With summer JUST around the corner, I was THRILLED to be approached by Ebony Magazine to contribute to an article in the July 2016 issue regarding sexual health and sexual myths. With folks gettin’ ready to get their groove on, what better topic than good ole “Sexual Healing!” Remember, sexual health is very important for everyone to learn about, that is why free testing centers are available to those who need to check on their status and make the necessary steps in helping themselves.
Here is a bit of what I shared with them; ENJOY!
You can’t get pregnant if you have sex in water.
WRONG! Unprotected sex, is unprotected sex, is unprotected sex! Regardless of the environment, if you are having unprotected sex you absolutely CAN get pregnant. Remember, even though you are inside the water, a penis is inside a vagina! If there is no barrier protection, the sperm has open access to meet an egg as it travels down the fallopian tube during ovulation. Can we say pregnancy? If you are trying to avoid getting pregnant completely, then why not look into sex toys instead? You can even get sex toys for men too, with this there is no risk at all!
You can’t get STDs/STIs from oral sex.
WRONG! I can’t begin to tell you the number of cases of genital herpes I’ve diagnosed in folks who had oral sex performed on them by someone with oral herpes; i.e., cold sores.
HPV anyone? HPV can cause oral infections, and depending on the strain, cause oral/tongue cancer.
Gonorrhea/Chlamydia can be passed from the genitals to the oral cavity if performing oral sex on an infected individual. Certainly the risk can be decreased if you avoid ejaculate/genital secretions in the oral cavity. And though the risk of transmission with oral sex is low, remember, HIV can be found in blood, ejaculate, vaginal secretions, and other bodily fluids. I’m not judging the nature of your sexual relations; I’m jus’ sayin’!
Only people with a lot of sexual partners get STDs/STIs
WRONG! When I ask my patients/individuals if they are in a mutually monogamous relationship, the operative word here is “mutually.” Just because you aren’t sleeping with someone else doesn’t mean your partner isn’t. I’ve diagnosed many a married woman that ended up with an STI because her partner wasn’t being faithful. I do, of course, realize that this goes both ways, but as an OB/GYN, my patient base is women exclusively. Some people may want to check out how they can help themselves with treating their STDs, of course, normal medicines are needed but some people may want to look further to see what else they could do. The website Mother Earth Living can help people choose the right probiotics for their body and what they could do to help any sexual issues.
Hoping this blog post has added both humor and value to your day!
Until next time,
Look Better. Feel Better. Be Better.
Dr. Angela
