Talking to a healthcare provider about your sexual health can be intimidating. You might feel embarrassed about the questions that you have; you might not want to admit to certain feelings or fears about your health. But being able to talk to your healthcare provider about your physical health as it relates to your sexual health is absolutely crucial.
If you can’t be totally honest about what’s happening with your body and your feelings about it, you won’t be able to get accurate treatment. Your healthcare provider should be able to give you straightforward, nonjudgmental feedback and advice about your body and sexual life. But at the same time, they have to start with the whole picture.
The first step is to choose a healthcare provider that you trust. They should be someone who is open-minded, honest, and very good at listening. Be sure to talk to your healthcare provider about your own boundaries in terms of what is okay in terms of how they deal with your body and health concerns.
If you feel uncomfortable with your healthcare provider for any reason, follow your instincts; ask around for other recommendations. Your good health depends on your ability to communicate and rely on your healthcare provider! You might have to try more than one before you feel completely comfortable. But when you do, they will be an ally as you continue to learn more about how to remain in good health.
What if you don’t have a regular healthcare provider? Where do you begin trying to find one? You can start by asking family, friends, or co-workers for referrals. If you have health insurance, your insurance company should offer a list of providers as well. The links below offer another resource, allowing you to search for appropriate providers and health centers in your area.
Because sex involves both the body and the mind, our self-image can have a strong affect on our sexual health. It’s important to realize – and remind yourself every day – that just as you have a unique mind with its own gifts to offer the world, you also have a unique body that is one-of-a-kind.
Recently, there has been a significant leap in the recognition of sexual health as a central component of overall health. Our understanding of sexual health has moved slowly from a purely disease perspective to a broader perspective of what it means to be sexual healthy.
Mpox is an infection caused by a virus. The mpox virus can be spread through close skin-to-skin contact with a person who is infected. Given that, mpox can be passed on by intimate sexual contact.
Consent is an agreement that is willfully given without any external pressure or factors. In order for someone to consent to sexual activity participants must continuously communicate—before, during, and after sexual activity.
Featuring interviews with medical professionals and experts in the field of sexuality, ASHA’s Sex+Health podcast aims to offer information and resources to with the goal of helping people take charge of their sexual health.
Should monkeypox be considered a STI? H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D., offers his perspective as an expert in STDs and public health.
ASHA believes that all people have the right to the information and services that will help them to have optimum sexual health. We envision a time when stigma is no longer associated with sexual health and our nation is united in its belief that sexuality is a normal, healthy, and positive aspect of human life.
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