Owning Your Body

     While we are discussing urinary tract infections, I must point out the most frequent cause of urinary tract infections is failure to engage in sexual activity with proper cleanliness. While the vagina and vaginal area do self-maintain (Many doctors discourage douching because it disrupts the natural pH and can cause several problems, the least of which is yeast infections, when done improperly.) it is very important to make sure that anything coming into contact with this region is clean and either pH neutral or the same as the pH of the vaginal area. Since most of us are not able to test the pH of our vaginal area and it’d be more then a little awkward to test the pH of our sexual partner, it is best to focus upon pH neutral.

     Water is pH neutral. Lubricants and any products applied to the vagina or items used upon it should be as well. Most products will have a this indicated upon the lable. If not, it is possible to look this up but make sure the information is coming from a respected source. Washing well with soap and water prior to any sexual activities involving the vagina, including masturbation, is the best way to prevent urinary tract infections.

     Also, make sure that when wiping the vaginal area after emptying your bladder or having a bowel movement, you wipe from the clitoris towards the anus. Use a clean peice of toilet tissue for each wipe to prevent bringing any of the bacterial flora present in fecal matter into contact with your vaginal area. (Yes, the digestive system has flora as well as the vaginal area. The body is an amazing thing with diverse elements often coexisting in harmony within us.)

     Reproductive health is frequently to sole domain of health care professionals. There are elements, however, that we can attend to ourselves at home. Paying attention to your body allows you to determine when you ovulate. If you, like I, have discomfort during ovulation then a warm compress over the side where you ovulated will help make you more comfortable. Drinking a cup of raspberry tea at this time will be mildly helpful as well, for it will even out some of the hormonal fluctuation that comes with ovulation, as my experience has shown. If you are trying to get pregnant, however, it is wise to avoid the raspberry tea. There is some evidence that suggests that it can act as an abortofacient and possibly cause loss of the pregnancy during the first few months.