The Self Care Bible

After Sex 🍆

Things You Should do after Physical Intimacy

1. Pee After Sex If you're Prone to UTIs

Even if nature doesn't call after sex, women who suffer from regular UTIs should use the bathroom. When you have intercourse, bacteria from the rectum—which is in very close proximity to the urethra and the vagina—can get close to the urethra and can cause an infection, especially in women who are prone to UTIs, the urine washes out the bacteria that are mechanically present at the end of the urethra.

2. Wash Up

You don't have to hop out of bed and into the shower right away but gently cleaning yourself after sex can protect men and women from infections. Wash the area around (not inside) your genitals with plain warm water. You can try mild soaps, but if you have sensitive skin or already have an infection they might dry out or irritate the area. Men with foreskin should gently pull it back and wash underneath.

3. Pop a Cranberry Supplement

A once-a-day cranberry concentrate, in the form of a cranberry pill or a gummy available over the counter, may help prevent UTIs.

4. Drink a Glass of Water

If you just got super sweaty between the sheets (get it, girl!) you may want to consider sipping some H2O. When you stay hydrated you pee more, which means that more bacteria will wash out of your body before infections can flare up.

5. Eat Probiotic-Rich Foods

Post-sex snacks are the best, so reach for something that will keep you vagina happy while you're at it. Honestly if you ask me, I'd rather eat pizza or Thai after a good f%$k but I have to get into the habit of snacking on these foods because they help replenish the body's good bacteria, and help decrease the risk of a yeast infection.

6. Soak in the Bathtub

Feel like the pampered sex queen you are by treating yourself to a nice, post-sex soak. Pro tip: Consider adding extra virgin coconut oil to the warm bath to help hydrate the skin of the outer area of your flower and sooth any vaginal swelling or irritation that occurs after doing the deed.

7. Go Commando

Once you're so fresh and so clean, ward off UTIs and other infections by wearing cotton undies and loose fitting PJs to keep your privates dry—or better yet, go commando for optimum air circulation. At the very least, avoid nylon underwear and tight-fitting sleepwear, which can trap moisture.

8. Clean Your Sex Toys

After you're done with them, bacteria, virus and fungi can hang around. That means your toys could spread STD's and other infections. Clean each toy after every use, its better not to share toys with others—that can send germs back and forth. If you do plan to share, try to cover the toy with a new condom each time you use it.

9. Think about Getting Tested

If you're sexually active, especially if you've been with a new partner, its a good idea to get tested for STDs. Most of the time, these infections have no symptoms, so testing is the only way to know for sure if you have one. You can also watch for symptoms like discharge, pain, blisters, sores, spots or lump around your genitals.

10. Check the Condom

Always make sure there hasn't been a condom malfunction post-sex. When using condoms for contraception and preventions of STDs, make sure that the condom did not break and that it was discarded. Sometimes the condom can even get stuck inside the vagina and lead to bacterial infections, so make sure you check for all three things.