SEXUAL HEALTH AND HYGIENE

SEXUAL HEALTH

Sexual Health is a large term. When we see or hear the word “sexual health,” it is common to focus on
the word sex, but did you know that sexual health is so much more than the act of “sex”?

Sexuality includes how someone thinks about and expresses themselves as a sexual being, including
thoughts, actions, fantasies, sensuality.

SEXUAL HEALTH IS A TYPE OF HEALTH

There are many types of health including physical health, mental health, spiritual health, cultural health,
social health, financial health, environmental health, etc. Plus all these types of health can impact each
other. For instance, if you are trying to prevent pregnancy and are able to access the birth control you
need (physical health), this may help to create a more positive mood (emotional health), which may also
positively impact your sense of sexual confidence and sexual self-esteem (sexual health

Sexual health is as valuable as any other type of health. How important it is will be different for each
person. Sometimes depending on where you are in the world and your upbringing, sexual health may
not be as recognized as other types of health and there may even be shame, embarrassment, fear, and
confusion with sexual health. This is very common as there, unfortunately, can be a lot of shame
attached to things associated with “sex”. For example, it might feel more comfortable talking about a
common cold or flu with family, friends or a doctor than it might be to talk about questions around
sexual health. On the other hand, you may be very comfortable talking and learning about sexual health.

What influences Sexual Health?

How we define sexual health will be different for each person. The reason is that sexual health is
influenced by many personal and social factors such as:

_ Our values and beliefs

_ Upbringing

_ Culture

_ Religion

_ Indigenous Status

_ Spirituality
_ The people around us

_ Our personal experiences

_ Societal expectations

_ Legal and/or sexual rights

How we experience our sexual health is also part of how we experience the world. For example, there
are many factors that health researchers have identified that can impact our health including sexual
health. These are known as the ‘social determinants of health’ and include how health is affected by
income, education, employment, childhood development, food, housing, health services, gender, race,
disability, Indigenous status, social marginalization, and social services.

Human sexuality rarely falls into neat categories or lends itself to simple labeling, but rather is a rich and
complex area of human experience.

Sexual health is personal, psychological, relational, cultural, spiritual, physical, and emotional.

Hygiene

Hygieia was the Greek goddess of health, cleanliness and sanitation, so it's not hard to see where the
word hygiene comes from. Good oral hygiene includes brushing and flossing your teeth, and working in
a clean kitchen helps promote food hygiene

Hygiene is any practice or activity that you do to keep things healthy and clean. Washing hands,
coughing into your elbow, and regular house cleaning are all part of good hygiene.

Be extra careful about personal hygiene.

Good personal hygiene involves keeping all parts of the external body clean and healthy. It is important
for maintaining both physical and mental health.

In people with poor personal hygiene, the body provides an ideal environment for germs to grow,
leaving it vulnerable to infection.

On a social level, people may avoid a person with poor personal hygiene, which may result in isolation
and loneliness.

How to maintain good personal hygiene?

Knowing how to maintain good personal hygiene can make it easier to build a routine. A person should
have some basic knowledge of the following types of hygiene:

* Dental hygiene

* Hand washing

* Body

* Nails

Menstrual and genital hygiene

It is important to change sanitary products regularly and to wash the hands before and after changing
tampons, pads, or any other sanitary products.

As vaginas are self-cleaning, using soap to clean the vagina can cause an imbalance of its natural
bacteria and lead to infections. The vulva (the external part of the vagina) should only need cleaning
once a day using a mild soap and water.

A man with an uncircumcised penis can clean it by gently pulling back the foreskin and washing
underneath it with warm water or soap.

Factors that can negatively impact hygiene

Poverty and lack of access to clean water can both have a detrimental effect on a person’s personal
hygiene.

A person’s mental health can also affect how they take care of themselves. People who are living with
certain conditions, such as a psychotic disorder, severe depression, or drug or alcohol use disorder, may
find it very difficult to keep up a personal hygiene routine.

Why Sexual Hygiene Is Important

There are two main reasons why taking care of your sexual hygiene is vital to your overall health. First, it
redWhy Sexual Hygiene Is Important

There are two main reasons why taking care of your sexual hygiene is vital to your overall health. First, it
reduces the chances of getting infections down there and leading to more significant issues, such as
infertility. Second, it diminishes the possibility of contracting all sorts of sexually-transmitted diseases.
Good sexual hygiene can also improve your sex life. Not only does it enhance oral sex, but it helps you to
relax with your new partner.

Women's Sexual Hygiene

1. Avoid washing your intimate parts with body gel.

2. Change sanitary pads regularly.

3. Change tampons or menstrual cups frequently.

4. Make sure to wash your intimate parts often.

5. Wear the right underwear.

6. Do a checkup every now and then,

Men’s Sexual Hygiene

1. Penis washing

2. Do regular checkups,

How Important Sexual Hygiene Is to You?

Since hygiene is a learned behavior everyone does different, how well do you take care of your sexual
hygiene, and is it important to you?

THANK YOU!!!