An STD or sexually transmitted disease is usually an infection which spreads from one person to another during sexual contact. Some STDs can also be transferred through touch, since they spread by skin contact. People hardly like to talk or discuss about STDs, but it is very important to rule out the possibilities of STD. Whether one likes it or not, if STD testing is ignored, then it can lead to long term consequences.

Why STD Testing is Important

Often STDs have no signs and symptoms, and the only way to know that are you suffering from an STD is to get tested for it. So it is a good idea to get yourself tested, as you never know if you might have STD even though you don't show symptoms. Also, when STDs are diagnosed, most of them can be cured.

Consequences of Not Getting Tested

If one has STD and is not getting tested for the same, then it could lead to health problems which can cause permanent damages or might prove to be fatal. Some of the problems are:

1. Undiagnosed and untreated STDs can lead to damaged reproductive system, leading to sterile men and women. 
2. Chlamydia, if untreated can lead to epididymitis and shrinkage of testicles and infertility in men. It also leads to pelvic inflammatory disease. But good news is, it can be treated easily.
3. Syphillis can make a person blind and deaf, and can also be passed on to babies. 
4. Gonorrhea, which can also be treated easily with antibiotics, can lead to infertility or death if untreated. 
5. Even HIV/AIDS if diagnosed in early stages can enable the patient to lead a normal life and does not mean only death, contrary to conventional perceptions.  

Symptoms of STD

While, gonorrhea, chlamydia and human papilloma virus (HPV) have no symptoms, the common symptoms of STDs might vary. 

1. In women, the common symptoms are pain and burning sensation during urination, blood in vaginal discharge as also abnormal vaginal discharge, abdominal pain, blisters, warts, and swollen glands. 
2. Men often experience inflammation of the testicles, prostate, sores, fever, urethral discharge and pain during urination.

If these symptoms are observed, it is vital to get tested for STDs. Also the best way to protect your partner is not to practice unsafe sex and to refrain from the same until diagnosed and treatment is complete.
 
Getting yourself tested for STD is also beneficial, as it can prevent against complications like cancers and infertility. The standard STD panel of tests consists of Herpes IgG antibody and HIV antibody blood tests, along with a blood test for syphilis antibody and DNA urine test for gonorrhea and Chlamydia.

The Dangers of Putting Off STD Testing

The tissue that lines the uterus is known as the endometrium. In some cases, it can grow outside the uterus. This is known as endometriosis. Endometriosis usually involves organs in the pelvic cavity such as the ovaries, fallopian tubes, bowel and lining of the pelvic cavity. In rare cases, it may involve the vagina, cervix and bladder as well.

Depending on the location and extent of endometrial tissue, it can be classified into four stages ranging from minimal to severe. Most cases of endometriosis fall into the minimal or mild category which involves mild scarring and superficial tissue implants. Moderate or severe endometriosis can cause cysts and severe scarring. Infertility is also commonly associated with severe endometriosis.

Pain in the pelvic area just before and during menstruation is one of the most characteristic symptoms of this disorder. This is because the overgrown endometrial tissue acts like normal endometrial tissue and is shed during menstruation. The only difference is that since there is no exit for this overgrown tissue, it is trapped in the pelvic cavity. The location of the implantation of endometrial tissue also plays a role in the amount of pain experienced. The deeper the implant, more the pain. Implants near areas with high nerve density are also more likely to be painful than implants in areas with low nerve density.  These implants may also release substances into the blood stream that can cause pain.

Other symptoms associated with this disorder are:
  Painful intercourse
  Painful urination
  Pain during bowel movements
  Infertility

These symptoms especially the pelvic pain can vary from month to month in terms of duration and intensity.

A few simple changes in your diet can help manage the symptoms associated with this disorder and in some cases, prevent it as well. Avoid processed food and foods that are high in sodium content. You should also avoid high-fat dairy and food that is rich in arachidonic acid. Instead, increase your consumption of carbs and green leafy vegetables. You could also add two tablespoons of walnut oil a day to your diet to help combat inflammation and the other effects of arachidonic acid.

Early stages of this disease can be treated with hormone therapy, but if it has progressed to the later stages, surgery may be needed. This surgery is performed laparoscopically and aims at removing all the implanted tissue from outside the uterus. However, in cases where the anatomy of the pelvic organs has been distorted by the implants, a hysterectomy may be required. This option, however, it usually considered only in cases where a woman does not have any plans of conceiving more children. 

Endometriosis - How It Is Affecting Your Life?

Menopause automatically brings about a dip in testosterone and estrogen levels in a woman s body. It leads to certain changes in the body and also reduces libido. A drop in libido means that sexual arousal becomes a cause of concern. This can bring in certain problems in your sexual/conjugal life. Lower estrogen levels reduce supply of blood to the vagina, thus resulting in lubrication problems. A dry vagina during sexual intercourse can lead you to experience pain during sex.

There are some other factors that can affect a woman s libido after menopause:
1. Problems in sleep
2. Anxiety and depression
3. Problems of the bladder
4. Certain medications
5. High stress levels

To remedy lubrication problems, use water soluble lubricants to lubricate your vagina. Avoid using non-water soluble products such as petroleum jelly as it can weaken the latex. Non water soluble lubricants are also known to aggravate bacterial vaginosis. You may also use vaginal moisturizers to address the issue. There are oral medications that are available, which cause the tissues of the vagina to thicken, thus causing less pain during sex.

Improving your libido
You can opt for estrogen therapy to reduce pain during sex as this therapy helps in vaginal lubrication. The main objective of estrogen therapy (Hormone Replacement Therapy) is to ease the discomforts associated with a deficiency of estrogen secretion in the body. You should consult a professional who will be able to guide and counsel you.

Certain other measures to rev up your libido have been listed below:

    Indulge in foreplay: Try and include activities such as oral sex and erotic massages in your agenda. Experimentation with foreplay can help spice things up between you and your partner.
    Try out new things: Change your sex poses, read erotic books or watch erotic videos as these may help in boosting your libido.

Bear in mind that menopause does not prevent STDs; you still need to take proper precautions before engaging in sexual intercourse. 

How to Improve Your Libido Post Menopause 

Vaginismus is a condition where vaginal contractions and squeezes may be caused due to pain during intercourse or due to the insertion of objects like tampons. This mildly uncomfortable condition is also characterised by spams and other symptoms like the feeling of coming up against a thick wall which can cause pain. This may be due to a variety of reasons starting from infections to anxiety. To a large extent, the treatment of this condition depends on the cause. Following are the various ways in which this condition can be treated.

    Sex Therapy: A sexologist or an expert who specialises in psychosexual medicine can help in treating this condition by conducting a series of counselling sessions where psychoanalysis will help in understanding and unravelling the cause of the condition. This may be followed by CBT or cognitive behavioural therapy. This kind of therapy usually helps in reprogramming the brain after the root cause for the condition is known. 
    Exercises: During sex therapy, the doctor may also teach you various kinds of exercises and vaginal trainers that can help you in strengthening the pelvic floor and relaxing the muscles as well. These vaginal trainers are especially helpful in equipping you suitably so that you can relax your vagina and let the insertion happen. Vaginal trainers consist of four smooth balls of plastic which can be inserted with the help of lubricants to help in stretching the vagina. 
    Relaxation: Getting yourself to relax is also a matter of exploration and touching, which can help you understand the kind of touch and the exact areas that make you tense. During sex therapy, you may be taught a technique known as progressive relaxation. This mode includes tensing and relaxing your muscles as you explore by inserting a finger. 
    Sensate Focus: This is a part of sex therapy and involves your partner. In this method, you will be asked to abstain from sex and touch each other without going to the genitals and other private parts. This will help in better arousal and sexual stimulation.
    Surgery: The last option for treating a very severe form of this condition is to put the patient through surgery which will seek to remove endometriosis, as these growths in the womb's lining can cause a lot of pain during intercourse. Also, vaginal enlargement surgery can be carried out with the help of episiotomy. 

This kind of procedure usually helps in fixing the scar tissue that may have been left from a previous procedure, which can restrict or block the vaginal path. Getting help at the right time for this condition is of great importance so as to have a normal sex life.

How to Treat Vaginismus

For an expecting mother, nothing is more important than the safety and well-being of her unborn child. With due care, a mom-to-be can prevent complications that may arise in pregnancy by avoiding certain potential risks. Read on to find out the 5 things pregnant women must avoid at all costs in order to have a safe pregnancy.

1. Abdominal x-rays: abdominal x-rays during pregnancy are a big no. This kind of x-ray exposes the abdomen of the mother, and the baby as a consequence, to high levels of radiation, which can cause changes in the baby's rapidly growing cells. As a result, the baby's chances of suffering from birth defects or certain cancers, such as leukaemia later on in life, increase rapidly. It is best to avoid x-rays until absolutely necessary. X-rays of area other than abdomen if considered essential by your doctor can be performed after wearing an abdominal lead shield.

2. Alcohol: all types of alcohol must be avoided during pregnancy. Consumption of alcohol during these 9 months has been associated with several birth defects such as poor growth, learning disabilities and mental retardation. In worst case scenarios, excessive alcohol consumption during pregnancy can lead to what is known as foetal alcohol syndrome or fas, which severely affects the mental development and physical growth of the unborn child, particularly of the face and skull. Also, you must quit smoking.

3. Illicit or recreational drugs: drugs like marijuana, cocaine and other recreational drugs are again absolutely forbidden in pregnancy. These result in birth defects in the unborn child, poor growth and even withdrawal symptoms in the newborn after birth.

4. Medicines: as the metabolism of a growing baby is very different from that of an adult, it is very important to be sure of the medicines that you take while pregnant. This is especially true in the first trimester or the first 3 months of pregnancy when the foetus is most vulnerable. Certain medicines are deemed safe for the baby, while some are potentially harmful. Hence one must make sure to consult your doctor before taking any medicine when pregnant.

5. Stress: stress can trigger various health problems, which can be bad for both the baby and the mother. Studies have revealed the emotional environment of the mother is experienced by the baby as well. In fact, a particular study has shown that any kind of stress, whether it be work related or stress caused by strain in relationships, can affect the mental development of the child. This as result can lead to the child developing certain behavioural disorders such as fears and phobias, which remain way into his adulthood.

5 Dangerous Things to Avoid When You're Pregnant

Polycystic ovarian syndrome or PCOS is a condition in which a woman experiences fluctuation of hormone levels, estrogen, and progesterone which causes cysts in her ovaries, dysfunctional menstrual cycle, cardiac problem, fertility and changes in appearance. Hormones are chemical messengers that can trigger a number of issues in the body. Long term problems due to PCOS can be avoided with an early diagnosis and a proper treatment.

Causes
- Genetics and hormonal imbalance have been identified as the main causes of PCOS although the exact reason has not been discovered.
- Overproduction of androgen, a male hormone in a woman can cause small lumps in the ovaries, irregular development of eggs and abnormal insulin level.

Symptoms
The severity of the symptoms depends on the constitution of the person but the most common one is irregular periods. PCOS occurs when there is a decrease in sex hormones which can lead to the development of certain male features like:

- Deeper voice
- Growth of hair on face, toes, stomach, chest and back
- Reduction in breast size
- Loss and thinning of hair

There are other symptoms as well which can help one to determine the syndrome including:
- Oily skin leading to acne
- Irregular egg formation causing fertility problems and miscarriages
- Depression, anxiety and mood swings
- Hyperinsulinemia, that refers to the presence of too much insulin in the body which can cause obesity
- Difficulty in breathing while sleeping

The severity of the symptoms varies but if you are experiencing any of these problems, it is advisable to seek a professional consultation. A healthy lifestyle, regular exercise, nutritious diets are some of the preventive measures you can take. There are hormone regulating medicines and treatments that attempt to curb the condition but there is no permanent cure.

What is Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome?

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