chatwithketch

The month of May is Teen Pregnancy Prevention Month. Somehow, that escaped me and I did not put up a post on that. However, this is a post I made last year on this and it is still very relevant and follows the theme of the discussions we have been having, these last few weekends on sexual and reproductive health. Enjoy!

Are you a teenager? Are you able to have honest and open conversations with your parents, guardians or mentors about issues concerning sex or contraception? Do you feel comfortable telling them your thoughts on these matters? Would they be your first place to go if you were confused about something you heard your friends or peers discuss? Who do you ask when you’re confused about anything that concerns sexual and reproductive health? And this is a broad subject that includes sex, unplanned pregnancy, STDs, HIV/AIDS, Female Genital Mutilation etc.

Parents and/or guardians, would you even consider having a discussion about sex with your teenagers? Scratch that…let’s start with when your children were younger. Did you even tell them the proper names of their private body parts? Did you tell them the full implication of coming of age as happens in puberty? Did you indulge in those half-baked stories we heard a while ago about how girls would get pregnant if a boy so much as touched their hands…provided they had started menstruating? Do you think the teenager you were talking to believed you?

As the mother of teen and tween (that twilight zone before the real teens) 😀 daughters (update…daughter 2 is now a teenager :D), I absolutely confess that it wasn’t as easy to have that chat with my first daughter as it was to give it to other teenagers. It got easier though and with my second daughter, and now we can all discuss all aspects of reproductive health without cringing, mentally or physically 😀 My son still struggles…but we’re getting there 😀

The US Department of Health and Human Services points out that the following groups of teenagers are less likely to get pregnant or get someone else pregnant:

• Those who have supportive parents that they can freely communicate with
• Those who have healthy family and peer relationships
• Those who have proper understanding of sexual and reproductive health
• Those who have knowledge of contraception and the importance of abstinence.
Teenagers more at risk of getting pregnant include
• Those that live in unstable homes (financially or emotionally)
• Those who were born to teenage mothers
• Those who use drugs of addiction. Remember that using these messes with good judgement
• Those who have sex at a young age
• Those with low self esteem.

Now, remember that risk factors are just as the name implies…factors that increase your risk 😀 It does not follow that people who live in homes with conflict must have teenage pregnancies. No! It just means they need to be aware of their increased risk (loaded gun) and be sure not to pull the trigger…and get pregnant.

So, if you’re a teenager, who taught you about sexual health? Is this discussed in your school and can you ask your parents questions?

If you’re a parent, are you providing adequate information and a safe home environment where your children can thrive in all ways? Are you comfortable discussing these issues with your children? Are you aware that if you’re not providing this education yourself, you’re probably allowing your teenager to learn from his friends and/or the internet…where he/she may very well be learning all the wrong things!

I trust I have provided a lot of food for thought. Write in and let me know what you think.

For related posts, please click on these:
https://chatwithdrketch.com/2014/08/05/daily-health-tips-depression-masturbation-and-over-protective-parenting/

https://chatwithdrketch.com/2014/12/03/daily-health-tips-should-i-teach-my-daughter-the-proper-name-for-private-parts/

https://chatwithdrketch.com/2014/12/04/daily-health-tips-when-should-my-husband-stop-bathing-our-daughter/

Have a great day y’all 😀

https://www.instagram.com/p/BZYJdjXly6L/?taken-by=ddrketch

Many mothers, especially first timers, feel guilty about letting their babies cry. But, hey! Here’s some good news! Maybe it’s okay to let them cry!

https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/new-study-says-okay-let-babies-cry-night-201605319774

‘When you have a negative emotion, are you upset or disappointed in yourself? Do you feel “bad” or “guilty” about this emotion?’

Well, this blog post says you just may be at risk for poorer longer-term psychological health. Read!

https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/feeling-okay-about-feeling-bad-is-good-for-your-mental-health-2017091412398

Q: Good morning Doctor. Thank you for the great work you are doing. May God reward you ma’am. Please, what’s the cause and treatment for pain while having sex and sperm discharge immediately after sex?

A: Pain during sexual intercourse is more common with women but can also happen in men. The first question above was sent in by a woman and the second one was sent in by a man. This condition is called dyspareunia in medicine.

Dyspareunia is a condition in which one experiences pain during or after sexual intercourse. In women, the cause may be due to:
• Vaginismus: a condition in which the vaginal muscles go into spasms when an attempt is made at penetration.
• Lack of adequate lubrication eg due to hasty foreplay etc
• Infections of the vagina (like candidiasis as mentioned in the question) or urinary tract can also cause pain during sexual intercourse.
• Injuries/wounds to the vagina
• Emotional issues like stress or emotional disconnect from partner.
• Fibroids around the vagina or cervix

In men, the cause of this problem could be due to:
• Infection of the urethra (the tube which conveys urine from the bladder out of the body and also conveys semen out during ejaculation)
• Infection of the prostate gland.
• Infections, some of which may be due to STI
• Emotional issues may also be involved eg feelings of guilt.

Treatment depends on cause. If due to infections, they have to be treated. If it’s due to lack of lubrication, that has to be handled. Some lubricating gels may be suggested. If no physical cause can be seen and the problem appears to be emotional, some counseling may be required. Understanding that when people get married, they are actually two ‘strangers’ trying to get to know each other, should form part of the incentive for slowing down and trying to find out what pleases each member of the union.

For related topics, please click on https://chatwithdrketch.com/2014/08/22/daily-health-tips-why-am-i-not-into-my-husband/

Now to the second issue, lots of couples wishing to have a baby appear to believe that semen flowing out of the vagina signifies a problem and so, they do different things to stop this including, raising the female partner’s legs in the air or even performing a cycling motion. None of these need to be done, really.

A man’s ejaculate is made up of more than just sperm cells. The sperm count in ejaculate (which should be about half to 2 teaspoons in volume) is any number from 20million to several hundreds of millions! That’s a lot of sperm cells for 1 teaspoon, right? Now, when a man ejaculates, the initial force of that pushes some of the semen a significant way into the vagina. The rest of it flows back. In case you’re worried about the semen that flows back, just like the person who asked this question, the truth is that you don’t need more than 1 sperm cell to fertilize an egg.

Some sperm cells are retained at the back of the vagina, some make it all the way to the cervix and some others get into the uterus and make the trip into the fallopian tubes to fertilize an egg. And in addition, these sperm cells can remain alive and active for even up to 3 to 5 days after intercourse, depending on conditions. So, if there was no egg to fertilize at the time of intercourse, if the woman ovulates within this window of 3 to 5 days, she could still very well get pregnant.

Now, if you have been trying for up to one year to have a baby with no luck, please see your doctor and let him evaluate you and your partner. Analysis of the semen with sperm count etc will be helpful in defining course of treatment.

For more on this, please click on this link https://chatwithdrketch.com/2014/12/14/daily-health-tips-miscarriage-and-infertility-re-visited/

Have a great night, y’all 😀

Q: Good evening Dr. Ketch God keep increasing you in knowledge and all for the great works you do. Please I am worried about something that I discovered in my daughter. I noticed she keeps scratching her vagina and once she sees me she will remove her hand instantly. I had to start asking her questions and she told me it has been itching her and she feels pains sometimes when she wants to urinate. I have to check her and noticed she is having a yellowish smelly discharge and that was few hours after having her bath that i checked…the discharge comes with part of it been slippery. I am worried because I soaked her pants with hot water and have taught her how to clean up after potty. Kindly assist on how i can treat this timely to avoid a complicated issue. She is just six (6) years old. Awaiting your response quickly. Thank you.

A: I am slightly worried about the fact that she was hiding when she saw you. She needs to be comfortable enough to tell you if anything is wrong. Sometimes, in our bid to protect our children, we over-parent them by being over-protective. Oftentimes, we do not let them express thoughts they have and so they end hiding things from us.

The cause of the vaginal discharge can actually be a foreign body that got in there…a hair bead or even a bit of tissue left after cleaning up, for example. That is sufficient to cause significant discharge. That is sufficient to cause significant discharge.

Other causes include:

• Prolonged contact between skin in the genital area and faeces and/or urine
• Other skin irritants like perfume, use of bubble bath and/or perfumed soap
• Lack of cleanliness.
• Bacterial infections
• Other infections like measles

Poor personal hygiene is a common cause as children start to go to school and begin to take care of their hygiene themselves especially after using the bathroom. It is critical that our babies are taught to clean themselves properly by wiping from the front to the back. Please do some sort of spot check to ensure that they have cleaned thoroughly 😀

If the discharge is cheesy white and thick, it may be candidiasis…given the itching associated with it.  Candida is not a usual cause of vaginal discharge in this age group, though. Please let the doctor confirm the diagnosis. He will take a detailed history and find out what exactly this discharge is or is not.

If it is due to candidiasis, it may be due to immune system compromise by antibiotics and is also found in children diagnosed with diabetes.

To prevent this discharge, start by ensuring your baby wears loose cotton undies and do not give her antibiotics she does not need. As had been mentioned on this page before, all that is needed to wash your delicate inner self is clean water and clean hands. Teach her that. Ensure that your baby dries properly, especially the vulval area (pat dry) after a bath to prevent the build-up of fluid and warmth that encourages fungal growth. Discourage tight clothing and if anything, encourage her to wear skirts. Encourage her to also sleep without underwear at night as often as possible and if your home situation is conducive enough for it.

More importantly, take her in to see the doctor and confirm the exact diagnosis.

Have a great day, y’all 😀