High Blood Pressure: Hypertension: Factors that can be changed

High Blood Pressure: Hypertension: Factors that can be changed

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“Sexualization” in media and Mental Health

Media presentations of sexualized images of girls and young women in advertising, merchandising, and media is harmful to girls’ self-image and healthy development, asserts a new report by the American Psychological Association (APA).

Sexualization was defined by the APA Task Force on the Sexualization of Girls as occurring when a person’s value comes only from her/his sexual appeal or behavior, to the exclusion of other characteristics, and when a person is sexually objectified, e.g., made into a thing for another’s sexual use.

Details: http://psychcentral.com/news/2007/02/20/sexualization-affects-mental-health/635.html

Talking about sexual health with a doctor

As we move into adulthood, we begin to take care of our healthcare needs without our parents’ help. When it comes to the area of sexual health, we may not want our parents involved. This means we have to learn to speak up for ourselves to get the sexual health care we need and deserve.

Seeing a healthcare provider can be the best medicine; assuming you’ve been as honest as you can with them, they know you and your medical and sexual history.

Remember, healthcare providers are there to make you well in the immediate sense. It may take time and investment on your end to talk with someone else about more lasting behavior changes to best protect your health.

Starting the Talk
When you call to make an appointment, tell your healthcare provider that you have sexual health questions. That might allow for an “opening” for the provider to ask you questions and start the conversation.
Before your appointment, write down the questions and concerns you have. You can ask any questions you want; they do not need to be related to any physical problems you might be having. Or, do an online assessment such as the one at http://www.stdwizard.org, and print out the results to bring to your appointment to show your provider. You can also include these if you fill out a “reason for visit” or “sexual history” form.
If you don’t feel like you can verbalize your questions, simply hand the provider your list. By communicating that you are uncomfortable discussing this topic, it will allow them to say something comforting to put you at ease.

Role of zinc and folic acid in increasing sperm count

A contributing factor in male infertility could be as simple as low zinc and/or folic acid levels. Folate-rich foods like green leafy vegetables, beans or orange juice will help a man maintain a healthy balanced diet, but remember the body does not make enough zinc or folic acid on its own, so it must be obtained from one’s diet and/or supplements.

Without the proper levels of these trace minerals, the body does not operate at full throttle; including reproductively. In some cases sperm motility is negatively affected as well as the sperm count.

Recent studies indicate zinc supplements along with folic acid may increase sperm count and improve sperm motility in some men.

One published Dutch study claims men who are having difficulty impregnating their partner may increase their sperm count by up to 74% by taking 5mg of folic acid and 66mg of zinc sulfate a day for 26 weeks. It did caution however, that taken alone, there was no significant improvement in sperm count.

Although zinc is an essential mineral required to operate the human body properly, excessive amounts may be harmful, so always consult your physician before beginning any new regimen.

Physical fitness and sexual health

New research suggests that physical fitness can also benefit one’s sexual health. Two new studies suggest exercise might be considered “sexercise” for men and women throughout the lifespan. Researchers report that exercise lowers the risk of impotence in men by improving blood flow to the genital region. Fitness primes women for sex in a similar way. With greater blood flow, sexual organs work more efficiently

Study: Religious Teens More Likely to Abstain from Sex

Religious teens lose their virginity later than those who are not religious — waiting on average three years longer than their peers, a recent study reported.
Janet Rosenbaum, a post doctoral fellow at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, wrote in this month's issue of "Pediatrics" that those with strong religious backgrounds became sexually active at about 21 on average —regardless if they took a pledge to remain a virgin until marriage.

Male circumcision lowers cervical cancer risk

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Three studies published on Wednesday add to evidence that circumcision can protect men from the deadly AIDS virus and the sexually transmitted virus that causes cervical cancer.

The reports in the Journal of Infectious Diseases are likely to add to the debate over whether men -- and newborn boys -- should be circumcised to protect their health and perhaps the health of their future sexual partners.

Dr. Bertran Auvert of the University of Versailles in France and colleagues in South Africa tested more than 1,200 men visiting a clinic in South Africa,
They found under 15 percent of the circumcised men and 22 percent of the uncircumcised men were infected with the human papilloma virus, or HPV, which is the main cause of cervical cancer and genital warts.

"This finding explains why women with circumcised partners are at a lower risk of cervical cancer than other women," they wrote in their report.
A second paper looking at U.S. men had less clear-cut results, but Carrie Nielson of Oregon Health & Science University and colleagues said they found some indication that circumcision might protect men.

The circumcised men were about half as likely to have HPV as uncircumcised men, after adjustment for other differences between the two groups.

'Am I Sexually Normal?'

Who hasn't compared her sex life with a friend's and wondered, "Why don't I have sex three times a day? Or five orgasms in one night? Is there something wrong with me or my partner? Am I sexually normal?"

Even though I am a physician, I learned more about sexuality from friends, partners and women's magazines than I did from medical school. The problem with these familiar sources of sexual education is that comparisons can sometimes lead to feelings of inadequacy, even if you are otherwise satisfied with your sex life. You start to wonder if you are normal, and what it means to be normal sexually.

The Elusive Definition of "Normal"
Why is it difficult to define normal sexuality? First of all, it is not as simple as checking a vital sign or lab test. While you can break down the female sexual experience into parts — desire, arousal, vaginal lubrication and orgasm — the problem is that you also need the right mental framework to make these parts work and to feel good about the experience. As many sex experts will tell you, your mind is your largest and most important sexual organ. Your mental state not only affects the physical function of your sexuality, but also interprets whether that experience is a satisfying or unsatisfying one.
Second, defining normal is difficult when there is a wide range of sexual experiences that satisfy different people. Intensity of sex drive or libido can be different for different people but nonetheless be "normal," or even change over time in one person. Some women have few or no orgasms, or no orgasms during vaginal penetration, yet are just as satisfied as women who have multiple orgasms. So the best response to the question "Am I normal sexually?" is often: "Well, do you feel you are normal sexually?"

Sex Position for Better Orgasm

A woman who wants to become orgasmic has a variety of options to try. One of the most useful and enjoyable is a well kept secret sometimes referred to as the T-position. Begin by the female partner laying on her back. The man, laying perpendicular (making a ‘t’), straddles the woman’s leg farthest from him. For example, if the man lays on the left side of the woman, he straddles her right leg. The other leg lays atop the man. This position exposes the clitoris for stimulation, which either partner can do. Use a water-based lubricant (we recommend Astroglide) and tenderly massage the clitoris while slowly rocking back and forth, thrusting the penis gently in and out. While this double stimulation is very gratifying, most important is how relaxing and intimate it is. Sometimes it's difficult to provide the required stimulation manually so employ a vibrator. Vibrators are designed to provide intense clitoral stimulation. During intercourse, you may want something small and unobtrusive such as the Fukuoku 9000 finger vibe. This little vibrator fits on the end of a finger and can provide intense stimulation. Couples find this method relaxing because they are able to lay down, neither partner having to hold his or her weight, and intimate because with a little adjustment you can talk, enjoy wine or just gaze into one another’s eyes. Being comfortable, relaxed, and stimulated properly is the key for some women to becoming orgasmic.

Sex Tip

Urgent hurried sex can be a lot of fun, but you do lose a lot in the mix. Slowly seducing your partner allows you to try different techniques, apply different intensities and explore less obvious erogenous zones. Try touching, licking, kissing, and sucking your partner all over and watch their reactions to discover their unique turn-ons. If you hear a little gasp or moan or notice their breathing getting heavier, chances are you’re on the right track. Knowing how to push each others buttons will increase pleasure and also allow you to get to know each other more intimately.

Work slowly towards the actual sex. Leave their genitals for last, but tease them by lavishing attention on their stomachs and thighs. Let them know the sex is coming, but delay it until you both can’t stand it anymore then give in and treat your sex to wild sex. This naughty girl assures you … anticipation is a potent aphrodisiac.

Sexual rights

Sexual rights embrace human rights that are already recognized in national laws, international human rights documents and other consensus statements. They include the right of all persons, free of coercion, discrimination and violence, to:

• the highest attainable standard of sexual health, including access to sexual and reproductive health care services;
• seek, receive and impart information related to sexuality;
• sexuality education;
• respect for bodily integrity;
• choose their partner;
• decide to be sexually active or not;
• consensual sexual relations;
• consensual marriage;
• decide whether or not, and when, to have children; and pursue a satisfying, safe and pleasurable sexual life.

The responsible exercise of human rights requires that all persons respect the rights of others.

Ref: WHO

The First Phase of Sexual Response

Excitement can last for just a few minutes or extend for several hours. Characteristics of this phase include: an increasing level of muscle tension, a quickened heart rate, flushed skin (or some blotches of redness may occur on the chest and back), hardened or erect nipples, and the onset of vasocongestion, resulting in swelling of the woman's clitoris and labia minora and erection of the man's penis.
Other changes also occur. In the woman, the vaginal walls begin to produce a lubricating liquid, her uterus elevates and grows in size, and her breasts become larger. At the same time, the woman's vagina swells and the muscle that surrounds the vaginal opening, called the pubococygeal muscle, grows tighter.
These changes prepare the woman's body for orgasm and were called the "orgasmic platform" by Masters and Johnson. Additional changes in men include elevation and swelling of the testicles, tightening of the scrotal sac, and secretion of a lubricating liquid by the Cowper's glands.

Women face different issues at different stages of their lives. A woman who has been married for many years has different concerns than a woman choosing sex for the first time. For both women though, healthy relationships can depend on honest communication and mutual respect.

Contraceptives and Sexual Pleasure

• Only 4 percent of women who relied on hormonal methods of contraception reported decreased pleasure, but hormonal users reported the lowest overall sexual satisfaction scores।
• While 23 percent of women who used both condoms and hormonal methods reported decreased pleasure, they had the highest sexual satisfaction scores।
• Women who used condoms alone or along with a hormonal method were six to seven times more likely to report decreased sexual enjoyment compared to those who used hormonal methods only।
• Women with no history of a sexually transmitted infection were more than twice as likely to report that their method decreased sexual pleasure.