According to a recent poll carried out by Durex, 47 of all adults worldwide have had sex with someone without checking on their partner’s sexual history – 48 of men and 45 of women. 65 of 45-55 year olds have had unprotected sex, compared to 33 of 16-20 year olds.

Clean and protected sex not only lessens risks of unwanted pregnancies, but also minimizes the odds of acquiring sexually transmitted infections and diseases. Circumcision, for one, has proven helpful to minimize HIV infection in men. The use of condoms prevent direct contact of the genitals, thereby eliminating contact with genital secretions which carry bacteria. Personal genital hygiene is also important as it lowers, if not prevent, the risk of sexually transmitted infections STI from spreading. Something as simple as proper washing of the genitals before and after intercourse makes a big difference on the possibility of contracting STI.

Itchiness, soreness, and genital discharge can be signs of infection. However, it is quite normal and healthy for women of childbearing age to have vaginal discharge. The amount and color of this can change during menstruation, sexual excitement, and pregnancy. An abnormal discharge which is thick and white, green and foul-smelling, or blood stained suggests possible infection.

Among the many genital infections, chlamydia is the most commonly reported world wide. About four million reported cases of chlamydia infection occur in the United States each year. Chlamydia is caused by an intracellular parasite, Chlamydia trachomatis, and can affect both males and females. This disease is transmitted in body fluids and doesn’t survive outside the body, it can easily be acquired during vaginal, oral, or anal sexual contact with an infected partner; or passed on from mother to child during birth. Chlamydia is a curable infection, however it can last for a long period of time if not treated. Diagnosis requires a sample of the patient’s body fluid either through the urine or by directly collecting sample from the penis or the uterus. Chlamydia can be easily remedied through antibiotics.

Most people suffering from chlamydia are not aware of their infections and do not seek testing. This is because almost 80 percent of women and 50 percent of men don’t manifest symptoms. The most common symptoms of chlamydia for women include abnormal vaginal discharge, irritation, unusual vaginal bleeding , deep pain during intercourse, and painful urination. For males, they usually experience frequent urination with a burning sensation, watery discharge from the penis, and a burning or itching sensation around the opening of the penis.

If left untreated, Chlamydia may develop complications for women’s sexual health and also that of men. In rare cases, the effects may even reach to fatality. Forty percent of untreated chlamydia cases in women lead to pelvic inflammatory disease PID. One out of 5 women that go on to develop PID will become infertile as a result. Chlamydia may also cause ectopic or tubal pregnancies. this proves most fatal of all complications as the fertilized ovum egg cell is implanted outside the uterus, most often in the Fallopian tubes. Other effects include premature birth, miscarriage, and chronic pain in the pelvic region.
Men aren’t safe from the complications of prolonged untreated Chlamydia. They may develop epididymitis swelling of the testicles. Epididymitis is the inflammation of the epididymis, the tube that carries sperm from the testicle. Though complications in men are rare, infection could cause pain, fever, and sterility.

Babies who are exposed to chlamydia in the birth canal during delivery may develop an eye infection or pneumonia. Symptoms of an eye infection, called conjunctivitis or “pink eye,” include discharge in the eye and swollen eyelids that usually develop within the first 10 days of life. Symptoms of pneumonia includes coughing that gets steadily worse and nasal congestion. It often develops within 3 to 6 weeks of birth.

Patients who have contracted chlamydia should have their sexual partners evaluated, tested, and treated. Persons with chlamydia should cease from engaging in sexual intercourse until they and their sex partners have finished treatment, otherwise re-infection is possible. Women whose partners have not been properly treated are at high risk for infection to recur. Multiple infections puts a woman’s sexual health at serious risk. Retesting should be considered for women, three to four months after treatment. This is especially true if a woman does not know if her sex partner received treatment.

Prevention is always better than cure. Engaging in unprotected or unhygienic sex practices puts one in a position where he is vulnerable to diseases and infections. Use protection if you have no idea about your partner’s sexual history. In that case, not only do you protect yourself from STDs, you also preserve your reproductive health.

Almost all human beings are born with a sense of touch, a basic human instinct that allows us to reach out and feel another person. Touching is a universal action that conveys love and caring. Communicating with hands comes second nature to speaking with the use of our voice. Through certain gestures we can convey affirmative and healing messages. These simple hand gestures are blowing kisses, clapping our hands to show appreciation, giving someone a thumbs up, and so on.

However, there are more to grasp about our hands. Touch is the primary means of learning about the world throughout infancy. Research shows that touch is critical in a baby’s growth and development. Previous study showed that premature infants who received a series of 15-minute massage gained 47 more weight, and became more socially responsive than non-massaged premature infants. They were discharged from the hospital an average of six days earlier than other premature babies.

Supporters of touch therapy claim it can treat and cure a wide variety of illnesses, including heart failure, diabetes and infections. According to the theory, people who are ill have disturbed energy fields, and that by moving trained hands over the patient’s body, a touch therapist can detect misalignments and re-pattern energy fields to create energy balance.

Aside from touch, scientists have also recognized the benefits of massage in caring for infants and in promoting the unique bond between parent and child. There are innumerable medical facts that support the importance of touch and massage. Touch and massage therapy have a lot in common because they have a lot to do with motion of the hands over various parts of the infant’s or baby’s body. The technique involves a lot of touching, stroking, and massaging of body parts.
Massage therapy has been around for many centuries. Today it is known mostly for types of relaxation and comfort. Many years ago it was used as a cure for many ailments. Most people looked to massage for comfort rather than medicine alone. Doctors incorporated many forms of manipulation of the body to help comfort the body through disease and pain.
For an infant or baby, massage therapy has a lot to do with skin-to-skin contact. This could be something as simple as holding a baby to a naked chest, or holding an infant’s or baby’s hand when the baby is in a cubicle. Some massage therapists offer services of providing massage therapy to infants or babies in a critical or unstable condition.
The most wonderful thing about massage therapy is that it not only benefits the infant or baby, it also benefits the parents or caregivers. The baby sleeps better, grows faster, while the parents will get an extra few hours sleep each night. Not only will the baby or infant sleep better, massage therapy could eliminate colic, tummy aches, headaches, and even a stressful day at school or even fever. Seeing the benefits of massage therapy, it is no wonder that there are so many more parents who are open to the idea of using massage therapy for their infant or baby today, as compared to a decade ago.

While the benefits on infant health brought by mother’s massage are already firmly established, new research shows that a father’s touch is equally essential to a baby’s health and well-being. Health benefits for infants include fewer sleep problems, as well as strengthening and regulating the digestive, respiratory, and circulatory systems. Fathers also gain from the experience in performing infant massage.

It is important to note that this is not the same as manipulative treatments such as relaxation techniques. Massage and touch can reduce stress in some people and loving and caring another individual, not only babies can definitely have a calming effect.