Men’s and Women’s Sexual Health

Sexual Health

Sexual health is meshed into many factors of our lives. It is a key factor in maintaining a healthy emotional, mental and physical well-being. Being able to enjoy and embrace our sexual life throughout our lives is one of the most underrated forms of mental health. In order to maintain a positive approach to sexual health, we must remain positive a respectful towards our partners and sexual relationship. It is vital to for all person’s sexual rights and health to be maintained and protected at all times.

Men’s Sexual Health 

A man’s sexual health consists of his ability to maintain a healthy relationship with his body and partners. These relationships correlate with physical, mental, and emotional health. For strong sexual health, you’re going to want to maintain a strong libido (sexual desire) and the ability to maintain an erection. A loss of libido and the inability to maintain an erection (erectile dysfunction) can negatively affect the health of a man in many ways. Not only is this a big sexual health problem, but this will end up affecting the psychological health, emotional health, and ability to maintain healthy relationships involving emotions and sex. These problems are not rare and many men have issues with their sexual health. Some common male urological issues that can impact sexual health include:

• Erectile Dysfunction-Erectile dysfunction commonly referred to as ED, is the inability to achieve or maintain an erection suitable for sexual intercourse. It is estimated that ED affects up to 30 million men in the United States, including over half of men between the age of 40 and 70 years old.
• Male Infertility-Male infertility is any condition in which the man adversely affects the chances of initiating a pregnancy with his female partner. Most commonly, these problems arise when the man is unable to produce or deliver fully-functioning sperm. Male infertility is a significant factor in about 40% of couples who have infertility problems.
• Peyronie’s Disease- Peyronie’s disease is the development of fibrous scar tissue in the erectile tissue that causes an abnormal curvature of the penis, most apparent during an erection. This can prevent a man from having sex or may make it difficult to get or maintain an erection.
• Sexual Disfunction-Sexual dysfunction is broadly defined as the inability to fully enjoy sexual intercourse. Specifically, sexual dysfunctions are disorders that interfere with a full sexual response cycle. These disorders make it difficult for a person to enjoy or to have sexual intercourse.
• Testosterone Level Issues-Testosterone Pellets-Testosterone pellets, such as Testopel, are small. They measure 3 millimeters (mm) by 9 mm and contain crystalline testosterone. Implanted under the skin, they slowly release testosterone over the course of 3 to 6 months. A short, simple procedure is performed in your doctor’s office to implant the pellets under the skin, usually near your hip. These pellets are a long-acting form of testosterone therapy. They should deliver a stable, steady dose of testosterone, typically providing the needed level of hormone for 4 months.

Women’s Sexual Health

Just as it is a vital part of a man’s life, a woman’s sexual health is integral to maintaining a healthful lifestyle. Sexual desire is normal for all human beings and it is important to not only embrace it but talk to your partner about it. Allowing yourself to be open with your sexual health allows for positive emotional, psychological and physical well-being. Emotional and sexual desire play large parts in a woman’s sexual health. Stress, illness, aging, and social commitments may influence your libido.Some common female urological issues that can impact sexual health include:

• Interstitial Cystitis-Interstitial cystitis, also called painful bladder syndrome, is a chronic inflammatory condition of the bladder wall characterized by pressure and pain above the pubic area as well as increased frequency and urgency of urination. A healthy bladder expands until it is full and then signals the brain (through the pelvic nerves) that it is time to urinate. With IC, these signals get mixed up. Individuals feel the need to urinate more often and with smaller amounts of urine than most people. Since the bladder is inflamed and irritated IC can be an extremely painful condition to live with. This can also make any sexual activity extremely painful. Some are unable to do anything sexual because of the disorder. 
• Incontinence –Urinary incontinence, or the loss of bladder control, is a common and often embarrassing problem that occurs in both men and women. About 20 million American women and 6 million men have urinary incontinence or have experienced it at some time in their lives. The actual number, however, may be higher because due to people’s reluctance to discuss incontinence with their doctors. The severity of urinary incontinence can range from an occasional leakage of urine during a cough or sneeze to having the urge to urinate that’s so sudden and strong that an individual does not have time to make it to a toilet in time.
• Pelvic Floor Dysfunction-Pelvic floor dysfunction can affect not only a woman’s reproductive system but the urological system as well. Everything is connected and the pelvic floor supports all these systems. This can greatly impact a woman’s sexual health because of issues with burning, pain, and discomfort. There are treatment options that can help alleviate these symptoms and restore better sexual function. 
• Urinary Tract Infections-Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs) are truly a burden on your urinary system. These infections include any infections of any part of the system including kidneys, ureters, bladder, and urethra. Most urinary tract infections are going to be treated with antibiotics. Women are at a higher risk of a UTI than men.