Oral sex is a form of sexual activity, which involves the arousal of one's genitalia by his/her partner using the mouth (tongue, lips and throat). It is also called Cunnilingus (performed on a female) and fellatio (performed on a male). It is done before intercourse and during foreplay for sexual arousal. It is safe as compared to vaginal or anal sex, the rate of getting a sexually transmitted disease or HIV is comparatively lower. 

Oral sex can spice up your life and can also make your partner reach orgasm. It is also a safe way of getting sexual pleasure without getting pregnant. But necessary precautions must be taken in order to have safe oral sex.

Some of these necessary precautions are:

1. You can get throat cancer from oral sex: Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a cancerous virus found in the body of infected people. This virus can be transmitted to the person with whom you are engaging in oral sex. Studies show that people who engage with more than 6 sexual partners at once are more prone to get oral cancer. It is advisable to get your partner tested for HPV virus before engaging in oral sex.

2. Oral sex also causes stress: Oral sex is generally related to hygiene, therefore the partner can be self conscious and worried about his/her genital hygiene. If oral sex is performed on a daily basis, some people prefer to wax their pubic hair often. This is harmful because it can cause red bumps and burning sensation occurs. It is advisable to trim your pubic hair and wash it properly before engaging in oral sex.

3. A condom should be worn by the male during oral sex so that there is no risk of male fluid entering the woman's body.

4. A latex, which is made into a thin sheet called dental dam can be used on the vagina or anus. This creates a thin barrier between the mouth and the genitalia. Hence, chances of getting infected by sexually transmitted diseases are greatly reduced.

Oral sex can be pleasurable and fun, but the risks of getting sexually transmitted diseases like herpes, gonorrhea and crabs is not altogether misplaced. So it is advisable to use proper protection and to maintain hygiene before engaging in oral sex.

4 Ways to Have Safe Oral Sex - Necessary Precautions

Chlamydia is one of the most common STD. It is a bacterial infection, caused by Chlamydia trachomatis. Occurring in both males and females, it can be transmitted via oral, genital, or anal sex. it has been dubbed as silent infection, as the affected person hardly ever presents with symptoms. It is extremely common though about 1 in 20 females in the age group of 15 to 25 can be affected. The disease, if left untreated, can cause severe reproductive issues including infertility in both males and females. Let us look at symptoms in men and women separately.

Men: About 50% of men infected with Chlamydia will go with no symptoms. It may take about 3 weeks for the symptoms to manifest and will include

    Small amounts of discharge from the penis
    Discomfort or pain with urination
    Painful, swollen, and inflamed testicles
    Burning and itching around the tip of the penis

Depending on the mode of transmission, the eyes, throat, and rectum can also be infected and there could be throat infection or conjunctivitis also.

If left untreated, Chlamydia can affect the sperm quality and lead to infertility in men in the long run.

Women: The infection is "silent" even in females and does not manifest itself with a lot of symptoms, only 30% of infected females present symptoms including:

    Abnormal, white or light yellow vaginal discharge
    Painful sex
    Bleeding or spotting in between regular periods
    Sometimes even bleeding during sex
    Burning or itching sensation around the vagina
    Severe abdominal discomfort
    Fever

In females, the infection usually travels up the urinary and reproductive tract. So, from vaginitis, it can lead to urinary tract infection, cervicitis, bartholinitis, and even pelvic inflammatory disease. If it reaches the fallopian tubes and/or the uterus, then the chances of fallopian tubes getting blocked is high. There can be scarring of the tubes and this can lead to infertility or ectopic pregnancy (pregnancy in areas other than the uterus, for example the fallopian tubes). This can be very dangerous and can be life-threatening situation too.

Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) is a serious bacterial infection of the uterus and the fallopian tubes. Untreated Chlamydia infection often results in PID and requires antibiotics and bed rest.
Chlamydia infections have two negative sides to it, on one hand, it is difficult to detect given the absence of symptoms. On the other hand, there are serious implications leading to even fertility. It is therefore very important to prevent it. It is best to use a condom, especially with unknown partners; and in case of any doubt, one should get themselves tested and treated.

Symptoms of Chlamydia in Men and Women

HIV/AIDS is a STD which is caused by the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). The HIV virus attacks the immune system and makes the body vulnerable to other diseases. AIDS is the last stage disorder caused by HIV infection. This disorder destroys the human immune system which might lead to other life- threatening diseases such as cancer. If diagnosed with HIV, one must necessarily maintain a healthy dietary regime because the nutrients one derives go on to contribute to the development of the immune system, thus providing resistance to the side effects of the HIV medicines.

The early symptoms of HIV/AIDS appear within a few weeks after sexual contact. The early symptoms include a headache, pain in the muscles and the joints, rashes and inflamed lymph nodes. The early symptoms tend to disappear within 2 to 3 weeks. The next set of symptoms might appear after a few years which might be persistent. The symptoms include fatigue, loss of body weight, inflated lymph nodes, fever and sweat during the night.

If you are diagnosed with HIV, you should:

Try to maintain a daily diet containing vegetables, legumes, and fruits which provide you energy.
Try to include a little bit of fat, carbohydrates (at least 3 servings of vegetable per day), calcium (dairy products) and low-fat protein sources (generally 80-150 gram per day of fish, skinned chicken, low-fat cheese etc.) in your everyday meal.
Maintain a daily calorie intake of 17-25 calories per pound depending on whether the person is losing weight.
Vitamins and minerals are particularly necessary to repair the cells damaged by the HIV virus. 
So, it is necessary to intake foods such as eggs, milk, peanuts, green vegetables, meat, beans and broccolis on a regular basis, if you have been diagnosed with HIV.

If you are suffering from HIV, you must maintain the following food safety measures:

You should try to restrict the intake of fat
Restrict your alcohol intake
You should try to avoid fast foods
You should also limit your regular sugar intake and should avoid foods with extra sugar

HIV/AIDS: Diet, Nutrition and Food Safety You Must Follow

The year 2014 has seen a massive increase in the number of patients affected by Gonorrhoea. The most infected age group is between 15 and 24. This is mainly due to lack of knowledge in this age group about the disease. Here are some facts about Gonorrhoea that one must know.

Gonorrhoea Transmission
Gonorrhoea, also known as drip, is transmitted when a normal person comes in contact sexually with an infected person. Infected fluid of a mother can also pass to her newborn infant during delivery. The disease can affect both the genders.

Cause of Gonorrhoea
Neisseria gonorrhoeae bacteria cause the disease. The bacteria grow in mucus membranes and usually grow in the warm and moist areas of humans' reproductive tracts such as uterus and fallopian tube of women. These can also grow in anus, mouth as well as throat. As a matter of fact, the infection can be passed even via oral or anal sex.

Symptoms of Gonorrhoea
An infected person will develop symptoms of the disease in 2 to 14 days. Men may feel burning or painful sensation while urinating. Other symptoms are as follows:

1. Swollen and painful testicles
2. Swollen or redness at the tip of the penis
3. Penis may have a drip or discharge
4. Frequent urination
5. Recurrent soreness of throat

Females have milder symptoms of the infection. This makes it difficult to diagnose, and is sometimes misinterpreted as common vaginal yeast or other bacterial infection.

Following are a few symptoms of the disease in women:

1. Burning or painful urination
2. Frequent urination
3. Vaginal discharge
4. Soreness in throat
5. Fever
6. Lower abdominal pain
7. Pain while sexual intercourse

If the disease is not treated, infection spreads in blood stream leading to rashes, fever and even pain in the joints. Such unnoticeable symptoms make it difficult to treat.

Testing Methods of Gonorrhoea
One method is that penile or vaginal discharge samples are taken from patients and examined under a microscope by adding reactive stain. However, this is not an accurate assessment.
Another test is conducted where exposing samples are incubated. In case of infection, colony of gonorrhoea shows growth. Preliminary test may take 24 hours. Final assessment may take around three days. Samples can be from the patient's anus, joint fluid, blood, throat, vagina or tip of the penis.

Treatment
The disease is treatable under proper medical supervision. However, the bacterial resistance to Azithromycin drug has made it more difficult for treatment.

Protection
It is highly recommended to have a protected intercourse. Women of age group less than 25 need to have STI evaluation once a year.

Know All About Gonorrhoea

For nearly 30 years, HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) and AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome) have been shrouded in myths and misconceptions. In some cases, these mistaken ideas have prompted the very behavior that cause more people to become HIV positive. Here are the top five myths about HIV, along with the facts to dispute them.

Myth No. 1: I can get HIV by being around people who are HIV-positive.

The evidence shows that HIV is non communicable and does not spread through touch, tears, sweat or saliva. You cannot catch HIV by:

    Breathing the same air as someone who is HIV-positive
    Touching a toilet seat or doorknob handle after an HIV-positive person
    Drinking from a water fountain
    Hugging, kissing, or shaking hands with someone who is HIV-positive
    Sharing eating utensils with an HIV-positive person
    Using exercise equipment at a gym

You can get it from infected blood, semen, vaginal fluid, or mother's milk.

Myth No. 2: I can get HIV from mosquitoes.

Because HIV is spread through blood, people have worried that biting or bloodsucking insects might spread HIV. Several studies, however, show no evidence to support this, even in areas with lots of mosquitoes and cases of HIV. When insects bite, they do not inject the blood of the person or animal they have last bitten. Also, HIV lives for only a short time inside an insect.

Myth No. 3: I'm HIV positive, my life is over.

In the early years of the disease epidemic, the death rate from AIDS was extremely high. But today, antiretroviral drugs allow HIV positive people and even those with AIDS to live much longer, normal and productive lives.

Myth No. 4: My partner and I are both HIV positive there's no reason for us to practice safer sex.

Practising safer sex, wearing condoms or using dental dams can protect you both from becoming exposed to other (potentially drug resistant) strains of HIV.

Myth No. 5: You can't get HIV from oral sex.

It's true that oral sex is less risky than some other types of sex. But you can get HIV by having oral sex with either a man or a woman who is HIV positive. Always use a latex barrier during oral sex.

Top 5 Myths & Misconceptions About HIV & AIDS!

Any kind of dysfunction points to the issues experienced during any stage of the cycle of physical issue that prevents the participants from experiencing any kind of satisfaction from the intimate activities. Though the researches imply that sexual problems are common all across the globe; 43% of women along with 31% of men are affected by some sort of dysfunction; however, it is something that most people are hesitant to talk about. But thankfully enough, most cases of sexual problems can be effectively treated, and can be prevented from occurring again, by sharing your concerns with a qualified doctor. You should consider visiting the doctor along with your partner.

What leads to sexual problems?
Sexual problems can be caused either due to physical or psychological reasons. Many medications and clinical conditions can cause a variety of sexual dysfunctions, and these physical conditions include heart and vascular disease, high levels of blood sugar and blood pressure, any kind of neurological disorder, chronic diseases of the kidneys, liver and lungs, and hormonal imbalances. In addition to this, the side effects stemming from any medicine, including antidepressant drugs, can cast a harmful impact on the sexual desire and its normal functioning. On the other hand, psychological causes refer to the stress caused due to work pressures, anxiety, depression, excessive concern about sexual performance, feelings of guilt, and relationship problems.

What are the common sexual problems?
What leads to sexual problems can cause a wide variety of issues in both men and women. While erectile dysfunction is most commonly found in men, vaginal dryness is the most common issue in women. Sexual dysfunction can take a variety of forms, and it is not plainly confined to the dysfunction or simple disinterest in sex, which is commonly termed as lack of sex drive. It can also involve pain while having sex or an inability to maintain the erection or experiencing pain while getting an orgasm. There are some people who experience excruciating pain during intercourse, which is often accompanied with a burning sensation.

All couples have the right to enjoy a happy and healthy sex life, which can be considered a crucial aspect of any relationship. So, if you are having any kind of difficulty that is interrupting your lovemaking, it is imperative to speak with your doctor to get the right diagnosis, and discuss openly with your partner to find out the ideal solution of your sexual problems.

Sexual Problems - Things That Can Lead to It

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