Whenever my boyfriend and I get intimate, whether it be having sex or just a passionate makeout, I get hives on my butt, hands, and sometimes thighs and arms. They usually go away within the hour but they have lasted for several hours at times. People have said I'm probably allergic to some product he uses, but we can cuddle or sleep next to each other without problem. I just want an idea of what's causing it and if I should be concerned.
Don’t worry, what you have is called cholinergic urticaria. It’s a category of hives that results from high body temperature or sweating. You’re not alone; many women and men get this, sometimes after a hot shower, sometimes after exercise, sometimes after eating spicy foods
. Different people have different triggers. You get it during sex. (You don't get it when you're cuddling and sleeping because your body temperature is lower.) It's annoying, but not dangerous.
You can try doing something earlier in the day that elevates your body temperature, like exercise, or take an antihistamine, like Allegra or Claritin, a few hours before sex. Or just try to cool off during sex. Use a fan or air conditioning, or don’t go under the covers. If the rash persists for a longer period of time, see your dermatologist.
How can anal sex harm you? My boyfriend likes to do it all the time but it's painful and I'm not sure if it's safe.
Anal intercourse carries the most risk than any other form of sexual activity. The vagina has natural lubrication, but the anus doesn’t, so it’s more likely to tear. Viruses can enter through those tears, so the chance of contracting STDs is much higher with anal sex than with vaginal sex. Also, your anus just has tons of bacteria in it, as you can imagine. You should never have vaginal sex right after anal sex because you can risk dangerous vaginal infections if bacteria from your anus is introduced to your vagina.
The reason anal sex can hurt is because the sphincter is a muscle that stays very tight to hold your stool in, and you’re stretching that muscle. That muscle can stretch out causing incontinence problems if you're having a lot of anal sex over a long period of time. If you're concerned about your anal health, you can talk to your gynecologist about it. They can test for STDs and check for any trauma wounds. But the main thing is, if it hurts don’t do it! If you want to continue, try using more lube and see if that makes it more comfortable.
Dr. Iris Orbuch is the director of the Advanced Gynecologic Laparoscopy Center and the co-director of gynecologic robotic surgery at Beth Israel Hospital in New York City. Do you have a women's health question for Dr. Iris? Submit it here!
Photo credit: Courtesy of Iris Orbuch
Culled from http://www.cosmopolitan.com
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