Protecting & Maintaining Reproductive Health
Even if you take every precaution to prevent pregnancy and STIs, you still need to listen to your body’s needs. Some people are more attentive to their car maintenance than they are to their bodies. Here are some basic and life-saving measures that men and women should take on a regular basis, whether or not they are sexually active.
- Testicular self-exams – Testicular cancer most often affects younger men. These self-exams should be performed monthly. Be like Lance Armstrong and live strong. See the Mayo Clinic instructions for the proper procedures.
- Breast self-exams – Breast cancer affects more than 180,000 women in the U.S. each year – about 12%. If you’re a female, do this once a month, a week after your period has ended. Follow these guidelines from the American Cancer Society. Men, too, should perform self-tests regularly if breast cancer runs in the family. Here’s a video showing how.
- PAP tests – These exams look at cells in the cervix to detect cancer and other abnormalities, such as HPV. See the Questions and Answers from the National Cancer Institute.
Remember that early detection supports treatment and identifies abnormalities before they become too advanced.