Now that you’re doing the Vaginal Renewal Program and Kegels ~
Don’t forget your perineum! This is the area between the vaginal opening and the anus. Perineal flexibility and stretching is an important aspect to comfortable sex play. Perineal massage helps with this and is something you can do yourself or with a partner. Start with some lube and lie down to relax. Begin with gentle strokes with a little pressure (only what feels good) along the perineum. Breathe and relax and gradually increase the pressure and begin to gently stretch the skin. Let what feels good to you be your guide and you try different fingers, different strokes and gentle kneading squeezes similar to the press and release motion in vaginal renewal. You can also insert a thumb into the back of the vaginal opening and gently press the perineal tissue toward the thumb. You can do this with the anal opening as well. Just be certain to not insert the same finger into the vagina and the anus without washing your hands. It’s important not to mix the fluids in these areas. If you’d like more information about perineal massage, there’s much more in my book, Sexy After Cancer ~ Meeting Your Inner Aphrodite on the Breast Cancer Journey. You can purchase the book on my website or on Amazon.
Other tips:
- Enjoy at least one orgasm per week. Orgasms bring blood flow to your pelvis and sexual health and pleasure has a lot to do with blood flow. This keeps tissues strong, uses your nervous and circulatory systems and helps everything to function smoothly. If you’re not orgasmic and have never been able to, please check with your health care provider for help and resources, or consult with a sex educator or therapist.
- Eat a whole food, Mediterranean style diet, which focuses on a colorful plate with lots of vegetables, fruit, whole grains, nuts and lean fish and poultry. The aim is for antioxidants and low fat and complex carbohydrates. Chocolate, coffee and tea also contain antioxidants. Remember to also drink plenty of water.
- Exercise ~ begin with moderate exercise if you haven’t exercised for a while, which can be taking a brisk walk for 30 minutes. Work up to 6 days a week with at least 30 minutes where you are working hard enough to sweat. This will help with overall strength and flexibility, and increased blood flow, which will also increase blood flow to the pelvic floor. Studies show that women who exercise until they sweat just before being sexual experience higher levels of arousal than those who don’t. So get moving!
- Floss your teeth! What? What does this have to do with sexual health? Reducing inflammation in your gums reduces whole body inflammation. Body inflammation has a directly negative link to healthy sexual arousal. Daily flossing is an easy way to keep yourself in great shape and also enhances your beautiful smile.
- Exercise your biggest sexy organ, your brain! Read erotica, write some fantasies, flirt with your partner ~ think of ways that get your brain engaged and have fun with this. See past blogs for other ideas.
The big benefit to all these practices and activities is that they support and enhance your overall health, which positively affects your mood, how you sleep and can help with the brain fog from chemo. They also help with fatigue. Chemo brain, fatigue and poor sexual function are the top 3 survivor issues according to a recent LiveStrong poll. These tips will help boosting the quality of your life, which is the point, right? Have fun and let me know how it goes for you!
© 2012 by Barbara Musser, Sexy After Cancer.
For more resources, go to SexyAfterCancer.com
This blog does not reflect the opinions of The Pink Fund, its Founder, Board of Directors, Advisers or Volunteers. It is not meant to serve as medical advice of any kind. Any questions about your health and sexuality should be directed to a licensed physician or therapist. Any opinions expressed are solely those of the writer who voluntarily blogs for The Pink Fund without compensation.
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Flirting with a woman
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