Women's Sexual Health FAQ

• Q. What are "Ovaries"?
• Q. What is a Fallopian Tube?
• Q. What is "Ovulation"?
• Q. Do women really have "Gonads"?
• Q. What is an egg?
• Q. What is a douche?
• Q. What is a "Pap Test"?
• Q. What is "Masturbation"?
• Q. How do I get rid of a hickey as fast as possible? My mom and dad will flip out if they see it!
• Q. My girlfriend and I are having a baby. She is in her sixth month of pregnancy. Can we still have sex?
• Q. What is oral sex?
• Q. What are the basic parts of the male sexual organs?
• Q. What is "Semen"?
• Q. What is "Cowper's Glands"?
• Q. My right testicle hangs lower than my left one, is this normal?
• Q. Exacly how does a penis get from soft to hard?
• Q. What is an erection?
• Q. Is It normal to get an erection during the day for no apparent reason?
• Q. Why does it hurt so much when I get hit "down there" (balls)?
• Q. What is the term "Torsion of the Testicle"?
• Q. What is "blue balls"?
• Q. Do my testicles have to be touched during an exam?
• Q. The skin on my scrotum (balls) is getting darker. Is this normal?
• Q. What are the symptoms of "Jock Itch"?
• Q.How do I get rid of Jock itch?
• Q. Can I get pregnant from from giving oral sex to a guy?
• Q. I heard that men have a female part, is this true?
• Q. Will it hurt me if I masturbating too often?
• Q. Can I get HIV from kissing?
• Q. How accurate are HIV tests that you do at home?
• Q. Is there a difference between men's and women's orgasms?
• Q. What is a vaginal damn?
• Q. Where can I find more information regarding sexual health and some more word definitions?
• Q. How does a person infected by herpes virus?
• Q. What is Genital Herpes?
• Q. What are the Symptoms of Genital Herpes?
• Q. Causes & Preventions of Genital herpes!

A. Simple definition: The two organs that store eggs in a woman's body. Ovaries also produce hormones, including estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone.

A. One of two narrow tubes that carry the egg from the ovary to the uterus. (see picture above)

Yes. Both men and women do. The term "gonad" is a generic term and refers to the reproductive cells in men and women— the ovaries of women, the testes of men. (see picture above)

A. Simple definition: The reproductive cell in women; (quick fact- this is the largest cell in the human body.)

A. A spray of water or solution of medication into the vagina.

A. Simple definition: A procedure used to examine the cells of the cervix in order to detect infection and hormonal conditions. It can also detect precancerous and cancerous cells.

A. Sorry, but there is no "fast way" to get rid of a hickey. Just as you cannot make a bruise on your arm go away quickly, you cannot make one on your neck disappear.
You have a wide range of cover-up options, but I will leave that up to you. You may be able to disguise the hickey for a few days until it becomes less noticeable,  but chances are your parents will notice. What makes you think your parents will "flip out?" Remember, your parents went through the same thing as you when they were teens. Maybe you could ask your parents about the hickey before they ask you. Let them know that you'd like to talk about dating, so you will know where you all stand on the issue. They may surprise you and be cool about the whole thing.

A. Unless your obstetrician has told you otherwise, you and your girlfriend can still have sex. The baby is protected by a sac of amniotic fluid that surrounds it and protects it. Hormonal changes that accompany pregnancy will often have a large influence on the average female mood. This could heavily influence her desire to have sex. Changing positions is important. Some women may experience sex differently while they're pregnant. What they found pleasurable before pregnancy may no longer feel the same. It can help for the woman to get to know her own body again and act appropriately.

A. Heterosexual oral sex The woman can stimulate the man's genitals with her mouth and tongue (fellatio), or (blow job). The man can stimulate the woman's vulva, clitoris and vagina with his tongue (cunnilingus). Either partner can stimulate the area round the other partner's anus (“rimming”) with his or her tongue.

A. An erection is a hardening of the penis that occurs when tubes in the penile tissues fill up with blood. Erections will go away on their own or after ejaculation.

A. Yes. Erections are a normal function of the male body, especially during puberty. Many erections are caused by sexual arousal, such as watching a movie or from sexual fantasizing, or from physical contact. It may seem to happen for no reason at all.

A. Your testicles a are very sensitive part of your body, because there are a lot of nerve endings in that area. Before you were born, and for some boys after they are born, your testes are formed near your stomch and kidneys. After they have dropped from the body and into the scrotem (ball bag), the nerves are still attached up near the stomach. That's why it hurts in your stomach so much when you get hit in that area.

A. This is probably the most common testicular problem. This occurs when a testicle get spun around on the spermatic cord. which carries the spermatic artery. This inturn cuts off its own blood supply. This is almost always a medical emergency will require surgery within four hours if the testicle is to be saved. The doctor may stitch it in place so that the torsion does not happen again. As the testicles' blood supply is reduced, the testes gradually turn red, then purple and eventually blue. The pain is intense and medical help is essential. This is not to be confused with "blue balls".

A: During a medical a doctor  will need to feel your testicles and the area around them to detect two important things.1 a hernia, 2 a testicular tumor. This exam can be uncomfortable for men, but it's a very important thing to check.It is also a good idea to check your own testicles every month for any lumps or changes. Cancer of the testicles accounts for only about 1 percent of all cancers in men. BUT, it is the most common type of cancer in males aged 18 to 40.

A. It is normal for skin over the scrotum to get darker as you change from a boy to an adult (puberty). Darkening of the skin over the scrotum is actually one of the first steps of puberty. It usually occurs at the same time the skin over the testicles (scotem) changes from to a more rough appearance (stippling). At this time, the testicles will begin to enlarge. These changes are all the first signs that puberty is beginning. The darkening of the scrotal skin is perfectly normal and will be followed over the next few years by even more dramatic changes: adult pubic hair, growth of the penis, hair in the armpits, larger and stronger muscles, facial hair, and growth to an adult size.

Jock itch affects men and women. Men are affected more often than women. In men, the penis and scrotum are seldom affected. Some of the most common symptoms are itching, chafing and burning. Lesions usually appear as a rash with defined, elevated edges.

Yes. Jock itch is best treated with topical creams or ointments since the fungus only affects the top layer of skin. The creams and ointments can be purchased at a pharmacy or prescribed by your doctor.

Jock itch occurs when the groin area becomes warm and sweaty, this can allowing fungi to grow and build up. Jock itch can also occur through a transfer of athlete’s foot, or from contact with clothing, bedding and towels of infected people.

Here are some ways of preventing jock itch:

• Wear clean cotton underwear and loose fitting pants.
• Keep your groin area dry and perspiration-free.
• Wear loose fitting clothing made of cotton or synthetic materials designed to keep moisture away.
• Avoid sharing clothing and towels or washcloths.
• Allow the groin to dry completely after showering before covering with clothes.
• Use antifungal powders or sprays may be used once a day to prevent infection.
• If you have athlete’s foot, avoid using towels that have come into contact with the infected area.

A. Yes, kind of. Guess what, guys, you have a vagina. “It's called vagina masculina, or male vagina,” says David Reuben, MD. It could have turned into a vagina, but the hormone testosterone took care of that when you were still an embryo. This was occuring when your gender was not yet established, well before your birth. Now it's a just a piece of tissue that hangs from your bladder. Men have nipples for the same reason. Men also have hymens sitting near the prostate gland.

Masterbation is a normal part of your sexual life. If masturbating is not a hinderance to your life, then you are ok. If you get sore from masturbating too much, then that  you . You can still have children and you still produce healthy sperm if you masturbate a lot or not.

A. Again, highly unlikely. Saliva does not transmit HIV as far as we know, although the virus has been found in saliva of HIV infected people. There are four fluids that can carry and transmit HIV: blood, semen, vaginal fluids, and breast milk. It is, however, theoretically possible to contract HIV through kissing. If both partners have cuts or sores in the mouth or bleeding gums, infected blood could possibly be exchanged.

A. HIV home tests have proven (in clinical studies) to be more than 99.9% accurate.

A. vaginal dams (dental dam) is a rectangular piece of latex used for safer sex protection while performing oral sex on a female. Plastic wrap is a simple replacment to be used in it's place, but the vaginal dam is much better for protection against STDs. 

Once the clean skin comes into contact with the skin of an infected person which happens during sexual activity (like oral, vaginal, or anal sex), the herpes virus enters the clean body through the skin and travels to a group of nerves near the base of the spine. It then goes dorment .. ("sleep")  and can stay sleeping for several months. Now and then, the virus "wakes up" and travels back to the surface of your skin, where it sheds, making more copies of itself.

Genital herpes is is caused by a a strain of herpes simplex virus (HSV), which enters the body through small breaks in the skin or mucous membranes. Sexual contact is the primary way that the virus is spread.

* Small, red bumps, blisters or open sores in the genital, anal and surrounding areas

* Pain and/or itching around your genital area, buttocks or inner thighs

The initial symptom of genital herpes usually is pain or itching, whichbegins within a few weeks after exposure to an infected person. After several days, small, red bumps may appear. They then rupture, becoming ulcers that ooze and/or bleed. After a few days, scabs form and the ulcers will heal.

In women, sores surface in the vaginal area, external genitals, buttocks, anus or cervix. In men, sores can appear on the penis, scrotum, buttocks, anus or thighs or inside the urethra,which is the channel between the bladder and the penis.

During the ulcerperiod, urinating may be painful. Pain and tenderness in your genital area will also be present, until the infection subsides. It is also possible to experience flu-like signs and symptoms, such as headache, muscle aches and fever, as well as swollen lymph nodes in your groin during the breakout time.

How often does herpes reoccur?

This type of herpes is different for each person. The signs and symptoms may reoccur for years. Some people experience many episodes each year. For most people, however, the outbreaks are less frequent as time passes. Various elements may trigger outbreaks, including:

 * Fatigue

* Menstruation

* Immune system suppression, from medications such as steroids or chemotherapy, or from other infections, such as HIV/AIDS

 * Illness

* Surgery

* Friction, such as that caused by vigorous sexual intercourse or masturbation

* Stress

Keep in mind...... The infection can be active and contagious even when lesions aren't present.

Causes
There are 2 types of herpes simplex virus infections can cause genital herpes:

* HSV type 1 (HSV-1). This is the type that tends to causes cold sores or fever blisters around your mouth, although it can also be spread to the genital area during oral sex.
* HSV type 2 (HSV-2). This is the type that is more commonly known to cause genital herpes. The virus is spread through sexual contact and skin-to-skin contact. HSV-2 is more common and very contagious whether or not you have an open sore. In many people the infection will cause no recognizable signs or symptoms and can still be contagious to a sexual partner.

The virus dies quickly outside of the body,which makes it almost impossible to get the infection through contact with toilets, towels or other objects used by an infected person.

It is common for people with herpes to have other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), such as chlamydia, gonorrhea and HIV/AIDS, so it is common for your doctor to examine you for these diseases as well. If you suspect that you previously had a herpes outbreak, a blood test can confirm past exposure to HSV-1 or HSV-2 infection.

Complications
Genital herpes generally doesn't cause other serious permanent complications besides the sores if you are healthy.

Other complications that may occur:

* Contracting other STDs. Having genital herpes tends to increase your risk of transmitting and/or contracting other sexually transmitted diseases, including the 'AIDS virus'.
* Infection to newborns. An open sores can spread the infection from mother to  newborn as the infant passes through the birth canal. Genital herpes can cause brain damage, blindness or death for the newborn. Mothers experiencing their first outbreak of herpes at the time of delivery are the highest risk of  transmitting  the infection to their newborn.

Treatments and drugs.

To date there is no cure for genital herpes. However, there are treatments which  include oral prescription antiviral medications, including acyclovir (Zovirax), famciclovir (Famvir) and valacyclovir (Valtrex), to help heal the sores quicker and reduce the frequency of relapses. If taken daily, these medications may also reduce the chance you'll infect your partner with the herpes virus.

Prevention
Herpes virus is highly contagious while the sores are present.

The best way to prevent infection is to abstain from sexual activity at that time or to limit sexual contact to only one person who is infection-free. The use of condoms is essential protection also.

Making your partner aware of your situation so they can also play a very effective role in prevention.

If  pregnant, be sure to tell your doctor that you have HSV or, if you're unsure, ask to be tested for HSV. Watch for signs and symptoms of HSV during pregnancy. Your doctor will most likely recommend that you start taking herpes antiviral medications late in pregnancy to try to prevent an outbreak from occurring around the time of delivery. If you're having an outbreak when you go into labor, your doctor will probably suggest a Cesarean section to reduce the risk of passing the virus to your baby.

Do it yourself remedy