These sexual health practices are simple and effective! Incorporate these essential sexual health practices into your day for a healthier lifestyle.
Sexual health is a state of physical, mental, and social well-being in relation to sexuality.
To possess positive sexual health requires a respectful and healthy approach and attitude towards sexuality and sexual relationships. It offers the possibility of having safe and pleasurable sexual experiences that don’t involve coercion, discrimination, and violence in any way.
However, many people are unaware of positive sexual health practices, especially if they haven’t learned much about sex before or are new to experiencing sexual relationships.
That’s where we come in to help. For a happy and positive sexual health, here are nine essential sexual health practices you should learn.
After all, a healthy sex life helps you have a healthy life.
- Value Yourself
You must value who you are as a person and understand what’s right for you when it comes to having sex.
Sex is a natural part of life and it can bring pleasure, intimacy, and happiness for many. But remember that it’s up to you to decide if and when you have sex, and with whom.
Before having sex with someone, think about what you want and definite your values, desires, and boundaries when it comes to sex. And never let anyone pressure you into having sex if you don’t feel comfortable.
- Treat Your Partners Well and Expect to Be Treated Well
One of the most important sexual health tips is to treat your sexual partner well and expect the same treatment in return.
If you decide to have sex, make sure it’s with someone who makes you feel good about yourself, comfortable, and secure. Partners must respect your boundaries in the bedroom, and as mentioned, should never pressure you or force you to do something you’re not comfortable with.
Likewise, you should respect your partner in the same way.
- Build Positive Relationships
When having sex with a partner, you must be open with one another and are honest about your relationship, desires, and sexual health.
In the bedroom, respect one another and make decisions together. After all, sex involves two people.
If any issues occur relating to sexual health, discuss them openly with one another and seek medical help if necessary.
Likewise, compliment your partner and let them know what feels good in the bedroom too. When you’re open about what you like and dislike in bed, it means you can work together to improve your sex life further and further.
- Learn About Your Body
This leads us to the importance of learning about your body and understanding how it works.
Once you learn what you like and don’t like in bed, you can explore ways to express yourself sexually even like how to ride a dildo. You can also teach your partner what you do and don’t like in bed for a better sex life, as mentioned above.
- Practice Safe Sex
While it’s easy to get caught up in the heat of the moment, it’s important to practice safe sex otherwise you may end up with an STI or unplanned pregnancy.
Condoms can prevent both STIs and unplanned pregnancies, while other contraceptives such as the birth control pill only prevent pregnancy.
For extra security, some people choose two methods of contraception, such as condoms along with another contraceptive method.
If you do decide to rely on the birth control pill or another contraceptive method other than condoms, make sure you and your partner both take an STD test beforehand.
- Make Sexual Health Part of Your Health Care Routine
To make sure you’re always healthy sexually, make sexual health a regular part of your healthcare routine.
Find a health care clinic or provider that makes you feel comfortable when discussing your sexual health and respects you and your decisions.
You should feel comfortable having open conversations about your sexual health so they can advise you on how to stay healthy and on any other issues that can affect your sexual health. For example, they might advise you on a form of contraception to take.
- Learn to Understand Your Sexuality
Your sexuality is experienced and expressed in thoughts, attitudes, values, behaviors, practices and more. In many cases, it’s influenced by various factors such as biological, psychological, social, cultural, economic, political, and religion among many more.
Your sexuality is not a choice, and many people – especially young people – can feel uncomfortable or ashamed with some of their desires and beliefs.
Learning to understand your sexuality on a deeper level can be difficult and uncomfortable, but it’s important to do so to practice a healthy sex life.
- Take a Regular STD Test
Taking a regular STD and undertaking sexual health testing is important to make sure your body is in optimum health. This is especially important if you swap partners or have practiced sex without the use of condoms.
Thankfully, taking an STD test is easy to do and most clinics and practices offer them to patients. Nowadays, you can even receive STD tests to use at home. Discover the best at home STD test here for ultimate ease and convenience.
- Practice Being Sex-Positive
The last of our healthy sex tips is to practice being sex-positive.
Not sure what sex-positive means? Well, being sex-positive means being open, accepting, and understanding of all people’s sexual lifestyles, as long as they’re consensual and don’t harm anyone else.
While it can be difficult to shake negative conations many learn about sexuality from a young age, it’s crucial for healthy growth and development.
Learning About Sexual Health Practices
Understanding your body and sexuality is key to positive sexual health. As is respecting your partner and expecting the same respect back from them.
Follow these nine sexual health practices and you should benefit from a happy, healthy, and safe sex life. Enjoy!
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A professional writer with over a decade of incessant writing skills. Her topics of interest and expertise range from health, nutrition and psychology.