Gynaecologist Answers The Questions You Were Too Afraid To Ask

'Can a gynaecologist tell if you've had sex recently?'

Sometimes we can all get a little embarrassed about asking sex-related questions to a health professional.

This is why Dr Raj has answered the questions we were all too afraid to ask in an informative and eye-opening Q&A. 

From the pros and cons of period sex to whether you can catch herpes from sucking someone's toe, here are her responses...

Can you have sex on your period?

"Many women really enjoy sex, even more during their period, and there's no reason to stop," says Dr Raj.

"Even oral sex is perfectly safe and healthy during your period.

"However you are a bit more prone to contracting an STD or transmitting an STD because of the exchange of blood there. So you do need to be careful and practice safe sex."

 

Does having an uncircumcised penis increase the risk of STDs?

"Uncircumcised penises actually are more prone to both contracting an STD and potentially transmitting an STD," says Dr Raj.

"Although the risk is only slightly increased, it is a little bit more likely if you're having sex with a man with an uncircumcised penis [that you'll] get an STD." 

She adds that safe sex is always important regardless of whether a guy is uncircumcised or not. 

 

Can a gynaecologist tell if you've had sex recently?

Dr Raj says: "Your gynaecologist may be able to tell if you had sex last night if they see, under the microscope, a little bit of semen. For example, if they've taken a culture."

"It's really not a big deal," she adds. "However it can sometimes affect the accuracy of a smear [test] so if you know you're going in for that, you might want to refrain from sex for about 24 hours. 

"Either way, they're certainly not going to judge you, they've seen it all before."

 

Can I get herpes from sucking on a toe?

"The herpes virus can be transmitted by any contact with infected fluid on your skin, especially if you have a cut or any sort of open wound there," says Dr Raj.

"So you want to be careful, especially if your partner has an active lesion and active herpes outbreak, that you're really not touching saliva from them in any part of your body.

"It could actually even cause an infection on your toe."

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