Reproductive health misunderstandings

The core misunderstanding about reproductive health has never been a specific knowledge blind spot, but has been collectively narrowed down to a private topic that is "related to sex, only about reproduction, and shy of public discussion." In essence, it cuts off the channel to proactively obtain correct information and intervene in problems in a timely manner from the source of cognition.

I have been doing reproductive health education in the community for almost 6 years, and I have come across too many cases that make people laugh or cry: a little girl born in 1998 whose aunt postponed for half a month and cried at home for 3 days did not dare to come to the hospital. She was afraid that the people next to her would hear her at the consultation desk asking her if she had sex, and she ended up fainting. I went to the gastroenterology department and went through a lot of detours before I found out that it was menstrual disorder caused by polycystic cysts, which had nothing to do with pregnancy. There was also an aunt in her 50s who had repeated urinary tract infections after menopause. She always thought it was "normal for older people". It took two years to get checked out, and it turned out to be chronic pyelonephritis.

When many people mention reproductive health, their first reaction is either "I don't have to worry about my sex life" or "I don't need to worry about it since I have given birth to children." This is really wrong. To put it bluntly, this matter is just like your oral health and skin health. You need to pay attention to it throughout your life cycle from birth to old age. It has nothing to do with whether you have sex or have children.

Take the most quarrelsome issue of "whether or not to use lotion for private parts". Now there are two factions on the Internet arguing. One group says that just using water is the right thing, and using lotion means paying an IQ tax. The other group says that special lotion must be used to clean it. In fact, from a clinical perspective, these two statements are too absolute: if you don’t have any discomfort, it is enough to rinse the vulva with warm water every day. After all, the weakly acidic environment of the vagina (pH 3.8-4.5) and the resident lactobacilli are the best protective layer. If you always use irritating lotion to pour it in, it will be like pouring herbicides on a good garden, killing all the beneficial bacteria, and pathogenic bacteria will take the opportunity to multiply and cause problems. However, if you sweat a lot before and after menstruation or after exercise, or if your private parts are prone to odor, it is perfectly fine to occasionally wash your vulva with a weakly acidic care solution produced by a regular manufacturer and with a matching pH value, and there is no need to feel any psychological burden.

After talking about this, many male compatriots may want to leave. They feel that this matter has nothing to do with them, so they can stop it. A while ago, a 32-year-old man came for a pre-pregnancy check-up. He patted his chest and said that he didn't smoke or drink and had a regular schedule, so his reproductive health was definitely fine. The result was that the sperm fragmentation rate was more than twice the normal value. After asking carefully, I found out that he commutes by road bike every day, which takes almost an hour and a half. The special narrow seat cushion presses the perineum for a long time, and the local blood supply is not smooth. He doesn't take it seriously at all, thinking that "men can't be so delicate." There are also many young men who believe that as long as they can have an erection and ejaculate, they are in reproductive health. They are completely unaware of problems such as varicocele and prostatitis. There are no obvious symptoms in the early stages. By the time you feel pain, the quality of your sperm may have been affected.

There is another controversial point: Do women who have no sexual life need to undergo gynecological examination? A lot of popular science says that if you don't have sex, you don't need to have an internal examination. Annual physical examinations are enough. However, we have also met girls in their early 20s who have no sex life. Because there is a family history of ovarian cancer, they waited until the stomach pain became unbearable before they came for the check-up. The ovarian cyst was already twisted, and one of the ovaries was almost removed. Therefore, there are different views in the industry: If you have no discomfort and no family history, you do not need to go for invasive gynecological examinations. An abdominal B-ultrasound every year is enough; but if you have severe menstrual irregularities, long-term abdominal pain, or a family history of gynecological tumors, even if you have no sexual life, you can take the initiative to ask the doctor for a transrectal ultrasound, which can see more clearly and will not damage the hymen. There is no need to worry.

I am actually quite annoyed by the argument on the Internet that "reproductive health problems are caused by improper private life". It is really deceptive. There was a sophomore girl who got fungal vaginitis. She didn't dare to tell her roommates or come to the hospital. She searched a lot of information on the Internet, and the more she read, the more she felt that she was "dirty". It took almost three months for her to come here, and her entire vulva was swollen and unseemly. In fact, she stayed up late every day preparing for the exam, her immunity was weakened, and she always wore tight jeans and sulked, which had nothing to do with her private life. There are also many people who search Baidu whenever they feel uncomfortable, and sentence themselves to death for the symptoms, or go to a private gynecological and male hospital and pay tens of thousands in "detoxification fees". It is really unnecessary.

After all is said and done, reproductive health is really not as mysterious or shameful as everyone thinks. Just like you should go to the respiratory department if you have a cold or fever, or go to the dentist if you have a toothache, if you feel uncomfortable, go to a gynecologist, andrologist, or reproductive doctor in a regular hospital. Talk openly about your symptoms and don't make blind guesses. It's better than anything else. After all, your body is your own, and delaying medical treatment because of inexplicable shame is the worst thing you can do.