It has been espoused in common knowledge that when you have inttercourse with your partner, it makes both of you feel happier, satisfied and contented. This helps bring you closer to each other and results in a stronger and better relationship. Sexual activities have a direct connection to your psychological well-being. However, the number of times you have sex isn t as important as the quality of the time you spend with your partner.

Stressed out on sex!
Due to modern lifestyle and stress, young couples are increasingly finding it difficult to hit the bed together, thus putting sex on the backburner. Research states most young couples now consider sex as secondary, mechanical and monotonous, which can be kept for a later time. But that is not the sign of normalcy. You don t need to do it daily, but 2 or 3 times a week is beneficial for a healthy body, mind, and relationship.

Some of the benefits of having regular sex

    Sex releases endorphins hormone which reduces stress and also lets you experience euphoria. This makes you feel satisfied and happy during the act and in general with your life.
    It is directly related to promoting attractiveness. During sexual intercourse, the body releases pheromones which make you look more attractive to other people.
    If you experience orgasms during the activity, you are most likely to have an enhanced life span due to the promotion of better circulation within the body.
    Sex acts as an excellent pain reliever due to the release of endorphins.
    Sex also helps you to have better control of your bladder by working out the muscles during an orgasm.
    It has also been shown to lower the risk of prostate cancer in men.

How much is too much?
These are just a few of the reasons sexologists and health care experts advise you to have intercourse often, at least twice weekly. You don t need to do it regularly, as over indulgence will have negative effects too. It could also signal the start of problems with sexual addiction. Some of the negative effects of too much sex could be:

    It will lead to a detrimental effect on your sexual activity. You will find it difficult to get aroused often.
    You experience cramps on your body.
    You can experience difficulties in your bowel and urinary functions.
    You would be constantly distracted by the thoughts of sex which could lead to sex addiction.

It is best to stay within a limit, have fun with your partner twice or thrice a week and enjoy the health and psychological benefits of this natural marvel.

How Frequently Should You be Having Sex?

Most people will give you a blatant No. And they are quite right to do so. But if you have been a habitual offender who can't unwind without their drink, pregnancy is going to be a big problem. So does the rule stand in all cases? What if you drank when you didn't know you were pregnant yet? What if you had a light drink here and there, will it literally spell disaster? Let's find out.

Contradictory advice everywhere: Most doctors will advice you to stay away completely from alcohol as soon as that first positive emerges in your test. Others may give you a little leeway and let you have an occasional drink. There are friends who'll confess to have cheated during their pregnancy and snuck in a beer or two and say that their kids turned out just fine. There are other friends will scorn on you for even thinking such a thing. Same goes for your relatives. Like all things in pregnancy, random advice will just not work.

How much can you drink? Let's assume that you are confident nothing will happen and want to be adventurous and give it a cautious try. Danish researchers have some good news for you. Some studies have shown that low to moderate consumption of alcohol does not harm the baby. In fact, in 2012, Danish researchers released a highly publicized study that found no major problems in children below 5 years whose mothers had consumed 1- 8 alcoholic drinks a week during pregnancy.

Unfortunately, not all research is made equal. With pregnancy, each mother, each child and progression of each pregnancy is different. It really has to be on a case by case basis and nothing can be taken on face value. Most people will still advise you to completely go off alcohol as there is 'no safe' amount during pregnancy. Some women have a larger quantity of the enzyme that breaks down alcohol. If a woman with lower levels of this enzyme drinks alcohol, it is more likely to harm her unborn child as the alcohol will remain in her bloodstream longer.

How alcohol can affect your child?

A number of disorders that can affect your child when in the womb and even after because of alcohol consumption. These disorders are collectively called 'Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder'. It is characterized by increased risk in miscarriage and stillbirth. It can also result in the baby having low birth weight and increase problems with learning, speech, attention span, language and hyperactivity. Alcohol consumption may also affect girl child and a baby boy differently. While both may turn out to have aggressive and delinquent behaviour, girls are more likely to develop mental health problems too.

If you are unable to give up on alcohol, you need to immediately get professional help to overcome your addiction. Also note that the term 'non-alcoholic' beverage is misleading as they can contain trace amounts of it. Consult a doctor today on which drinks are safe for you.

Alcohol in Pregnancy: Is it Safe?

Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) refers to the infection that occurs in the female reproductive organs. It happens when sexually transmitted bacteria infect the uterus, ovaries or fallopian tubes on spreading from the vagina. Generally, the cervix plays the role of preventing the bacteria from entering the vagina and infecting the reproductive organs. But when the cervix becomes exposed to an STD, it loses its power to put a stop to the spread of these microorganisms to the reproductive organs.

What causes this condition?
STDs like gonorrhea and chlamydia have been found to be responsible for about 90% of PID cases.

Some of the other causes include
- Abortion
- Childbirth
- Pelvic procedures

The condition is only detected later in life when you face difficulty in getting pregnant or have chronic pelvic pain complaints. If you experience symptoms like vomiting, high fever, pain in the lower abdomen and instances of fainting, you should immediately seek a doctor.

What puts you at risk for PID?
Certain factors may put you at a higher risk for PID and these are:

- Instances of sexually transmitted diseases like Chlamydia (an STD that can occur from anal, oral or vaginal sex) and gonorrhea (a condition that causes discharge from the vagina or urethra) can make you prone to developing PID.

- Douching on a regular basis can increase your risk of PID as it disrupts the equilibrium of good and bad bacteria in your vagina, and may hide the symptoms of the condition as well.

- Even a previous history of PID can increase your chances of having another episode of PID.

- Compared to older women, teenagers who are sexually active are more prone to developing PID.

- Having multiple sexual partners can also put you at a greater risk for PID and STDs.

If you would like to consult with me privately, please click on 'Consult'

Could you be at a risk of pelvic inflammatory disease (PID)?

Surrogacy is a boon for couples who cannot conceive naturally or give birth to a child. Surrogacy is a process in which a woman's unfertilized eggs are implanted into the uterus of another woman who is called the surrogate mother. The egg is fertilized in the surrogate mother's uterus with the biological father's sperm. The surrogate mother lets the child develop in her womb and gives birth. Although, there are various medical treatments available, but not all of them have a high success rate.

The two primary methods of surrogacy are:
1. Traditional surrogacy: In this process, the surrogate mother is artificially inseminated with the sperm, which belongs to the biological father of the baby. The sperm gets implanted into the surrogate mother's uterus and the child develops in her womb.

2. Gestational surrogacy: For women who want to have a biological child in spite of being incapable of pregnancy, the gestational surrogacy method is used. During the process, in-vitro fertilization is undertaken and the eggs from the woman who wants to become a biological mother are harvested. The eggs, along with the sperm from the biological father are implanted into the uterus of a surrogate mother, who will carry the embryo and will give birth to the child.

Process involved in surrogacy
Here are the several processes and procedures, which need to be undertaken, after you have chosen a surrogate mother for carrying your child.

1. Medical testing: After a surrogate mother is chosen, the woman goes through several health checkups, medical and psychological tests to ensure that she gives birth to a healthy child.

2. Legal agreements: There are several legal considerations that have to be addressed for a surrogacy. All the legal requirements regarding the surrogacy should be written down. Some issues include both the surrogate mother and the biological parents. A financial contract must be presented as well, which will reimburse the medical expenses and requirements of the surrogate mother.

3. Medical process: The medical processes required for surrogacy include in-vitro fertilization and the transfer of the eggs, which are done in a clinic under the supervision of a reproductive endocrinologist. The eggs are transferred to the uterus of the surrogate, where fertilization takes place after combining it with the sperms of the biological father.

4. Pregnancy and birth: After successful fertilization, the surrogate mother gets pregnant. Proper care and precautions should be taken by her to ensure a successful birth. Finally, the surrogate mother gives birth to a child, who belongs to the biological parents.

This method of having a child has become very popular in the recent times. It is a great blessing for people who cannot conceive due to medical conditions or otherwise.

All You Need to Know About the Surrogacy Process

What skin differences can you expect when you're pregnant?

During pregnancy, quite a few changes occur inside a woman's body. It is quite common for some of these changes to surface outside. Skin changes are quite common in pregnant women, and pinkish streaks on the stomach and a sudden glow on the face are commonly observed. Although not all women experience the same skin changes, there are some changes which are quite common during pregnancy. Some of them are:

1. Stretch Marks

Stretch marks are the most common and usual skin changes that occur during pregnancy. Nearly 90% of all pregnant women are likely to experience stretch marks. Stretch marks are the reddish streaks that run down the abdomen or breasts of a pregnant woman. Exercising and applying lotions rich in the vitamin can help in preventing such marks.

2. Mask of pregnancy

Melasma, commonly known as the mask of pregnancy, causes dark splotchy spots to appear on your face. Fluctuations in hormonal activities during those nine months can lead to an increase in pigmentation. These spots usually occur on the forehead and cheeks. Nearly 50% of all pregnant women encounter signs of melasma.

3. Pregnancy Glow

During pregnancy, the body produces 50% more blood; hence, there is a greater circulation of blood in the body, and the increased blood flow causes the face to appear brighter. The body also produces a lot of hormones that cause the glands to overwork, which renders the face shiny.

4. Acne

Hormonal fluctuations in the body can cause the oil glands to secrete more oil, which can cause a breakout. In case of pre-existing acne, the condition may heighten and, thus, get more inflamed.

5. Spider and Varicose veins

Increased blood circulation can cause minute, reddish blood vessels to protrude outwards. These veins usually appear on the face, neck, upper chest and arms. Varicose veins refer to the thick, bluish veins that appear on the legs. This happens because the body compensates for the extra blood that flows to your baby.



What skin differences can you expect when you're pregnant?

It is very common for women to experience vaginal problems due to the menstrual cycle, birth control methods, sex or aging. Vaginal odor may change according to your sexual health. Sometimes, it is wrongly interpreted as infection or any other problem but it is a naturally existing odor which can also be caused by normal sweating. Nevertheless, an unpleasant vaginal odor can also be indicative of infection, irritation or an overgrowth of vaginal bacteria. Four common reasons of vaginal odor are:

1. Bacterial vaginosis
Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is an overgrowth of naturally existing bacteria in the vagina which can occur due to unprotected sex, douching or low production of lactobacilli bacteria. This can cause irritation, itching and makes women more vulnerable to sexually transmitted infection and other complications like preterm birth. Bacterial vaginosis is a very common occurrence for women in their reproductive years and is the primary reason for the vaginal odor in most cases.

2. Poor hygiene
Poor hygiene can be one of the major causes of vaginal odor. In terms of hygiene two common reasons which can cause unpleasant odor are the lack of proper washing and not wearing clean undergarments. Due to the presence of sweat around the genitalia and poor maintenance of hygiene, women often experience bad odor.

3. Forgotten tampon
A forgotten tampon can cause bacterial infection and lead to vaginal odor. The growth of bacteria along with menstrual blood can cause itching and lead to unpleasant smelling vaginal discharge. Sometimes, the infection can spread and cause serious problems like pain in the lower abdomen.

4. Trichomoniasis
Trichomoniasis is a sexually transmitted disease which is caused by a protozoan parasite. It can cause a foul smelling odor, soreness, pain while urination and intercourse and also vaginal itching. Pregnant women suffering from this disease are more at risk to deliver premature babies. It can be treated with antibiotics and can be prevented with proper use of condoms.


4 Reasons for Vaginal Odor

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