Taking Care of Your Reproductive Health

Understanding how your body works and taking care of it is one step in actualizing your self-growth. This encompasses your physical and mental health. For residents of Athens and the surrounding areas, Judson Shelnutt M.D. has a clinic to attend to your reproductive health.

Below are a few tips to help you keep your reproductive health in check:

Drink Enough Water

By drinking water, you help maintain your body's pH even in the nether regions. Additionally, some vaginal dryness may be caused by extreme dehydration. This dryness can make sex uncomfortable and also cause bacterial or yeast infections.

Embrace the Use of Lubricants

The level of lubrication during sex varies from one woman to another. For instance, low or lack of lubrication may be caused by sex, poor eating habits, menopause, not being aroused enough, or even some certain types of medications. No matter the reason, lack of proper lubrication makes sex a painful ordeal. This can end up giving you blisters or painful sores in your vaginal area. They can be uncomfortable and painful when peeing. To avert this, always use a lubricant whenever you feel you are not lubricated enough.

Engage in Safe Sex

Birth control does not protect you from sexually transmitted infections and diseases. In a case where you are not in a monogamous relationship, always use a condom. However, in a monogamous relationship, be true to one another and stick to one partner.

Choose the Right Contraceptive Method

You don't need unwanted pregnancies, do you? However, most contraceptives have side effects such as mood swings, weight gain, low libido, and even heavy bleeding. Always consult your gynecologist to determine the best contraceptive method for you.

Monitor Your Menstrual Cycle

Keeping a track of your period cycle gives you the feeling of control. You get to know when you are ovulating, or even why you have mood swings. It also helps you plan on when to get pregnant. It's a good way to get to understand how different your body functions during different days of your cycle.

Observe High Hygiene

The vagina is a self-cleaning organ that requires minimal efforts to maintain. Drinking water, wiping from the front to the back are some ways of caring for your vagina. Additionally, avoid excessive douching and use of strong scented soaps which alter the pH of your vagina. Do not insert harmful objects into your vagina. If you use a tampon during menses, ensure you change it frequently.

Attend Annual Checkups

Having regular checkups is one of the ways of avoiding serious ailments regarding your reproductive health. By doing so, your gynecologist can discover changes that can suggest the start of severe conditions such as cancer. A pap smear can show cancer of the uterus while a physical examination of the breasts can help in the diagnosis of breast cancer.

No matter the age, level of education, race, or even status, every woman should be in charge of their reproductive health. You are the driver in your life, steer your journey forward, safeguarding your reproductive health.