Sexual health is a big deal - as big as your overall physical health.

Being sexually healthy means that you are free from disease, violence, injury, fear and false beliefs. It also means that you are comfortable with your sexuality, and have the ability to control and positively experience your own sexuality and reproduction.

What is Sexual Health?

While no one can define what sexual health means for you, most people want to avoid sexual problems and enhance sexual enjoyment. It follows, therefore, that to be sexually healthy, every time you engage in sexual activity you should feel comfortable doing so. Comfortable with yourself, your partner and the decisions you make. It also means that you can talk about it candidly with your partner. Skip the embarrassment. If you’re about to do something that makes you uncomfortable, stop before you start. This holds true whether you’re lying in the arms of a longtime lover, or about to embark on a new relationship.

Make sure that if you aren’t prepared to risk an unplanned pregnancy you are using a contraceptive that works well for both you and your partner. And safety first - use condoms for dual protection, since it is important that you minimize the risk of sexually transmitted infections.

Choose an environment that you’re comfortable in, tell your partner what feels good for you, and ask them what they like. Sex can evolve into something bigger, greater, more intimate and more pleasurable than before. Feel free to try new things, but if it’s just to please your partner and really makes you uncomfortable, don’t let yourself be convinced to do something that doesn’t match your values or your comfort level.

How do I Take Care of My Sexual Health?

Use dual protection, all the time, with every partner - even if you’re monogamous, even if you know and trust your partner. Condoms protect both partners from unwanted pregnancy and from most sexually transmitted diseases. They may not, however, provide adequate protection from herpes, warts and pubic lice since they may not form a barrier between the affected areas. They are readily available, inexpensive, and easy to use. Protection is vital to your continued good health.

Get tested. This is another way you and your partner can avoid the risk of STDs or HIV infection. Don’t assume that because you’re in a steady relationship that you shouldn’t continue to get tested.
If you’re a woman, have regular pap smears, and learn breast self-examination. If you’re a man, learn how to examine your testicles. If you’re over 40, ask your doctor about a digital rectal examination.

Understand the dangers of hepatitis B, a sexually transmitted infection. The issue doesn’t receive much publicity, but Hep B is much more common than most people think. In 1994, more than 3000 new cases of hep B were diagnosed in Canada. Talk to your physician about getting vaccinated.