Sexual health, like emotional, mental, and physical health, is one important dimension of overall health.
Sexual health. For some people any sex topic is off-limits. But others, including the World Health Organization, consider sexual health an essential dimension of human health and well-being. From concern over how to have comfortable, enjoyable sex to questions about testing for sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and their prevention, many important topics come under the broad umbrella of sexual health.
“Sexual health is an essential and beneficial dimension of being human,” emphasizes Michael McGee, MEd, a certified sexual health educator and adjunct professor at Montclair State University in Montclair, N.J. “People have a right to sexual health, sexual health information including public policy that supports sexual health, and the right to pleasure.”
In addition to teaching and advocating about sexual health, McGee counsels individuals and couples on sexual health issues. He says the most common, fundamental question he encounters is, “Am I normal?”
This, he argues, is the best reason to be educated about sexual health: to have a realistic understanding of what sexual health is — what the wide range of “normal” is — as well as being better able to take care of your own health and pleasure and that of your partner.
Increase Your Sexual Health Awareness
Premature ejaculation and a woman’s ability to achieve orgasm are topics that McGee says his clients often worry about — and appreciate learning how to manage. Other aspects of sexual health that people should be educated about include:
- Sex basics.
- Reproductive issues.
- Vaginal dryness.
- Lack of desire.
- Erectile dysfunction.
- Physical challenges.
Sexual Health: Guarding Against Infection
Sex can be pleasurable, but it can also be risky. Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) can be uncomfortable or painful; they can have severe, long-term effects that include the loss of fertility and have the potential to be life-threatening. Learning about sexual health means learning about STDs:
- STD identification.
- Prevention.
- STD testing.
- Living with an STD.
- Intimate partner violence.
How to Get Help for Intimate Issues
Unfortunately, many people wait a long time before seeking a solution to their sexual health concerns, notes McGee: “By the time they come to a professional, usually it has become a pressing need. And it is sometimes very difficult.” McGee recommends seeking help as soon as you have concerns rather than waiting and hoping the problem will go away.
McGee is certified by the American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors, and Therapists (AASECT) as a sexual health educator. Depending on the problems you want to resolve, your sexual health team could include a variety of health professionals, such as:
- Primary care doctor
- Obstetrician-gynecologist
- Urologist
- Physical therapist
- Mental health professional
Whether it’s knowledge about your body or information about treating a specific condition, take the right steps to get education and any counseling you might need to protect your sexual health.
Learn more in the Everyday Health Sexual Health Center.
Tuesday, February 11, 2020