The importance of sexual health: Insights from Dr. Allison Edwards, MD
When we talk about health, the conversation often revolves around diet, exercise, and mental wellness. While these aspects are undeniably crucial for a balanced life, there's another equally important facet of health that often gets swept under the rug—sexual health. Just like maintaining a healthy weight or managing stress, your sexual health plays a vital role in your overall well-being.
In honor of Sexual Health Awareness Month, we spoke with Sesame’s medical director, Dr. Allison Edwards, MD, to address some questions about safe sex practices, contraceptive methods, and the importance of emotional well-being and healthy interpersonal relationships.
Q: What kind of impact does diet and exercise have on sexual health?
A: Diet and exercise are important for every aspect of life. Eating a healthy, balanced diet like the Mediterranean diet has been shown to have the best long-term outcomes when it comes to your health, as does regular exercise. It’s not necessarily a sexy answer, but the best way to ensure sexual health is to take care of yourself in general.
On the other hand, a poor diet and minimal exercise can have some negative consequences for your sexual health. For example, diabetes is an illness that has been linked to diets that are higher in processed sugars and processed foods in general. Diabetes has a significant impact on the very smallest blood vessels in our body, and those are the blood vessels that allow men to achieve an erection. So it’s common to see complications like erectile dysfunction, or decreased libido, as a result of not maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
Q: Is it normal to experience fluctuations in libido?
A: The short answer? Yes. The longer answer? Libido can be impacted by a lot of the things that you would assume would change the way that you feel in general.
For example, periods of stress can lower libido significantly. Trauma can also affect libido; some people who’ve experienced trauma can have a significantly decreased libido, and some people who have experienced trauma or stress can react with an increased libido.
Everyone is different and what’s important to remember is to find safe spaces and safe relationships where you’re able to express yourself as you need to in a healthy way.
Q: How can I talk to my partner about sexual health concerns?
A: Having a healthy dialogue around your sexual health is important for any relationship. If you feel like you’re not able to do that very easily with your partner, consider a sex therapist, a couples counselor, or someone else who can serve as an impartial mediator and facilitate a more robust conversation. That dialogue can be absolutely enlightening and eye-opening, and can positively impact the sexual side of any relationship.
Q: What are the most common sexually transmitted infections (STIs), and how can they be prevented?
A: Gonorrhea and chlamydia are the most common, though others like syphilis, HIV, herpes, HPV, and others are certainly out there in the population. It’s important to remember that anyone who is having unprotected sex is at risk of acquiring these.
In terms of prevention, abstinence is technically the best way to prevent the transmission of STIs, but we’re celebrating Sexual Health Awareness Month, so let’s celebrate having sex and having it safely! If you’re sexually active, the best way to prevent transmission of STIs is condom use with every sexual encounter. You should also bear in mind that even with condom use, eruptions like herpes can still be transmitted from person to person.
I think the most important thing is being open with your sexual partners about your STI history and any symptoms you might be having so that everyone can have peace of mind and a safe, healthy sexual relationship with their partners!
Q: How often should one get tested for STIs?
A: Frequent testing for STIs is recommended for anybody who is sexually active with multiple partners. Specifically, testing before starting a new relationship is important both for you and for your new partner. There are some STIs, like HIV, that benefit from upfront testing as well as surveillance testing weeks to months later, and your healthcare provider can help guide those specific recommendations.
Q: Is it normal to experience pain or discomfort during or after sexual activities, and what might be causing it?
A: Pain with intercourse is unfortunately more common than we all probably realize, and it can be due to any number of things - STIs, physical problems like dryness or endometriosis, or psychological problems such as past trauma.
If you’re experiencing pain or discomfort with intercourse, that’s a conversation that you should certainly have with your primary care provider so that you don’t have to endure it! They may order testing or do an exam to figure out the root cause so that you can get to a place where you don’t have pain with sex.
Q: What are the common causes of sexual dysfunction in men and women, and what treatments or interventions are available?
A: There are a number of reasons why someone might be experiencing sexual dysfunction, ranging from medications to diseases to mental health.
For example, antidepressants, blood pressure medications, and medications that impact your hormones can also impact your sexual health in different ways. If you’re taking medication and are experiencing erectile dysfunction, vaginal dryness, decreased libido, or another symptom of sexual dysfunction, it could be a side effect of the prescription. As I mentioned before, diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, and endometriosis can also impact sexual function, as can excessive alcohol use or opioid use.
Mental health is incredibly important as well; a sex therapist who I work with routinely says that your biggest sex organ is your brain. If you’re in a spot where you’re feeling anxiety or depression or simply disconnected from your partner, those are all reasons why sex may be more difficult or less pleasurable for a person, regardless of gender.
Q: How do hormonal changes like menopause impact sexual health, and are there any treatments to mitigate their effects?
A: Hormonal changes can affect both men and women as they age and accumulate co-morbidities. Decreased libido - and a lack of interest in sex in general - are frequent symptoms.
Speaking from the women's side of the equation, vaginal atrophy, which is essentially dryness and reduced flexibility, is very common following menopause. Luckily, there are different medications to help create more lubrication and less pain with sex. For men, erectile dysfunction and lower sex drive are common as well.
If you’re experiencing a lack of interest in sex as you go through menopause or andropause, consider speaking with your healthcare provider about solutions.
Q: Can you provide an overview of the various birth control options available and their effectiveness rates?
A: There are so many options out there for effective birth control! I personally wish that I had known more about them when I was younger, which is a testament to the lack of education that’s out there regarding birth control options.
For example, you can opt for something that you need to think about daily ( like the oral birth control pill), which is about 93% effective. The vaginal ring, which is also about 93% effective, is typically changed weekly. You can choose a quarterly option, like a Depo Provera injection, which is about 96% effective. You could also opt for an IUD or an arm implant, which have an effectiveness of about 99% and are something that you only need to think about every 3-7 years, depending on the type. Last but not least, there’s also the one that you need to think about every time you have sex - condoms.
Of course, the rates that I quote are for typical use and not perfect use, because even though the effectiveness rates are typically 99% or above with perfect use for many birth control options, nobody - and I mean nobody - can accomplish the perfect use rates.
There’s a whole host of formulations in each of those categories, and every woman has different risk factors or considerations that might lead them to choose one option over the others, whether it’s convenience or certain underlying medical conditions. However, there are so many options out there that women should never feel like they don’t have options, or that birth control doesn’t work for them.
Remember, there is no question too awkward or taboo for a qualified healthcare provider when it comes to your well-being. Always consult your doctor for accurate information tailored to your personal health situation.
If you still have additional questions about STI testing, libido, or any other sexual health concerns, Sesame has got you covered. With same-day availability and hundreds of experienced healthcare providers, you can access the care you need when you need it, confidentially and conveniently. Stay empowered, stay educated, and most importantly, stay healthy!
