Taking Care of Your Reproductive Health

The reproductive health of any person is important not just for procreation, but for personal hygiene to prevent diseases that can lead to death.
Reproductive health is a condition in which the reproductive functions and processes are accomplished in a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being.

The human body works in sync with the environment and the body clock, which is your natural rhythm that sets your normal body functions going with your life processes.
Reproductive health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being, and not merely the absence of reproductive disease or infirmity.  Reproductive health deals with the reproductive processes, functions and system at all stages of life.
Reproductive health is not just about sex. It is part of a holistic health programme starting from early age teaching values and understanding the anatomy and physiology of their bodies. This education continues when they are young adults to have safe and acceptable access to methods of fertility regulation of their choice and the right to have access to appropriate healthcare services that enables women to go safely through pregnancy and childbirth as stated in the WHO definition.

Contrary to popular belief, being sexually healthy does not signify being free from sexually transmitted diseases or some other forms of infirmity or dysfunction. Rather, sexual health is an umbrella term encompassing many different facts related to one’s mental and social well-being too.
Simply, you need to have a healthy reproductive system in order to give birth to healthy children. Keeping this in mind, read through the following lines and learn more about this incredibly important factor of human existence.

The present article is going to focus  primarily on taking care of your reproductive organs, which are the primary organs that are in focus.

How to take care of your reproductive organs
To be as healthy as you can be, you should:
• Eat a balanced diet that is high in fiber and low in fat.
• Drink plenty of water.
• Get regular exercise.
• Maintain a healthy weight.
• Get enough sleep.
• Avoid using tobacco, alcohol, or other drugs.
• Manage stress in healthy ways.

Symptoms of female reproductive health problems
1. Women
In women, there are numerous conditions that can affect the reproductive system, such as cancer, uterine fibroids, endometriosis, ovarian cysts, infertility, and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and more.

Symptoms of female reproductive and hormonal health problems include
• Bleeding or spotting between periods
• Itching, burning, or irritation (including bumps, blisters, or sores) of the vagina or genital area
• Pain or discomfort during sex
• Excessively heavy bleeding or severe pain with periods
• Severe pelvic/abdominal pain
• A change in vaginal discharge (amount, color or odor)
• Feeling of fullness in the lower abdomen
• Frequent urination or feeling of urgency to urinate
• Lower back pain
• Pelvic Pain
• Known reproductive problems such as infertility, past miscarriages or early labor
• Excessive hair growth on the face, chest, stomach, thumbs, or toes
• Baldness or thinning hair
• Acne, oily skin, or dandruff
• Patches of thickened dark brown or black skin
• If you experience any of the above symptoms, see your doctor to determine the cause.

2. Male problems
• Impotence (Erectile Dysfunction)
When a man can no longer achieve or maintain an erection for intercourse or he experiences a decrease in sexual desire, he is likely experiencing impotence, or erectile dysfunction (ED). If this occurs every so often, it may not be cause for concern or enough to seek a professional medical opinion. However, if ED becomes an ongoing issue, it can affect a man’s self-confidence and it can also negatively influence his relationship with his partner.
ED is often caused by an existing physical problem because sexual arousal involves that a person’s brain, hormones, emotions, nerves, muscles, and blood vessels are all working well both together and separately. Possible causes of impotence include: heart disease, diabetes, obesity, high cholesterol and blood pressure, low testosterone, excessive use of alcohol, complications from surgery, cancer treatment, and more. It is important for men not to feel anxious or, even embarrassed while discussing this issue with their doctor if it becomes an ongoing problem, as this is a common issue and there are treatment options available.

• Low Sperm Count
When a man ejaculates semen that contains less sperm than normal, he is considered to have a low sperm count. This condition is also referred to as oligospermia, where as if an individual has zero sperm, it is known as azoospermia. A low sperm count can be caused by a variety of factors, many of which are avoidable: smoking, excessive alcohol consumption, obesity, direct heat to the groin, and excessive intercourse are all known contributing elements to a low sperm count diagnosis.

• Low Testosterone
Testosterone is a hormone that has a great deal of influence over a man’s body. Testosterone affects a man’s sex drive, as well as his muscle and bone strength in adulthood. Symptoms of low testosterone include: low libido, poor erectile function (weaker and fewer erections achieved), and an overall reduction of sexual activity. Similar to many other male reproductive issues, low testosterone is often linked to existing health issues, some of which include diabetes, obesity, infection, an additional hormone disorder, testicular cancer, and et cetera. Low-T, as it is commonly known, can be diagnosed via a blood test by your doctor.

• Peyronie’s Disease
When fibrous scar tissue forms inside the penis the condition is known as Peyronie’s disease. The scar tissue that forms causes a man’s erection to curve – this is a painful condition marked in that the curve and pain are often significant. The disease can be caused by an injury to the penis in which blood cells are trapped at the injury site while the body attempts to heal naturally and this leads the buildup of scar tissue. However, not all cases of Peyronie’s disease are due to an injury, the disease and its symptoms can come on gradually for some men. There are both medical and surgical options available to treat this condition.

• Testicular Cancer
Testicular cancer is cancer that develops in a man’s testicles. Symptoms of testicular cancer include: a lump, or swelling in a testicle, pain/discomfort in a testicle or even in the scrotum, enlargement of a testicle, an aching sensation in the lower abdomen, back, and/or groin area, as well as a fluid collecting in the scrotum. It is important to note that these symptoms do not necessarily mean that an individual has testicular cancer; they can also be symptomatic of another condition. Roughly 8,000 men a year are diagnosed with testicular cancer in the United States, and exact causes of this type of cancer are not yet known. Risk factors are noted, as can include: a family history of testicular cancer, a personal history of the cancer, and those with undescended testicles are said to be at risk.

How to aid your reproductive health
Men
• Add Some Antioxidants to Your Diet. Oysters are fertility superfoods due to their high zinc content. …
• Have Frequent Sex. Frequent sex is important for semen health. …
• Watch Your Soy Intake. …
• Avoid Toxic Chemicals in the Workplace. …
• Quit Smoking. …
• Keep Things Cool. …
• Aim for a Healthy Weight. …
• Go Easy on the Alcohol and ALES:
• Cleanliness.
• Abstinence.
• Prompt treatment of infection.
• Self exams.
• Regular medical check ups.
• Manage stress in healthy ways.
• Get enough sleep.

Women
• Take herbs.
• Track your cycle.
• Support your endocrine system.
• Abdominal massage.
• Optimize your liver function.
• Know your breast.
• Avoid toxic menstrual products.

Bathe or shower daily to keep your external organs clean. abstain from sxual activity before marriage; abstinence.
Caring for the male system
1. Do a testicular self-examination every month.
2. Choose a time when the scrotum is relaxed, usually after a shower.
3. Roll each testicle between the thumb and fingers of both hands.
4. Check the testes monthly for lumps , swelling, or soreness.
5. Don’t wear extremely tight clothing, it can cause pain.
6. Report  and thing unusual to your doctor.
Care for females
1. Keep track of menstrual cycles.
2. Use pads and tampons during monthly cycles.
3. Take a warm bath or exercise moderately to avoid  cramps.
4. Make regular breast exam to check for irregularities.
5. Take regular baths, especially during menstruation.
6. Regular check up with a gynecologist.