By Shaktimi
With a new year comes the chance to be a radiantly healthy, hot new you! Everyone wants to shine her brightest and glow from the inside out for herself and her fans. Your intimate and sexual health is critical to your well-being and your livelihood. So, here are a few recommendations for how to keep your sexy, alluring self in peak condition in 2017.
January is Cervical Health Awareness Month, so now is an excellent time to schedule your annual “well woman” exam with your OBGYN, regardless when you’d like the appointment. Lots of OBGYNs have crowded schedules. Your appointment should include a pap smear, breast exam and mammogram (if you are 40+, but your physician may recommend one sooner, depending on your family history).
Go to your appointment knowing whether anyone in your family has had breast cancer, fibroids, cysts or other issues, and share the information with your doctor!
If you have a favorite water-based lube, take it for the doc to use during your exam. Silicone lube may not be compatible with latex gloves. Also, take some AfterGlow wipes with you. Sadly, we are never offered a dignified way to clean our kitty post-exam, and AfterGlow is genius at getting lube off your sweet spot.
Go armed with vagina/breast/sex questions for your doc. Medical professionals are super-time-compressed these days, so be sure to slow them down and ask what you need to know. If you feel squirrelly about some topics, write the questions down and give the list to the physician. You have every right to have your questions answered while you are dressed and in the doctor’s office. Here are a few great sexual health topics to get education rolling:
- Teach me how to do a breast self-exam. (Ask in the exam room, of course.)
- How do I avoid things like BV (bacterial vaginosis), yeast infections and UTIs (urinary tract infections)?
- Do you recommend I take a daily probiotic?
- How often do you recommend I get a pap smear and/or mammogram, based on my history?
- What is the best form of contraception for me?
- If I experience an infection or irritation, what is the fastest way for me to see you?
Be alert to how your healthcare provider treats you. If you feel as though you are not getting the service you deserve or are not being heard, then ask your girlfriends or other women in your life for a new recommendation.
There are other steps to take outside the OBGYN’s office to keep your pussy beautifully purring. See you back here in a couple of weeks to chat more about those!
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Shaktimi is a long-time adult novelty manufacturer and a yoga teacher with with more than 20 years under her belt. She is an author, speaker and consultant on personal health, sexual health and women’s pelvic health. Her mission is to create a paradigm shift in America’s perception and dialogue about all areas of women’s health, especially our sexuality and sensuality, through products and education.
