As part of Sexual Health Awareness Month in September, here’s a little guide for the gents to stay informed and control of your sex lives so that you can maximise your own pleasure and wellness!

Keeping Your Privates Clean

Shaving Your Balls

Whether or not you choose to shave or not, it is an important *life-skill* to have, in the event when you are getting intimate with someone, or you might want to wear swimming briefs without having the hair stick out from the sides. Whatever it is, we’ve got you! Here are some resources on shaving tips, the best brands of shaving tools to use and some FAQs about pubes:

Douching

If you’ve toyed with the idea of anal sex, the hygiene aspect of it might have been a big concern for you and your partner. That’s where anal douching comes in — defined as the act of flushing out one’s rectum with water.

Here’s how you can use an Enema bulb to douche!

Best ways to clean your penis

Foreskin

If you do have foreskin, remember to pull it back and wash underneath. Since both urine and semen are expelled from the penis, a cheese-like substance called smegma can gather, which easily becomes a breeding ground for bacteria.

Choose non-perfumed soap

Washing your penis with too much soap can actually cause soreness and irritation. To minimise this, use mild, non-scented soaps and always cleanse it thoroughly with warm water. Avoid using deodorants as well since they tend to cause irritation.

Packaging Your Meat

Not only will using protection prevent any unwanted pregnancies, but it can also help protect you against any STDs, so remember to package it up!!

Type	Effectiveness	Usage	What happens	Estimated costs
Condoms	82%	Physically worn on the penis	Physically prevents sperm from coming into contact with the egg to prevent fertilization	Purchased over the counter at $15-$20 for a pack of 12 condoms
Vasectomy	99.5% - 99.85%	Surgery conducted by doctors to permanently prevents pregnancy	The male vas deferens are cut and tied or sealed so as to prevent sperm from traveling out from the scrotum. *A man who has had a vasectomy still makes semen and is able to ejaculate. But the semen doesn't contain sperm. The testosterone level and all other male sex traits stays the same.	Around $200 in public hospitals, $2000-$3000 in private hospitals
Natural (please use these with other forms of contraception above)
Rhythm Method	76%	Based on the female’s ovulation cycle and abstaining from sexual intercourse on days when the female is most fertile and thus most likely to get pregnant.
Withdrawal Method (Pull-out)	78%	It is exactly what it sounds like - to pull out of the vagina before the male ejaculates to prevent semen/sperm from getting into the cervix. This method works best with other forms of contraceptives such as a condom.

It would also be good to familiarise yourself with birth control methods that can be adopted by your female partners, so that you can discuss which would work best for you based on your needs and budget.

Keeping Your Sexual Health in Check

Do consider going for routine prostate cancer screening tests so that you can maintain your health.

Test	What is it for	When should you get it
Prostate-specific Antigen (PSA) Test	Useful for detecting early-stage prostate cancer, especially in those with many risk factors, which helps some get the treatment they need before the cancer grows and spreads	Every 2-3 years to check for prostate cancer after the age of 50

Which Are The Common STDs I Should Look Out For The Most?

Chlamydia: a bacterial infection that is transmitted during anal, oral, or vaginal sex. Most people don’t ever display symptoms, but those that do experience pain when urinating, penile discharge, or swollen testicles.

Gonorrhea: a bacterial infection that can cause urethritis in men, infection in the rectum and throat, and rashes and joint pain around the body. It is transmitted through sexual contact with the penis, mouth, or anus of an infected partner.

Syphilis: a bacterial infection that exists as painless ulcers in the initial stages but can progress on to affect more organs when more serious. It can be transmitted anal or oral sex.

HIV: spread through blood, semen, or rectal fluids. Around the world, MSM are 26x more likely to get HIV than the average. This could be due to the nature of male to male sex, and the likelihood is increased by: having unprotected anal sex, gaps in HIV testing, and PrEP usage.

Most common STD symptoms:

If you notice any of these, do get checked!

Burning or itching in the penis
A drip (discharge) from the penis
Pain around pelvis
Sores, bumps or blisters on penis, anus, or mouth
Burning and pain with urine or with bowel movements
Having to go to the bathroom often

Sexual Health Conditions That Might Damper Your Performance In Bed

1. Erectile Dysfunction

You’ve probably heard of this one. Erectile dysfunction (ED) refers to the inability to have and hold an erection. Males with this condition might still feel sexually turned on, but their penis is unable to be erect in order to carry out sexual activities. Causes of ED include:

Health factors that block blood flow to the penis. Health factors include:
- Obesity
- Heart diseases
- Low testosterone
- High blood pressure
- Blood vessel disorders
Psychological factors such as stress, relationship conflicts, depression and performance anxiety

2. Premature Ejaculation

As the name goes, premature ejaculation (PE) is the condition when a male comes sooner than he or his partner would like during sex. Other than this making sex less enjoybale (hence impacting relationships), it can also be an indication of underlying health issues if it happens very often.

Here are some causes:

Biological causes (abnormal hormone levels, inflammation and infection of the prostate, inherited)
Psychological factors such as stress, relationship conflicts, depression and performance anxiety (similar to ED)
Age (As one gets older, his erections may not be as long or large anymore)

Solutions

*Example of Of Noah’s online consultation*

A digital health clinic, Of Noah offers free 4-hour delivery and ongoing reviews or auto-refill prescriptions. Whether you have erectile dysfunction, premature ejaculation or suffer from hair loss, never worry about being embarrassed with Noah’s discreet service.

Similar to other local telehealth platforms, Of Noah provides teleconsultations by licensed doctors at your convenience, with medicine prescribed and delivered to you.

The Guide to Sexual Health & Wellness for the Male Sex