Hyderabad: Whether it is women or men, children or the elderly, everyone needs to maintain the hygiene of the genitals. Women tend to practice this habit of keeping themselves clean more than men because they are taught about it and made aware of it since childhood, unlike men.
It's not that boys are not entirely unaware of how to keep themselves clean or maintain the hygiene of their penises. Almost all boys are taught since childhood that their penises should be cleaned regularly with water by pulling the foreskin back. But still, due to a lack of knowledge, lack of time, or just sheer laziness, a large number of young and older men do not practice the habit of maintaining the hygiene of the penis and the areas around it. Strangely, such carelessness is not just witnessed among youngsters, but also in educated and aware adults.
Dr Manoj Singh, an andrologist from Lucknow, says that it is a general perception that women are more likely to get sick due to a lack of genital hygiene, but men are also prone to many serious health problems for not maintaining the hygiene of their privates. The most common problem among men due to a lack of genital hygiene is the accumulation and solidification of Smegma between the tip of the penis and the foreskin, which can cause many types of problems. Smegma is a thick liquid secreted from the genitals of men, which consists of oil, dead skin, mucin, and other types of fluids.
Smegma usually acts as a natural lubricant and helps with the movement of the foreskin, and other functions. The formation of smegma is a natural process, not an infection, but if it is not cleaned regularly, then it gets accumulated between the foreskin and the penis and begins to solidify. This can cause infections, pain, swelling or other problems in the head of the penis. For example, accumulation and solidification of smegma can cause problems during urination or with the movement of the foreskin while having sex, which can cause problems such as Balanitis.
Dr Manoj reveals that people who are circumcised or have their foreskin removed for various reasons believe they are not at risk of smegma accumulation or the problems it causes, which is somewhat true! People who have undergone circumcision are relatively less prone to accumulation or coagulation of smegma and other related problems, but that does not mean they do not need regular genital cleaning, or that they are not prone to other diseases caused by lack of hygiene.
Dr Manoj explains that smegma can be sometimes mildly smelly or flaky, which is quite common, and a slight change in its colour is also not a symptom of any particular disease. But if the foul smell from the penis increases, then it can be a symptom of excessive accumulation or clotting of smegma between the foreskin and the head of the penis, due to a lack of cleaning. This can cause problems such as Balanitis, Phimosis, bacterial infection, groin infection or other types of chronic fungal infection.
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Dr Manoj clarifies that washing your penis with water only once a day is not enough, and also make sure that you clean your penis and testicles safely. The penis and testicles are very soft organs in men, they can get injured with the slightest mistake. Therefore, along with maintaining the hygiene of the genitals, it is also important to take care of how the cleaning is being done. According to our expert, here are some important things to pay attention to while cleaning the genitals in men:
- All men should wash their penis with clean water daily, not just while taking a bath but also after urinating. People with foreskin should always wash their penis with water by pulling it back a little.
- The foreskin should be pulled back and washed with lukewarm water at least once a day.
- The penis and its surrounding areas can be washed using soap, especially during summer, to avoid problems caused by excessive sweating. But make sure the soap is not aromatic, medicated, or chemically infused.
- Make sure you wash your penis and its surrounding areas properly before and after having sex. Men who do not maintain genital hygiene are more prone to infections and are more likely to get sexually transmitted infections like candidiasis, or other types of infections from their partner.
- Always wear washed, clean and less tight underwear.
- Never wear dirty undergarments or someone else's undergarments.
- Never wear the same underwear for more than a day. It is very important to change the undergarments daily.
- After bathing, the underwear should be put on only after drying the genital area thoroughly and gently using a soft towel or cotton cloth. This reduces the risk of moisture retention or injury to the genitals.
- Take special care of genital cleanliness during the summer season, because excessive sweating can cause other problems.
- Avoid using hair removal creams or waxing to remove genital hair, as it can cause various side effects. The safest way to remove pubic hair is to trim it carefully using scissors.
Dr Manoj explains that boys should be made aware of both the importance and the need of maintaining complete physical hygiene, and not just their genitals. Also, they should be made aware that if they feel any discomfort in the genitals, then they should not feel hesitant to talk to someone or consult a doctor. Many times, due to shyness or hesitation, many men keep ignoring the symptoms of any problem after experiencing it.
The problem can always be cured by treatment, so a doctor must be consulted as soon as the symptoms appear so that the problem can be stopped from growing and treated in time. Especially if there is itching, redness, swelling or problems in retraction of the foreskin at the tip of the penis, sores or patches forming in the testes with skin colour changes, itching, burning sensations or pain, mild or severe pain or swelling in the testes, pain or other problems in the penis while urinating or having sex, etc, then a doctor should be consulted immediately.
