DEAR READERS,
K.W., 25, writes Lifeline from Negril, Westmoreland. She is worried that recently whenever she passes her urine she experiences genital burning. This burning is also present when she washes her vagina which she notices, is also swollen. She is very worried that she has contracted some form of serious infection. She uses the condoms all the time when sexually active with her partner so wanders if the condom itself can cause an infection. She is also desperately trying to get pregnant with her current partner.
If K.W. uses the condoms all the time during intercourse - it is very unlikely that she will become pregnant. The condom acts in a dual role, to prevent infection as well as acting as a method of birth control, to prevent pregnancy.
If K.W. is worried about contracting an infection from her partner then this must be sorted out first, before any attempts are made to establish a pregnancy. Both K.W. and her partner will need to visit their family physician or the nearest Government clinic for a proper check up and for blood tests which check for sexually transmitted Infections. If these checks are all good, and they are both healthy, then they will need to stop using the condoms and to continue with regular intercourse without birth control methods. This should enable pregnancy to occur. If after 12 to 18 months of unprotected, frequent sex, there's no pregnancy results, then both partners should be investigated for the cause of the infertility. Studies show that one third of the cases of infertility are due to a disorder in the female, one third are due to male causes and one third are due to a mixture of reasons involving both partners.
A doctor will need to examine K.W. and establish that she is experiencing a normal cycle with appropriate shedding of eggs, that her female hormone are normal, that her partners sperm and semen are fully normal and that her fallopian tubes are patent. If these tests are normal then the couple should continue their efforts a bit longer before attempting hormonal assisted pregnancy. If the tests are not normal either hormonal assistance surgery or in-vitro fertilisation might be suggested by their physician.
Women can be allergic to the material from which some condoms are made although few people are allergic to latex, which is the most common material used in the manufacture of condoms. Vaginal itching and discharge noticed after using a condom can indicate an allergy to the material from which that brand of condom is made. The couple should try using a different brand of condom.
COMMON CAUSE
Another, very common, cause of vaginal itching is a yeast candidal infection. Women often do not experience many episodes of yeast vaginal infections when they live in cool or cold climates, but heat is a good friend to the yeast fungus and especially during the summer months can pose a real nuisance value. Long term treatment regimes are now available with a Doctors prescription which seek not only to cure the present infection but to keep it from recurring. The itching can be very uncomfortable but it is reassuring to know that yeast infection will not cause any serious disabling disease to the genital track and is, in reality, only a minor disorder experienced by women mainly. If it recurs often then the male partner should also be treated to ensure that he is not contributing to the problem although candida (yeast) genital infections occur much less frequently.
In conjunction with prescribed medication, the woman who experiences frequent candida (yeast) infections should:
1. Keep the genitals as dry as possible. (change moist, sweaty underwear often)
2. Avoid Carbohydrates, especially simple sugars which facilitate the growth of yeast.
3. Eat yoghurt which prevents the fungus
4. Use Acidophilus Supplements as these also
5. help to reduce the presence of yeast in the body.
A proper genital examination is recommended as Herpes Simplex 11 vaginal infections and trichamonal vaginal infections can also be associated with a burning sensation in the vagina.
Write Lifeline: P.O. box 1731, Kgn 8
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