The Pleasure Principle
In recent years, there's been an increase in the amount of people talking about sexual health in terms of STI prevention and the various forms of contraception available. This is good progress, and shows like Embarrassing Bodies have had a lot to do with it. However, there's still a certain stigma around the topic of sexual pleasure. That's why FPA (Family Planning Association) have chosen to concentrate on the Pleasure Principle for this year's Sexual Health Week. In support of this, we thought we'd take a look at how your pharmacy can help you to tackle any issues facing your sexual health and pleasure.
Safe sex
In order to fully enjoy sex, you need to ensure that you're doing so safely. Although there are multiple forms of contraception on the market, the only way to protect yourself from STI's is with condoms. There's still a certain stigma and air of discomfort around discussing sex, which leads to people feeling ashamed to buy condoms in shops. Fortunately, this doesn't have to be the case as you can now buy condoms online in order to protect yourself from STI's and the discomfort of bumping into your next door neighbour whilst your stocking up on them at your local supermarket!
The "P" word
As we've already said, sexual health is undeniably important, but it's just as important that we start opening up about sexual pleasure. If you don't address the concerns you have about sex, then this can go on to have a negative effect on your mental wellbeing. Whether you're experiencing pain during sex or if you're experiencing a lack of interest in sex as a whole, you should speak to your pharmacist or GP. If you leave these concerns buried, you'll end up isolating yourself. Most of the time, your concerns can be eased after just a chat with a healthcare professional.
For example, sometimes the side effects of certain medication can have an impact on their sex lives. As healthcare professionals, it's vital that our patients feel that they can discuss this with us. We realise that it can be difficult for patients to bring up such sensitive matters face-to-face, so as an online pharmacy, our patients can benefit from the discretion of discussing matters with an experienced pharmacist via email or phone call.
The aim of Sexual Health Week
The purpose of this week is for health professionals like ourselves to discuss the issues surrounding sex and sexual health. Sex needn't be something that we shy away from in conversation, particularly in pharmacy due to the importance of promoting regular checks, postnatal checks, and side effects of medication. If you're experiencing any issues that are impacting your sexual pleasure, then it's highly likely that there's a simple solution available.
If you have any questions or concerns about your sexual wellbeing then get in touch with our pharmacist today. We're always happy to help.