Many people, both men and women, will often ignore their reproductive health. It’s something that often gets taken for granted because it may not be of immediate concern. The truth is that it should be monitored throughout your life just like any other aspect of a person’s health.
However, taking care of your sexual and reproductive health is literally crucial to the species. If no one takes care of their reproductive health then we aren’t going to be able to produce future generations. The fear of a serious sterilizing disease or infection is something that has emergency plans within the world health organization.
So considering the importance of sexual and reproductive health, it’s shocking how few people keep abreast of it. It’s good to make sure that you’re considering your mental health when it comes to reproductive health as well.
What is Reproductive Health?
Reproductive health is more than just the interior health of our reproductive organs. Reproductive health is considered far more than just not suffering from a disease and having functioning organs. Reproductive health takes in the full wellbeing of a person. All aspects of health including the physical, mental and social aspects of a person's wellbeing need to be considered.
It’s those last two aspects that are often neglected. Good reproductive health is influenced by the brain as well as the reproductive organs.
Components of Reproductive Health
The physical part of reproductive health is the most common and easy to understand. Sexually transmitted infections and diseases are fairly widespread and often have lasting problems.
The mental aspect of reproductive health is probably the most misunderstood. Good mental sexual health starts with feeling comfortable with yourself, your body and your sexual activities. Good mental health comes from an active and comfortable sex life where you don’t feel mental pressure or problems.
Social sexual health relates to your relationships with your partner or partners. The prevalence of disease and infection transmitted through sex means that you need to have a certain level of trust with your partners or precautions need to be taken.
Birth Control & Contraception
One of the main aspects of mental and social health is the concept of birth control and contraception. While not everyone agrees with it, many women and men use various ways to heavily reduce the potential for having a child through intercourse.
Birth control methods usually involve altering body chemistry or making physical changes. Typically this is accomplished by women. Prescription or over the counter birth control options are available. Pills taken daily are one option, but there are also alternative methods. These don’t protected against disease, but just unexpected pregnancy.
Contraceptive methods are a subset of birth control that tends toward immediate action. Things like condoms and spermicides are common contraceptives. These are typically a less invasive choice for your body. Contraceptives aren’t as effective at preventing pregnancy as some birth control methods.
Family Planning
Family planning is a common modern option of sexual and reproductive health now. Family planning services help assist couples with how they intend to grow their family and the intervals in between them.
Most modern couples are unwilling to accidentally incur a huge family. Family planning is the perfect option for those people. The health of the sexual organs is monitored, and a plan is put in place for the number of children and the duration between them that is hoped for. Families will set up artificial contraception for the duration in between the expected pregnancies.
This method consistently keeps sexual and reproductive health in full focus and allows people to work on their families. No one knows what the future might have in store, but family planning allows people to at least try to control as much as they can.