe issues like infertility.

The chances of spreading sexually transmitted infections (STIs) by an unhygienic person is also very likely and they end up affecting their partners.

Using contraception like condoms is not enough to stop the spread of STIs since  oral sex, foreplay contribute in spreading of diseases too. 

Conclusion on how to take care of sexual hygiene

Sexual hygiene or sexual health are topics that are relatively very less discussed, hence resulting in a lack of knowledge about what to do and how to do it. Most of the people around are yet to know the basics of how to take care of sexual health. 

The very basics of sexual hygiene are: - 

• Staying clean is the first step to good sexual and basic hygiene. Taking a shower and cleaning the genitalia needs to be a part of your daily regime 
• Wearing the right underwear plays a vital role in maintaining good sexual hygiene too. Repeating the same underwear or wearing something tight and unbreathable, triggers the growth of bacteria
• Use correct products to clean the intimate area. The pH level of regular soaps is high for the sensitive skin down there which can cause discomfort and irritation. Use products that are designed especially for intimate care and have a balanced pH level, like Svish intimate range for Men.
• Doing regular checkups is something that is mostly not thought of but should be. People are mostly unaware of STIs and STDs that they carry and not doing regular checkups can cause the spreading of the diseases to their sexual partners.