Do you know how to wipe your butt? It s a surprising question, we know, but doing it the wrong way has health implications. Failure to wipe correctly could leave you vulnerable to a urinary tract infection or aggravate any existing rectal issues, like hemorrhoids or anal fissures.
That s why we turned to a gynecologist (who actually gets asked about this quite often) and a gastroenterologist to give us the scoop on wiping after you poop. Here are the right and wrong ways to do it, plus some helpful tips and tricks.
Wipe front to back
You ve probably heard this directive since you were a kid, and it s really important. This means wiping in the direction from your urethra to your anus, Alyssa Dweck, MD, a gynecologist in Westchester County, New York and author of
We tend to talk about herpes in hushed tones, as if having herpes is somehow a badge of shame. But this viral infection is incredible common, not a big deal at all from a health standpoint, and best of all, it can be effectively treated.
With that out of the way, let s talk about just how many people live with it. Worldwide, 491.5 million people have been diagnosed with HSV-2, the virus that causes genital herpes, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). HSV-1 is the virus that causes cold sores on the mouth and lips, but both types of herpes can infect either the mouth, genitals, or anus. One in five women ages 14 to 49 has genital herpes, per the Office on Women s Health.
The term whitesplaining isn t new, and it wasn t born out of the Black Lives Matter movement in 2020. But if last year taught people anything, it s that it s time to examine how our own biases inform the way we act and speak to others and being willing to take ownership and work on changing.
That s where whitesplaining comes in. Whitesplaining is basically a white person trying to explain racism back to Black people, as if they don t know what that experience is all about, Emmanuel Cannady, a PhD candidate at the University of Notre Dame, tells
Health. (Cannady is a Black Lives Matter member and teaches a White Privilege class at the university and in the community.)
Bisexuality is a sexual identity most people are at least a little familiar with. But what about the term bi-curious is this a separate identity as well, or is it part of being bisexual? How do you know if you re bi-curious, anyway? Because the word can be confusing, we asked experts to weigh in and clear up some questions and misconceptions. What is bi-curious?
Let s say you identify as a heterosexual woman, but you find yourself fantasizing about pursuing a sexual encounter with another woman. Maybe she s someone you know, someone you ve met very briefly, or even someone you saw while watching porn. Either way, the term bi-curious would likely apply to you whether you have a sexual encounter with that person or not.
oral sex positions Credit: Emma Darvick
Lying on your back while your partner s head is between your legs is 100% about your pleasure; you can close your eyes and conjure up a fantasy, as well as hold your partner s head to feel more connected (or to steer them exactly where you want his mouth to go).
However, if you’re self-conscious about receiving and feel super exposed, Fleming suggests putting on a blindfold (or a sleep mask) when your partner goes down. “One, it helps you lose yourself more in the experience. Two, when you cut off your sense of sight, it heightens your other senses,” says Fleming. You may find that it feels even more intense, especially as your self-awareness slips away and you get lost in the moment.