Archive for the ‘Female Condom’ Category

Swathed in taboos and limited to closed door discussions, it is hardly surprising how many ridiculous myths about sex are considered bible by most people. This would have been amusing if it weren’t for the serious repercussions. Examples like ‘we needn’t use a condom every time. I’m sure he doesn’t have any STD’ are a bit too familiar to be true.  

Watch some of your assumptions fall to pieces as you read on.

• ‘I will not get pregnant if…

… he withdraws before ejaculation’. This is possibly the worst birth control method. Men cannot always say when ejaculatory fluid comes out. And even the pre-ejaculation fluid containing sperms is all it can take to get you knocked up. As per research, 1 in 5 couples who use this method ends up expecting.

• If I’m not pregnant immediately after intercourse…

… then I probably won’t! Actually, sperms are not as breakable as you imagine. They can remain active and living for 1 week after intercourse. They are probably biding their time to surprise (shock?) with the happy mishap. Some studies have proved that sperm can keep on sperming for as long as 8 days and yet be viable.

• Foods with aphrodisiac properties:

Aphrodite is the Greek Goddess of love. And there have been claims since time immemorial about certain foods that can put you in the mood. Oysters, chocolate, honey, broccoli, berries- the list is endless. There is no scientific evidence to these arguments. But in a way, one can argue for this in a purely psychological perspective.

• ‘I won’t get pregnant if…

… I have sex while having periods’. False! Though a long-standing belief, it is still a myth. While chances are pretty less for a woman to get pregnant during menstruation, it is not impossible. And as mentioned above, sperms can stay active inside you for many days, particularly if your mensus cycle is shorter.

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Let us beckon 2013 with a fresh pledge to living healthy. The following healthy resolutions, if you adopt, are sure to keep you happily fit and gorgeous, both inside and out.

Rein your portions

Wish to right size your shape? Mindless binge eating is often the villain. Start right sizing your food portions by using smaller dishes. Yes, the smaller your platters are, the more you lose that extra weight. And instead of serving directly from the main bowl, take some into a small dish and put away the main bowl.

Staying Active

Instead of sighing jealously at those naturally thin people, observe their lifestyle. They are most likely to share a great liking for being physically active. Aim for moderate intense activity like brisk walking for atleast 30 minutes per day. This, you can squeeze in your busy schedule easily- like 10 minutes in the morning, 10 minutes after lunch and and another 10 minutes after office.

Cutting down on salt

Now the recommended limit of salt consumption per day is 1 teaspoon. And you know that’s way less than your daily intake. Besides making your stomach feel all bloated, this habit can shoot up your BP. Processed foods are the most dangerous as they use salt as preservative. Remember to check labels carefully before you give it for billing.

Piling on the antioxidants

Do you know why we need antioxidants? When foods are digested, body releases harmful free radicals that can eventually lead to heart burn, cancer etc. Antioxidant-rich foods like orange, tea, pomegranates etc are important to defend your body from these free radicals.

Flossing Daily

Oral Hygiene is horribly underrated. But bacteria in mouth can cause serious health risks. Flossing daily can ward off bacteria; it is a simple enough practice to ingrain with long term benefits to your dental health.

But all these resolutions will go down the drain if your expectations from yourself are far from healthy. For example, don’t expect a drastic change in your figure soon after you started portion-controlling and exercising. Just as it took your body to build-up fats, it will take time to lose it too. So if your inner-spirit tends to be a bit mean to you, just bash it with healthy acceptance. Let that be your founding stone to all your healthy New Year Resolutions.

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You are drained physically, emotionally as well as mentally during your pregnancy and delivery. Now, your health front needs to be in the forefront. Along with your newborn, your health also needs your special attention. It is necessary for you to keep hale and hearty as your newborn care can quickly make you drained and exhausted. So, do not miss your share of self-care.

En Route to Fitness

With the newborn, it is obviously difficult to find time for exercise, but you have to make the effort. It is not about getting back to your original shape soon after childbirth, but it is about staying fit as your body needs it. There is absolutely no need for any organized fitness classes; just a few exercises done at home can do wonders.

• Dance a little! The foot taps can tap your fitness.
• Chalk out some time for a small walk. Take your baby on a pram tram ride too in a park while you move your legs a bit.
• Swim away a little from your baby for a swim. You can leave your baby  with his/ her dad for a while and you go for a swim.
• Postnatal exercises are taught in child health clinics. Certainly, attending a class or two will give you a fair idea as to how to go about it.

Eat Right

As you would be breast-feeding your baby, so it becomes even more important for you to eat right. Never skip on the sips of water. Increase dietary calcium with lots of milk and dairy products. Even the temptations of snacking should be met with some healthy options like sliced and salted raw vegetables, vegetable soup, breadsticks, baked beans or scrambled eggs every now and then.

Come Out of Your Shell and Socialize

The more you meet your loved ones, family members, relatives and friends, the more you will feel reassured. Socializing helps! Try to interact with other new mothers who can be some of your friends or relatives, meet them frequently by visiting their houses, plan for outings together if possible. Getting to see the same pediatrician or exercising at the same dance class will further motivate you to keep fit and to stay healthy without affecting your bond with your newborn.

How has the phase of new motherhood added fun and excitement to your life?

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December 1 every year, World AIDS Days is celebrated around the world. 2012 is the year of commitment by WHO (World Health Organisation) towards Aid Eradication. “Getting to Zero” with Zero new HIV infections, Zero discrimination and Zero AIDS related deaths, clearly signifies a greater push towards near-access to treatment for all by 2015.

When sex is on your mind, AIDS is surely nowhere on your brain, which is a wrong practice. Temptation cannot be overruled but protection can rule out any AIDS possibility. Unprotected sex at any time can make you an easy victim of AIDS. Aid the avoidance of AIDS with a little conscious effort from your part by being well informed. It is better to prevent and prepare, rather than repent and repair.

• Some fear is good! This fear should be ingrained in your mind that HIV virus can be easily passed to you during any unprotected encounter. Penetrative anal or vaginal sex carry the greatest risks, however, the infection can even be transmitted with oral sex.

• Always be skeptical! Ingrain some skepticism regarding not using a condom. If you cannot give away the temptation, give way to a condom. Both female and male condoms are effective in protecting HIV infection to a good extent.

• Don’t Even Think of Playing with someone who is HIV Positive! Don’t inherit the virus from someone who is carrying it by indulging into unprotected sex. Do justice to your health by staying away and protected.

• Spontaneous with your urges? Better to check your spontaneity. If you cannot, at least be prepared. Always keep a condom or two handy.

World AIDS Day

The Red Ribbon still stays as a potent symbol for this awareness day for AIDS.

• What is YOUR ROLE? Practice Safe Sex always.

• PROTECT: Yourself! By complete abstinence from unprotected sexual activities. If that is not viable, then, protect yourself by using condoms whenever you have sex with more than one partner.

• AWARENESS: Try to know the facts related to HIV. Always remember that having unprotected sex with a person who has HIV/AIDS would pass the infection to you as well.

• TESTING: If you anytime feel a strong possibility of being exposed to HIV virus, then go for Post-Exposure Prophylaxis, which can be availed from any nearby sexual clinic. This considerably reduces your chances of becoming HIV infected if you take it within the time-period of 72 hours from being exposed to the virus.

• For being tested, contact any nearby Genito-Urinary Medicine clinic.

How would you scale your knowledge on HIV & AIDS on a scale of 1 to 10?

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The onset of a new life growing inside you is the time of rejoice, but are you really sure of your pregnancy? The indicators can sometimes be misleading. So, it is always necessary to go for a sure-shot pregnancy test. However, going to the doctor for a pregnancy test every time you miss a period or have vomiting and nausea is not practical. Instead, you can do the urine pregnancy test at home using the test-kits that are easily available over-the-counter.

When is the right time to go for a pregnancy test?

The infamous couple of weeks wait can be really frustrating.. The question thus arises, why wait! Check for signs, if you…

Pregnancy test at home!

If you’re wondering, ‘How to do a pregnancy test at home?’ or ‘When should I test if I am pregnant?’ and ‘What happens next?’ It’s a easy daily chemistry help in knowing if the woman is actually pregnant or not.

• When to test? At least 20 days after the previous menses or after missing a period.

• What to test? Your urine! You are actually testing for the HCG hormone, which appears in a pregnant woman’s urine after 20 days of last period.

• What time of the day is best for testing? Try to test it with the first urine in the morning to get the most accurate result.

• How to test? Pregnancy Test Kits are available at pharmacies, OTC (over-the counter) and are highly reliable. Although the pregnancy test can be done any at time, do it as soon as you get out of bed. Avoid too much water or fluids before the test for BEST results.

For example: Display of results varies in different types of pregnancy test kits.  In most of the PTK (Pregnancy Test Kit) it is displayed by colour line or bands, where in appearance of two bands show positive result and a single band display negative result.  In some of the PTKs, (+) plus means positive and (-) minus means negative signs show results while in others change in colour of urine sample is the deciding factor.

Very rarely the results can be falsely positive, but there are slight chances of its occurrence. This happens in cases where you are on certain drugs that include HCG (Human Chorionic Gonadotropin) shots. In such conditions, you must repeat the test after 72 hours. On the second thought, you should go and check with your gynecologist and ask for a blood pregnancy test to confirm a pregnancy.

What’s the good news?

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Pregnancy, a fantastic phase of womanhood, can be a tad worrisome due to fears and concerns over possible miscarriage. Statistics are not exactly comforting either, which says 1 in every 5 pregnancies ends up in miscarriage. Although miscarriages cannot be prevented, avoiding the known risks can increase chances of a safe and healthy pregnancy. The moment pregnancy is confirmed, a woman begins to get the ‘fragile’-treatment loaded with myths & restrictions, especially when it comes to the connection of certain foods with miscarriage.

For a country with as myriad a food culture as India, it is hardly surprising to have faulty but deep-ingrained myths surrounding what-to-eat & what-not-to-eat during pregnancy. Some of you must have heard nannies & ‘experienced’ moms telling the to-be-moms to stay away from fruits like pineapples, mangoes, papayas etc. Apparently these fruits can lead to miscarriage. No scientific reason, but still a widely perceived myth!

Why are the advisors eager to put plenty of distance between a pregnant woman & sesame seeds? This too is due to fear of miscarriage. They say Sesame seeds with its increased ‘heat’ can harm a baby. What they forget or rather underestimate is the power of woman’s uterus.

Pregnant ladies are often advised to take iron tablets, but they are reluctant to do so. Here’s the hilarious reason for that. Iron tablets will make baby dark! Ladies, genes and the amount of melanin decide your baby’s skin color, not the food you eat. Please don’t be anemic due to a myth.

Most untimely pregnancy losses & abortions occur as a result of genetics reasons and cannot be avoided mostly. But miscarrying once does not always mean that something is wrong with your health or that you cannot have any more kids. Nevertheless, periodic baby losses may be a sign of problems that require your immediate attention & medical help.

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First of all, hearty congratulations!

Being pregnant is a thrilling experience and having a baby born out of your own flesh is the most miraculous thing that can ever happen. But it can also become quite overwhelming. Pregnancy is a time of uncertainty with all sorts of questions arising in your mind. Plenty of info and facts are swimming around to get into your head. It might seem like all and sundry has an advice or opinion about you and your baby. The best way to keep away from confusions, contradictions, myths and information-overload is to educate yourself from reliable sources.

If you are healthy during pregnancy and afterwards too, then that will be an icing on the cake for you, your child and your spouse. After all, you can take care of your family only when you are healthy yourself. So, if your urine pregnancy test comes positive or if you are planning to be pregnant, then, certainly there are things that you must keep in the back of your mind.

Healthy Eating for To-be-moms

For a healthy pregnancy, you need to eat a balanced diet which must include foods from a variety of sources including vegetables, fruits, whole grain foods, milk & dairy products, meat, as well as fish. Have a fruit along with a fistful of dryfruits within 10 minutes of waking up & before going for your morning walk. Enjoy a nutritious breakfast after an hour. You’ll feel great!

On an average, 5-6 servings in a day are sufficient. In between your meals, grab a fruit or yogurt or even a glass of milk to supplement your diet with necessary nutrients and most importantly, calcium.

How to Relieve Nausea, Vomiting, Heartburn and Constipation Symptoms

Some More Health Tips during Pregnancy

• You must abstain completely from smoking and drinking all through your pregnancy, as there is no safe amount and also no safe time to smoke or drink alcohol.
• Try to be regular with some physical activity throughout your pregnancy period as it helps to improve your mood-swings, facilitates proper weight gain, reduces stress, promotes sound sleep, increases muscle tone, builds stamina for forthcoming labour and delivery.
• Create a healthy and pleasant atmosphere as being a happy mother guarantees for a healthy baby.

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Painful sex might lead to no sex at all if it is prolonged and untreated. Saying bye to pain and not to love-making will open a healthier chapter for you and even for your love relationship. For most women, especially who shy away from vocalizing their feelings, sex is another name for pain and they view it as a painful experience always. To shake hands with enjoyment and to get the most out of your love-making experience, a little attention is what is needed to make this a pleasurably wonderful experience. The word Dyspareunia perfectly describes this condition in medical diction. Don’t give any room to dyspareunia for disrupting your fun, destroying your sexual health, and dismantling your relationship.

You need to know what actually is causing this and why you are not having so much fun during intercourse? There are very many common causes for this pain. Find out what holds true in your case. As the cause, so will be its treatment.

Shedding Light on the Five Most Common Causes for Dyspareunia

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Condom is sadly attached with traits like promiscuity, morality etc. In a country like India, where innocence is stupendously overrated and ignorance about sex (safe or otherwise) is glorified, lessons in condom usage are hard to place. So experience of first condom purchase becomes a nightmare. You have a right to safe sex and even peace of mind that comes with protecting yourself and your partner from STDs that includes the dreaded HIV.

Play it Safe...! Have you met him?

Awareness doesn’t cost much, but stigma does – your health and sanity. Condoms come in varieties –scented, lubricated, glow in the dark, even edible. There is one to suit every fancy, fantasy, need and pocket. Sexual health revolves around prevention and using condoms (male or female) is definitely responsible, mature and safe. Both the Government and private companies are ensuring that condoms are easily available through innovative channels like vending machines, postal orders and online purchases. Good way of skirting social stigma but overall awareness levels needs an overhaul.

Female condoms were launched in 2006. A female condom is a thin but strong latex/plastic sheath to trap the sperms during sexual intercourse; an effective method to prevent pregnancy & STDs.  It was conceptualized as an empowering tool for women by making fertility decisions her to make. The female condom is a pouch with a soft ring on each end. One end fits inside the vagina to keep the condom in place & the other end stays outside. They are now cheaper and more reliable but attitudes have changed very slowly. And usage and availability remains an issue.

Condoms the only effective dual protection method recommended by WHO. If used properly they offer more than 90% protection from unwanted pregnancy and almost 100% protection from sexually transmitted disease.

Sadly many young in our country do not know how to use condoms correctly nor are they educated about it. They are too shy to ask and too coy to read. Condoms come with a clear instruction label. Please give it a read. And ladies do make an effort; it gives huge returns when used scrupulously.

Contemplate a bit. When has shyness ever helped you? It has always been a barrier. So jump the hurdles to be responsible, safe, healthy and happy

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