Sex Hygiene Tips to Keep You and Your Partner Safe

Maintaining a healthy and happy intimate connection with your partner requires more than an emotional bond. You also need to keep each other physically safe.  

At Pro-Health Urgent Care of Midland, in Midland, Michigan, our team of health experts manage urgent and concerning medical matters, like testing for sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and urinary tract infections (UTIs). We do this to protect you and your sexual partner. Here are our top sex hygiene tips that can help keep you and your partner safe. 

What is sex hygiene?

Sex hygiene refers to the practices you engage in to protect you and your partner’s sexual wellness. Sexual health is a vital part of your overall well-being, affecting your physical, emotional, and social health. 

Taking care of your sexual health is important. Sex hygiene is about keeping yourself clean before, during, and after sexual encounters, minimizing risk and maximizing pleasure.

Tips to keep each other safe

What can you do to protect your sexual health? Try some of the following sex hygiene tips to keep you and your partner safe.

Keep it clean

When we say keep it clean, we don’t mean scrubbing until it hurts. Gently washing your private parts with soap and water or a cleansing wipe before and after sex may prevent yeast infections and UTIs. 

And skip douching. There’s no need to clean out your vagina with water or a special solution to prevent infections. In fact, douching may increase your risk of infections. 

Go before and after sex

Sexual intercourse is one of the risk factors for UTIs. Urinating before and after sex may clear out any germs in or near the urethra, reducing your risk of UTI.

Drink plenty of water

Hydration benefits every organ in your body, including your sexual organs. Staying hydrated improves moisture and lubrication. Drinking enough water also reduces risk of UTIs by increasing urination. 

See your doctor

If you have any concerns about your sexual health, see your doctor for guidance. This is especially important if you think you have an infection. When left untreated, STDs increase risk of infertility and certain types of cancer.

When to get tested

STDs are a taboo subject, but testing is an important part of your sex hygiene. You can have an STD and not have any symptoms. Getting tested is the only way to know if you have an STD.

You should get tested if you have any unusual symptoms like genital pain or abnormal discharge. We also recommend testing if you have unprotected sex and have more than one sexual partner.

Testing is easy and confidential. If you test positive for an STD, we can provide treatment to clear up the infection or manage symptoms. 

Sex hygiene benefits you and your partner. If you have concerns about STDs or UTIs and want to talk about testing and treatment, schedule an appointment with our urgent care team by calling Pro-Health Urgent Care of Midland today or booking online. 

We also offer telehealth visits to make it easier for you to discuss your sexual health concerns.