Sexual Dangers that men should be aware of

Sexual health goes beyond gender, as it affects men and women alike.
Indeed, experts aver that reproductive health is an important
component of men's overall health and well-being.

One of the things that make men who they are is the male sex organ;
its overall wellbeing cannot be overemphasised if men must function
optimally biologically, mentally, physically and physiologically.

Physicians advise that routine visits with a health care provider can
help prevent serious illness, as they can readily diagnose and treat
the common conditions that affect men before they spiral out of
control.

The Guttmacher Report on Public Policy laments that for much of their
lives, men need a range of medical and, in particular, educational and
counseling services to protect their own health and well-being, as
well as to equip themselves to be good partners and fathers.

It notes that though policymakers are beginning to focus on men's
roles as fathers and husbands, little attention is being paid to their
sexual and reproductive health needs. "Available data illustrate that
those needs are substantial and long-term," the report further says.

What are these health peculiarities that men should be aware of and
guard against for overall wellbeing? Read on.

Peyronie's disease
Also known as induratio penis plastica or chronic inflammation of the
tunica albuginea (the fibrous covering of the testis), physicians say
this disease is caused by scar tissue along the length of the male sex
organ, causing it to bend. The condition can make sexual intercourse
painful or difficult outright, they submit.

A General Practitioner, Dr. Grace Asiodu, says while the cause of this
disease is basically unknown, researchers believe that it can develop
after a trauma to the male sex organ — such as if something hits it
hard, which may lead to internal bleeding inside the penis.

Again, she says — and this is instructive — certain medicines can have
side effects that include Peyronie's disease. "That is why we say it's
dangerous to indulge in self-medication or abuse of drugs that the
doctor may have prescribed for you at one point or the other," Asiodu
warns.

She also discloses that the disease sometimes runs in families, but
that if sexual intercourse is not affected, it may not elicit much
anxiety.

She says the problem is mostly visible when the penis is erect, as it
can cause the organ to bend into an arc shape, a situation that
sometimes results in sharp pain.

In terms of overall healing of this disease, opinion differs. While
some doctors say the situation can resolve itself in about five to 19
per cent of the cases, some patient's case may require surgical
correction.

However, according to Dr. Culley C. Carson III of the University of
North Carolina, "a full recovery isn't guaranteed."

Beware of fish

Do you love to swim? Actually, there's absolutely nothing wrong with
swimming, except that you should know ahead of it the types of fish
that can be your unwanted companion while the exercise lasts!

One fish to beware of as you swim is the candiru — also known as the
vampire fish or toothpick fish. Experts describe it "as a species of
parasitic freshwater catfish that is peculiar to Latin America.

The horror surrounding this small fish is that, unlike other fish that
we know, it is parasitic and feed on blood!

How this affects you as a man? Here: the fish is so tiny that it can
literally swim into your penis opening as you swim. Once inside of
your manhood, it sees your urethra as a fish's gill and then spreads a
network of umbrella-like spines, which allow it to feed on your blood.

Experts say it could be removed through surgical intervention; but
they also warn that the process could be terribly painful.

So, before you jump into that water, you may want to wear a cap on your manhood!
Too many women can kill
Many men count it a symbol of virility by getting around with many
sexual partners. Physicians are saying it's one sure way to a diseased
life.

Asiodu says Chlamydial urethritis is caused by the bacteria Chlamydia
trachomatis, and it can cause the inflammation or blockage of the
urethra. When you consider the fact that the urethra serves as the
passage for urine and semen during sexual intercourse, you'd work hard
to protect your own!

The physician adds, "Chlamydia and gonorrhea often occur together, and
it affects people who are sexually active and those with multiple
sexual partners."

The symptoms include difficulty in urinating, painful urination,
burning sensation during urination, discharge from the penis, redness,
swelling, itching of the opening of the urethra at tip of the penis,
swelling and tenderness of the testicles

"The symptoms can appear similar to those of infection with gonorrhea,
but continue even after treatment for gonorrhea," experts at
medlineplus, an online community, say.

So, men who think that conquering the world amounts to fooling around
sexually should reconsider.