Category Archives: sex and relationship

sex and relationship, Sex Health

Frequency of sexual intercourses

There a lot of people who ask themselves if they are having too much sex or maybe they are having less sexual intercourses then the others. The frequency of sexual intercourses is always good if both partners are satisfied with it. This means that the frequency of sexual intercourse is not something that we should compare with other couples of individuals. Furthermore, you can’t find any strict guidance about how much sex is enough and that is exactly the beauty of sex – we are not following any rules and we should not feel it as some kind of everyday obligation.

However there are some numbers that are considered to be “normal”. The common frequency of sexual intercourse is around two to three times a week. However there are many people who practice sex even more. Some people are guided strictly by their own schedules while others enjoy spontaneous sex. If you are having sex less than two times a week this doesn’t mean that you are doing something wrong. If your partner is happy and you are happy and the whole sexual act is passionate then you don’t need to be worried about anything.  On the other hand if you feel bad about the infrequent sexual intercourses you should talk honestly about that with your partner.

People who practice only vaginal sex should know that they should be prepared to fewer orgasms compared to those who are ready to do some experiments like oral sex, masturbation or different types of sex games, because all these experiments can cause a lot more orgasms. This also means that the second group of people is most likely to have sex more frequently because of the bigger excitement.

You should always be open minded and seek your own sexual combination which depends on your reactions: if only one of you needs more sex, his or her needs can be satisfied with additional techniques and align those needs with your own.

Of course you should be aware that over the years the frequency decreases but there is no age in which you wouldn’t want to surprise yourself in some occasions. That’s why you should not feel miserable because of the frequency of your sexual intercourses and don’t worry if your friends tell you that they are having much more sex than you.

Remember that sex is not a game in which you have to collect points every time you have sex. You must be aware that there can be some periods in your life and in the life of your partner where you won’t feel the need of sex that much. There can be different causes for this situation but that doesn’t mean that you should put pressure on each other. Sexual drive is not something constant and that desire starts to fade with the years.

After all, the frequency of sexual intercourses is usually determined by the level of some chemical processes that take part in our bodies. That’s why, as the years go by, you should pay more attention on building a solid emotional connection with your partner in order to ignite sexual desire between the two of you.

Contraception, sex and relationship, Sex Health

Few Things That You Should Know About Polycystic Ovary Syndrome

Polycystic ovary syndrome is one of the most common hormonal disorders among women in reproductive age. We are talking about multitude of small cysts that can usually be found on the edges of the ovary. It is still unknown how and why polycystic ovaries appear but it is considered that the hormonal changes are one of the main reasons for that.

One of the causes of development of polycystic ovary syndrome is the excessive amount of androgen hormones produced by adrenal glands and ovaries. These androgen hormones are closely related with estrogen. Many women during their adolescence period are suffering from polycystic ovaries which is manifested with prolonged and irregular menstrual cycles, overweight, acnes, unusual bodily hair growth etc. However it is good to know that there are many women who never or rarely experience periods of troubles with polycystic ovaries. There are also women who never had problems with such ovaries when they were young, but started to develop this syndrome later.

There are two most noticeable symptoms of this syndrome. The first symptom is a disrupted menstrual cycle. Polycystic ovaries can cause menstrual cycle to last longer than 30 days but it can also make it disappear. Another symptom is hair growth on unusual places for women – their chin for example and overall excessive body hair growth. The reason for this is the higher amount of androgen hormones like testosterone.

No matter what symptoms you might notice you should definitely perform a gynecological examination. Early diagnosis of this syndrome means that you will be able to deal with it more easily. If you start treating this syndrome later you might suffer from some permanent damages.

So what exactly causes these polycystic ovaries? There are many causes and some of them include: taking excessive amounts of insulin (it can increase the level of androgen hormones), abnormal fetal development, hereditary characteristics (there is a high possibility to develop polycystic ovary syndrome if your mother or grandmother had it too), smoldering inflammation (bad diet and bad lifestyle can trigger inflammations and protection from white cells which deplete the body) and more.

Besides these causes, polycystic ovary syndrome is linked with few medical issues such as: diabetes, high level of cholesterol and lipids, high blood pressure, insomnia, excessive amount of C-reactive protein, excessive bleeding during the menstrual period, endometrial cancer caused by exposure to large amounts of estrogen, gestational diabetes etc.

All these medical problems should be taken seriously no matter if they are directly or indirectly linked with polycystic ovary syndrome. Make sure you consult your doctor and certain specialists. Gynecologist will certainly know how to advise you about polycystic ovary syndrome. They can give you several treatment options like – regulation of menstrual cycle with birth control pills, help with ovulation with anti-estrogen medications or hormonal injections, help with hair growth problem with certain contraceptive pills etc. In most serious cases, a surgery is the most helpful solution. The procedure is called laparoscopic surgery of ovaries that will help women to ovulate and conceive.

Male Enhancement, premature ejaculation, sex and relationship, Sex Health

How to deal with low sex drive?

Decrease in sexual desire and sex drive in people who are in a serious relationship can lead to various problems. The causes of reduced sex drive can be a disease, but very often they are a result of seemingly small business, family or psychological problems. The good news is that these problems can be solved relatively easily.

People have been working to increase male libido from the ancient times. Different nations had different methods to achieve greater sex drive. For example, ancient Greeks believed that bull testicles can increase their potency while ancient Romans used various means against impotence including sea food like oysters. Other people used means that were considered to be magical, and although these means might not physically improve their performance it was enough to make a psychological boost and increase sexual desire. Some of these aphrodisiacs included the horns of certain animals, various spells, pickled bugs etc. Since ancient times, people have experimented with different types of food that were considered to be helpful for the libido. Food like truffles, cinnamon, celery, kefir, giner, herbalk teas and other were used regularly. American Indians for example used the plant called Tumer which is now part of many medications that are used to increase potency.

Lack of sexual desire is present in both sexes equally and it surely affects the stability of the relationship in a very negative way. Sexual weakness in men is manifested with diminished erection, delayed or premature erection and overall lack of sexual desire. Women tend to have different type of problems like vaginal dryness, having trouble to achieve sexual arousal and or difficulties with reaching and experiencing orgasm.

So what exactly causes these problems? Causes of problems related to love life can be a variety of diseases like high blood cholesterol, high blood pressure, hormonal disorder, impaired circulation, side effects of certain medications, diabetes and other medical conditions. Furthermore, vices like tobacco, alcohol or drugs can have very negative impact on sexual desire and the sexual power of both women and men. There are few other causes that can produce serious problems with the libido like depression, stress, irregular sleep and insomnia, unhealthy diet, chronic fatigue, improper communication, lack of time, modern lifestyle, busy schedule at the workplace, some serious family problems and similar issues.

Fortunately, if not all, most of these problems that cause lack of sex drive can be reduced and even completely solved. Of course in order to get rid of these problems they should be taken seriously by both partners and they need to have intention to solve those problems. For example, diseases that can cause lack of sex drive can be treated with proper therapies. Problems linked with everyday activities can be solved by better organization of your life and obligations. Trust, love and regular communication will certainly help you deal with sex drive problems.

If your sex drive is reduced because of some serious medical issue or some other very serious problem you should consult an expert. There are a lot of counseling services that will give you directions how to overcome your problems and help you with your sex life.

sex and relationship, Sex Health, Sex Life Story

Does Sex Help Maintain A Relationship?

Sex is said to be the most important part of anybody’s life. It plays a very vital role in a normal life of anyone. Hence, peak sex is very crucial part of a fully satisfied married life. It is the sex which is responsible to make the flame of old relationships burning. One of the best ways to do it is sexual intimacy. Couples can express their emotions verbally. But there is no better idea to express feelings than physical intimacy. It helps very much to sustain a healthy relationship.

Why Sex is Important Part of Relationship?

Your love and faith can make your partner feel a lot confident and better if you have sex with her/him. This is one of the main reasons why it is important. Couples who have sex regularly tend to have better and deeper bonding than those who don’t. This is because of the hormones released during episodes of lovemaking. These hormones play a vital role in making emotional and spiritual bonding between the couple and their love for each other gets into the deepest and highest level. Both emotionally and physically, sex helps strengthens the feeling of love and attachment between the couples. So, it is very important to include the ingredient of sex in your love life because it can reflect your care, love and affection.

Have Sex to Stay Connected

Having a passionate sex doesn’t just refer to physical satisfaction. It also helps couples to involve in each other intimately. While having sex, all the aspects of a person are bare-naked and vulnerable. During intercourse, a couple can easily and deeply share their feelings in each level because sex connects two true lovers like no other. Once a couple truly understood this concept, they can get into different levels of communication and sex helps them to do so. Thereby, it helps both of them to get closer with no words. One can do sex for pleasure, fun, relaxation, social status and relaxation. All in all, sex is vital to sustain a relationship.

Cons of Relationship without Sex

Couples often go through this problem. Relationship without sex results in never-ending cycle of yelling and abuse matches. Sexless life leads to frustration, depression, rejection, self-doubt, reduced self-esteem and problem in focus. Even worse, sexless life also leads to separation and broken homes.

Bottom Line

To build a healthy relationship, sexual intimacy helps married life and relationships last longer.

Contraception, sex and relationship, Sex Health

Few Forms of Long-Term Contraception

There are few forms of long-term contraception that can prevent women, which already gave birth, from another unexpected pregnancy. As we all know there are various types of contraception, which are suitable for different periods of our lives. For example young women and girls that are sexually active, short-term forms of contraception that usually don’t affect the reproductive system like condoms or birth control pills. Unlike them, older women who have decided to take a break between each delivery or maybe they have decided that they don’t want children any more can use forms of long-term contraception.

Sterilization

This is a radical form of long-term (definite) contraception and every woman that considers this option should understand that there is no turning back after the procedure is done. Sterilization is good because it doesn’t affect the sexual life at all and there is no need for other contraceptive measures. Women should remember that attempt to reverse this process by trying to re-establish the patency of fallopian tubes is very risky and complicated surgical procedure that is not always successful. That’s why doctors suggest that women who want to take this procedure should be well informed about other long-term methods of contraception, that can be also very effective but unlike sterilization they are not permanent.

Hormonal intrauterine systems

These systems contain a reservoir with progestogen hormone, which releases a small dosage of the hormone in the womb every day. With the help of this hormone, the mucus in the cervix is thickened so the passage of sperm into the uterus is blocked. Even if some of the sperm has managed to get inside the uterus the normal movement will be difficult. Due to its local affect on the uterus it also reduces the overgrowth of the lining of the uterus. Furthermore this makes the menstruation milder, shorter and even less painful and in some cases women using this type of contraception don’t have menstruation at all. Besides that this systems can prevent infections in the pelvic area and occurrence of endometrial cancer. Because it acts locally the hormonal balance in the body is preserved and there are no side effects. These hormonal systems can be implanted six weeks after birth and mothers who are breast feeding their babies should not be worried because these hormones don’t affect the milk. Hormonal intrauterine systems are almost 100% effective, they last for five years and they can be easily removed if needed.

Copper-based intrauterine devices

These devices are similar to the hormonal systems in their appearance and they are a well known and recognized method of long-term contraception. They are made of copper and plastics and what makes them different from the previously mentioned devices is that they do not contain hormones. They work in a simple way by disabling sperm on their way to the fallopian tubes and make the connection between sperm and eggs impossible. They can last from three to ten years, depending on the type of the device. These devices are more than 99% effective. They are not recommended for women that have not yet given birth or anemic women because sometimes they cause longer and more intensive menstruations.

sex and relationship, Sex Health, Sex Life Story

The Causes And Treatment Of Infertility

Unfortunately pregnancy, maintenance of pregnancy and giving birth to a healthy baby can be very difficult for some couples. Average healthy woman has 20 to 25 percent chance to get pregnant during each cycle and more than 80 percent of fertile couples will successfully conceive a baby in a period of one year if they have regular unprotected sexual intercourses. Unlike them some couples are faced with lots of challenges when it comes to conception.

Infertility is considered to be an inability to conceive after more than a year of regular and unprotected sexual intercourse. It is estimated that just over 10 percent of women of reproductive age have trouble conceiving. Both female reproductive system and male reproductive systems can cause this unpleasant situation and sometimes the problem lies in both of the partners. After a specialist research and treatment of both partners nearly 35% of couples can conceive a baby in a period of two years.

But what are the main causes of infertility? It is still fully not clear why some people are infertile but for most of the people the causes can be identified. There are several causes why some women are infertile and these are some of them – ovaries do not produce eggs, endometriosis and pelvic inflammatory disease might damage or block fallopian tubes. Sometimes the mucus in the cervix can be “hostile” to the sperm. Unlike women where there can be several causes for infertility men are usually infertile because of the problems with their sperm quality.

In order to find the source of the problem you should take detailed physical exam and research family history. Obesity and menstrual irregularity will certainly be listed and the doctor will probably ask you about occupational hazards, eating disorders, stress, sexual intercourses, previous methods of contraception, physical activity and previous life habits like drinking alcohol, smoking and usage of medicaments. Blood tests may be conducted in order to investigate the known reasons for infertility: excessive levels of prolactin (a hormone that regulates the menstrual period), excessive levels or lack of thyroid hormone or excessive presence of androgens, such as testosterone.

If you have endometriosis, cysts or polyps, the doctor may refer you to a gynecologist or endocrinologist for evaluation and further examination.

When it comes to men patients, the doctor may suggest a sperm analysis. Low level of sperm or poor  sperm quality may be responsible for the situation.

If the doctor suspects that sexual problems may be the cause he may recommend therapy.

If the ovulation is a problem, there are medications that can stimulate ovulation easily. Disorders such as polycystic ovaries, endometriosis and pelvic inflammatory disease can be treated. Damaged fallopian tubes in some cases can be repaired by surgery and in vitro fertilization is another method that can be efficient in this situation.

It is very important to understand the monthly menstrual cycle because in that way you can know what days are the best for sexual intercourse and getting pregnant.

As we can see infertility is not something that can’t be treated, it just takes time and patience but the results will eventually come.

sex and relationship, Sex Health, Sex Life Story

Prevention And Protective Measures Against Chlamydia

Sexually transmitted diseases, including Chlamydia infection, are transmitted via sexual intercourse. This means that only persons that are sexually active are at risk. The chance to get a sexually transmitted disease is defined by the person’s sexual activity and behavior.

Each individual can protect its own health by avoiding risky sexual intercourses and by using protection (condoms) during those intercourses.

Having sex early in the relationship and huge number of sexual partners during lifetime certainly increase the risk of these diseases and their unpleasant consequences. Sometimes changing the partner means higher risk, because when you have sex with someone new that means that you are having sex with everyone with whom that person has slept before.

So how can we lower the risk? Permanent and mutually faithful relationship between two healthy persons and abstinence from sexual activities are the only two measures that are helpful in the process of protection against sexually transmitted diseases. In other cases, people can protect themselves by avoiding dangerous sexual behavior and by applying condoms during sexual activities.

Primary prevention based on education and behavioral change is the key to prevention and control of sexually transmitted infections, including Chlamydia infections. Changing behavior such as increased use of condoms, delaying the start of sexual life and reducing the number of sexual partners, in response to a campaign to prevent AIDS and sexually transmitted diseases, are associated with reduction of Chlamydia infections and complications.

These are few practical tips that will reduce the risk of sexually transmitted diseases:

–      Always use latex condoms from the very beginning of the sexual intercourse to the end no matter what type of sex are you practicing (anal, vaginal or oral)

–      Before engaging into sex with your new partner, try to estimate how risky he is.

–      If you use lubricant agents try those who are based on water, because those that are based on oil can damage the condom.

–      It is important to prevent any kind of damage on the skin and membranes in the genital area or the anus, which can lead to bleeding. These bleedings can cause entrance of some sexually transmitted diseases including AIDS.

Measures of protection against sexually transmitted diseases are the same measures that can be applied against Chlamydia. In cases where the patient has recovered from Chlamydia it is extremely important for the patient to do everything he or she can to prevent re-infection. Reappearance of Chlamydia increases the risk of infertility. Once again, people who have intercourse are strongly advised to use latex condoms during the whole intercourse.

Regular and proper use of latex condoms is the best method of protection against Chlamydia infections in sexually active persons. Do not forget that the risk of Chlamydia increases with the number of sexual partners. People who are at risk of infection with Chlamydia should consult a doctor and take medical exams to determine if any of the causes of sexually transmitted diseases are present. Risk factors include sexual activity during adolescence, multiple sexual partners, not using condoms and previous infection that can cause some other sexually transmitted disease.

Contraception, sex and relationship, Sex Health, Sex Life Story

How Do Birth Control Pills Affect The Body?

The first birth control pills were produced around 50 years ago and they were received very well by the public, especially among couples that were afraid of unwanted pregnancy. However these pills can affect on almost everything on your body, from the muscles and the brain to the sex drive.

These birth control pills work in a way that deceives the body with the help of artificial female hormones like estrogen and progesterone. They prevent the appearance of ovulation or in other words they stop the release of eggs. The process sounds very simple but the truth is that all those hormones are making a lot more than prevention of pregnancy.

Recent studies have shown that birth control pills can affect appearance, but not that much as previously because the new types of pills are having low levels of hormones and they are significantly improved. This is a short list of things that are usually affected by birth control pills.

Bones

Some studies suggest that taking birth control pills can lower the density of the spine, especially if those pills have low levels of estrogen in them. Natural estrogen stimulates the growth of bone tissue and pills maintain the normal level of estrogen. What is still uncertain is what happens when someone decides to stop taking those pills. However there is no proof that birth control pills cause any diseases related to the bones such as osteoporosis.

Cancer 

The link between breast cancer and birth control pills is still unclear. Few studies have shown different results and some suggest that there is a link while others suggest that there is absolutely no link between breast cancer and these pills. When it comes to cancer you should always be aware of family history of the disease, to consult a gynecologist or other doctors that can help you prevent it. What is interesting is that some scientist claim that women who take birth control pills lower their chances of getting uterine and ovarian cancer.

Sex Drive

It is well known that birth control pills reduce the level of testosterone in the body. Luckily, some women have high level of testosterone and taking pills does not affect their sexual desire. If you think that your sex drive is lowered because of the pills, consult a gynecologist who will look for another way to protect you against pregnancy.

Increased Weight

In the past there were cases where birth control pills made women gain weight while taking them. The main cause for this was the high level of estrogen which prevented the kidneys to excrete water from the body and what is interesting is that they have also stimulated a growth of the breasts. Modern birth control pills have low level of hormones (including estrogen) and don’t cause weight gain. Besides that they are even more effective when it comes to prevention of pregnancy compared to the pills from the past.

Skin

These pills can help you with acne and pimples because of the artificial estrogen that they contain. The estrogen reduces the level of testosterone which is responsible for the production of sebum that clogs pores and causes the formation of pimples.

sex and relationship, Sex Health, Sex Life Story

How to Prevent Sexually Transmitted Diseases

The number of young people that have sexually transmitted diseases is rising every day. For example in the USA more than half of those who suffer from some kind of sexually transmitted disease are young people under the age of 25.

There are more than 20 types of diseases that are transmitted by sexual intercourse and there are much more causes that these diseases occur. Some of them are caused by the virus of the genital wards or the human immunodeficiency virus while others are caused by hepatitis and herpes. Very often these diseases are Chlamydia infections, because they are really easily transmitted and often accompanied by other infections.

When we talk about Chlamydia infections it’s good to know that the incubation period of this infection takes one to three weeks. After this period people that are infected can notice whitish discharge from their genitalia. Sometimes it’s very hard to tell what the symptoms of Chlamydia are and the process of treating this infection can be very difficult.  For example men that have developed Chlamydia infection can have problem with their prostate (inflammation) while women can experience pelvic inflammatory disease which can lead to infertility. Therefore it is necessary to be extremely careful and to react as soon as the infection is noticed. This infection is treated successfully with the usage of antibiotics.

Prevention is extremely important when it comes to sexually transmitted diseases because as you can they are very difficult to treat. Some infections are very difficult to notice because they don’t make some significant changes in their host. That’s why we need to be cautious. Sometimes it takes only one sexual contact for transmission of infection. That’s why prevention is very important. Although there are different types of protection for different types of infections, there are some general rules that can apply for all infections and for all people no matter their age, sex or sexual lifestyle.

Prevention is very important and should begin as early as possible. It means that even before young people make their first sexual contact they need to be familiar with these issues. They need to learn about the causes of sexually transmitted infections and the diseases that they cause and the ways to protect if they occur.

The most efficient method that will give 100% effect is abstention from sexual activity. However this option is not practical and probably not even possible. There are however few things that can help the prevention from these infections:

–      Proper choice of a partner. Having sex with people that you know, trust and love will certainly reduce the risk of infection to minimum.

–      Having sex with complete strangers or almost complete strangers with unknown sexual behavior will raise the risk. People that tend to have such contacts are often carriers of various diseases.

–      Having regular medical exams can prevent the appearance of infections.

–      Using condoms will surely increase the level of security. Condoms can prevent transmission of most of the sexually transmitted infections however people should be careful with infections that are transmitted in other ways.

–      Regular showering can also be very useful.

Remember that even if we have taken all measures for prevention sexually transmitted diseases can still occur. That’s why we need to treat them very seriously.

erectile dysfunction, sex and relationship, Sex Health, Sex Life Story

Testosterone And Sex Drive

There are many things that stimulate male sex drive and although testosterone hormone is not the only one, if there is not enough testosterone produced it can certainly have very negative impact on sexual relationships. Even more, the lack of this important hormone can result in total loss of sex drive and even erectile dysfunction. However, with the advance of medicine, there are several ways to treat this unpleasant situation and all of them give significant results.

How does testosterone affect sex drive?

Although scientists have not yet fully explained the connection between the testosterone hormone and the strength of the libido, what is known as a fact is that as men get older their sex drive starts to decline. That’s a very natural thing. Men have their maximal sex drive in their teen ages and in their 20s. After that period the libido starts to decrease. However not all men have the same sex drive and what one man considers to be weak sex drive some other men think that the same level of sex drive is fine. We should of course point out that the sex drive changes with other changes in men and it is equally affected by stress, insomnia, mild depression and other everyday problems. That’s why experts avoid making a definition of “normal sexual drive”. The symptoms that occur as a result of low level of testosterone do not apply to the feeling of lower sexual drive. Some men maintain their sex drive even though they have lower testosterone levels. Thus, the lack of testosterone is one of the causes that negatively affect male libido, but not the major cause.

Erectile dysfunction

It is really surprising that low levels of testosterone are rarely causing problems with erection. And even when there is a connection between sex drive and low levels of testosterone it rarely causes erectile dysfunction. Erectile disorder, in most cases, appears as a result of atherosclerosis (that is actually a disease that of large and medium-sized muscular arteries characterized by dysfunction of the endothelium of blood vessels). Due to the damage of the arteries, blood vessels that supply the penis are not able to expand and can’t provide strong blood flow that causes an erection. High blood pressure, high levels of cholesterol and diabetes are the main causes of atherosclerosis and erectile dysfunctions. At the same time, testosterone deficiency is “helping” atherosclerosis when it comes to causing erectile dysfunctions. It is important to say that lower testosterone levels can indirectly responsible for erectile disorders, sometimes even in conditions that lead to erectile problems like: obesity, diabetes and metabolic syndrome.

What to do?

When we talk about solving this bitter problem, one of the most efficient ways is testosterone therapy, which will certainly make a positive impact on the male sex drive and improve sexual life. Although these therapies are performed for several years it is good to know that the side effects are still not well researched and people should be careful.

If you want to keep your sex drive on high levels you should also consider: less smoking, less alcohol and moderate physical activity.