Sexual Health FAQs 12

Sexual FAQs



Q. Can I have sex while I have my period? I use tampons; what do I do about that?

A. As long as both of you are comfortable about having sex during your period, then of course you can. Since you're a tampon user, remember to remove the tampon before having sex. Or you can use pads around that time.

Q. Are there any long-term effects of masturbating? Will I still be able to father children?

A. There are people who never masturbate, those who masturbate two or more times a day, those who do it a couple of times a year, as well as everything in between. Many people masturbate throughout their lifetime--yes, even married people--without any side effects, besides pleasure or relief from tension. If masturbating is not interfering with your life, the amount you are masturbating isn't hurting you. If you feel sore from masturbating too much, than that is too much for you. Yes, you can have children. You still produce healthy sperm whether or not you masturbate ... assuming you are producing a healthy sperm count.

Q. What is autoerotic asphyxiation?

A. Autoerotic asphyxiation is the induction of cerebral anoxia--a deficiency of oxygen in the brain--through self-applied suffocation methods while masturbating.

It is estimated that between 500 and 1,000 deaths occur annually in the United States from this dangerous type of masturbation. Most commonly performed by young adult males, it almost always remains a secret until they die accidentally.

The interference of blood supply to the brain brought on by autoerotic asphyxiation can intensify sensations. The lack of blood, and therefore oxygen, to the brain can produce giddiness, exhilaration or a self-induced "high." It's also believed that the self-endangerment inherent in the technique enhances the person's sexual gratification. This technique often involves using a rope, belt or another device to cause the asphyxiation.

Of course, this same self-endangerment that may provide a thrill to the person carrying out autoerotic asphyxiation also weakens his self-control and judgment, possibly resulting in accidental death.

Q. What is the difference between a male and female orgasm?

A. The most obvious difference in orgasms is that male orgasms are usually accompanied by the ejaculation of semen. Ejaculation involves the secretion of semen into the urethra (urinary tube) and a rhythmic contraction of pelvic muscles that forces the semen out of the urethra. In males, however, orgasms can occur with or without ejaculation. (When men have orgasms without ejaculation, the pelvic muscles contract and you feel like you’re having an orgasm, but the semen is prevented from being secreted into the urethra. It's called retrograde ejaculation; more on that in a minute.)

During female orgasm, the rhythmic contractions take place within the pelvic muscles, in the uterus as well as the walls of the vagina. In most women, there is no fluid ejaculated during orgasm. Another difference between male and female orgasm is that women do not experience a refractory period, and may have multiple orgasms with continued or additional stimulation.

Retrograde Ejaculation: Less commonly, the semen is pushed backward into the bladder during orgasm, and appears as milky fluid that comes out during urination after sex. This is called retrograde ejaculation, and happens occasionally when men try to prevent ejaculation during orgasm,. It is usually not a sign of a disorder. However, retrograde ejaculation does happen more frequently in people with diabetes or after surgery, causing damage to the nerves around the penis.