Sexual Hygiene

Skin or object: the 2 groups of sexual hygiene

8 fields make up sexual hygiene, and they split into 2 groups with opposite rules. Skin covers the penis, the anal area, anal shaving and rimming. On the object side, the main topics are cleaning sex toys, sterilising sounding rods and caring for fresh piercings. The eighth field is hygiene around psychoactive substances.

4 neighbouring topics border directly on it. How a douche works in practice, and which devices exist, is explained in Anal Hygiene & Care, and how much frequent douching irritates the lining is laid out with numbers in Anal 101. Piercing types by location are sorted in the Magazine. Testing, pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and symptoms are covered in Prevention & Protection and Sexually transmitted infections.

Skin: gentler cleaning works better

Anal Care sets a clear upper limit for the anal area: 2 cleanings a day are sufficient. Scrubbing, rinsing and disinfecting after every visit to the toilet weakens the skin’s protective barrier. 4 habits pass for care and irritate instead: perfumed moist toilet paper, wet wipes on the go, deodorant in the anal crevice and hard wiping.

4 things genuinely help. A pH-neutral shower gel protects the skin’s natural acid mantle. Three-ply paper rubs less than two-ply. Cotton briefs keep the skin dry. And dabbing with a fresh towel beats rubbing. Diet matters too. Fibre softens the stool and lowers the pressure during a bowel movement. Less pressure cuts the risk of anal fissures and haemorrhoids. For hard stools, 1 tablespoon of psyllium husks with a glass of water helps.

Restraint shapes the douching answer as well. Bowel Cleansing Before Sex treats it as the exception, pointing to a rectum that is normally free of stool. Frequent douching irritates the lining instead. Blood in your stool or on the paper means you should see a doctor the first time it happens. A stool test for occult blood reveals whether a source of bleeding lies in the bowel.

Sex toys: what goes in the pot and what needs a condom

With objects the line reverses, and 3 materials decide. Silicone at 100 %, tempered borosilicate glass and stainless steel take every treatment. A dildo in pure silicone tolerates soap, alcohol, boiling water and the dishwasher. Both points come from How to Clean Sex Toys. Basic cleaning means lukewarm water and a mild, fragrance-free soap, straight after every use, with an eye on grooves, veins and base edges. Antibacterial soap is beside the point. In 2016 the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) banned 19 antibacterial ingredients from consumer wash products in the United States, triclosan among them. Evidence for long-term safety and for any benefit over ordinary soap was missing.

4 methods go further than soap. Boiling runs 3 to 10 minutes at a rolling boil, in a dedicated pot, turning the toy occasionally. The dishwasher does the same job on the top rack, free of detergent and with heated drying switched off. Isopropyl alcohol at 70 % works on every non-porous material and gets rinsed with clean water afterwards. Bleach is the last resort, at 1 part bleach to 9 parts water with roughly 2 minutes of contact, and on pure silicone only. Anything with a motor or a battery stays out of pot and machine, because heat destroys seals and electronics.

Porous materials form the counter-group: thermoplastic elastomer (TPE), thermoplastic rubber (TPR), jelly and polyvinyl chloride (PVC). A 2014 study measured this on vibrators. 12 people took part, and 9 of them tested positive for human papillomavirus (HPV). On the TPE vibrators HPV was still detectable on 56 % of samples immediately after cleaning. After 24 hours that applied to 40 % of the previously positive samples. On silicone every sample came back clear after 24 hours. In practice that means a condom over the porous toy, changed after every use. Discolouration, cracks or tacky patches argue for a replacement. Sanitising such a toy after an infection is impossible. A 2023 study tested 4 retail toys. All 4 contained phthalates above the legal threshold, including goods sold as a silicone blend. Fucking & Anal sorts which anal toys suit which purpose.

Shaving your bum, and the care that follows

Anal shaving starts with a choice between 2 methods, says How to Shave Your Bum. Wet shaving gives a closer result, but comes with a higher risk of cuts. Dry calls for an electric shaver, since wet blades on dry skin produce razor burn. A body trimmer beats the face shaver on the butt, because the hair grows thicker and more stubborn back there.

A shave runs in 4 steps. A thorough wash first lowers the risk of infection should you cut yourself. One leg on the rim of the tub tightens the cheek. The blade then works from the anus outwards, in 3 or 4 light passes instead of one hard one. Dabbing dry and a mild, unscented balm close it out.

The methods differ mainly in how long the result lasts. Stubble is back after 24 hours. Epilation lasts up to 6 weeks, warm wax 6 to 8 weeks. A pass with warm wax takes half an hour with practice. Laser treatment works permanently after a course of sessions and costs considerably more. Exfoliating once or twice a week is part of the aftercare for all of them. It helps new hairs break through the skin instead of growing inwards. A cream against razor burn goes with it, and aloe vera calms the skin.

Cleaning your penis: once a day, and no fragrance

Cleaning your cock takes 4 steps, says How to Clean Your Penis Properly. Wash your hands with soap, clean the penis with warm water and mild soap, rinse thoroughly, dry carefully with a clean towel. At least once a day, and after sex in any case. Washing your dick after every pee overdoes it.

2 mistakes are especially common. Strong soaps irritate sensitive skin and upset the skin’s pH balance, and hard scrubbing does the same. Aftershaves and eau de toilette contain alcohol, which dries the skin out. Deodorant is better kept away from the penis. If it still smells after washing, a metabolic issue may be the cause. Redness, swelling or spots should be checked by a dermatologist or sexual-health specialist.

Rimming: a normal shower is enough

For most situations a normal shower covers rimming hygiene, says How to Prepare for Rimming. 4 steps are enough: lukewarm water, a mild lotion, rinse thoroughly, dry gently. Classic rimming keeps the focus on the outer area, so a douche is rarely part of it. Frequent douching leads to irritated mucous membranes, a feeling of dryness and cramps, according to the guide.

Chasing perfection works against the sex: it creates time pressure, repeated showers, aggressive products and tension. The Mental Health section looks at the same pressure from the psychological side. Before a date the rimming guide names 6 foods that are easy on your gut: rice, oats, bananas, potatoes, yoghurt and light proteins. Very spicy food, large amounts of alcohol and fatty fast food are best skipped right beforehand.

2 details take the pressure off. Smooth and hairy both count as attractive, and what matters is the care: washing, drying, the occasional trim. Natural body odour is normal. 4 things are a problem: stale moisture, unwashed skin, irritated patches and product residue.

Sounding: sterile beats clean

Sounding rods call for sterilisation. Sounding Safely gives the anatomical reason: the urethra is the direct route to the bladder, and the bladder is normally sterile. Stainless steel goes into rapidly boiling water for at least 10 minutes, or gets treated with an alcohol-based disinfectant. The instrument then rests on a lint-free surface and stays clear of unsterile ones.

3 rules cover tools, lube and timing. Only instruments built for the job qualify. Everyday objects carry microscopic irregularities, resist sterilisation and can break inside the channel. The urethral lining stays dry on its own, which makes sterile water-based lubricant mandatory. Oil and silicone drop out here, since both are harder to flush out. Peeing shortly before the session helps flush the urethra, and sterile gloves go on for insertion.

Afterwards, pay attention to how your body feels. Drinking water and urinating soon flush bacteria out. For the first 24 to 48 hours, 4 signals mean a doctor visit: burning when urinating, an unusual odour, discharge and clear traces of blood. Between sessions, clean the rod with warm water and mild soap, then sterilise it again, and store it in a dry, dust-free box. Scratches, rust marks or uneven spots mean the rod gets retired. Exploring Sounding puts the practice itself in context.

The fresh intimate piercing is a wound

A fresh intimate piercing leaves a wound, usually swollen and painful, says Intimate Piercings for Men. A male intimate piercing stays an open wound for weeks after it is done. Until it closes, 3 things are out: sex, sauna and any play with the penis. Piercing is a job for a professional piercer only. The Magazine sorts healing times by piercing type.

Jewellery cleans up best in an ultrasonic bath, and the channel gets cleaned as you shower. Fully healed, the channel behaves like an ear piercing and gets by with ordinary intimate hygiene.

Sex raises 3 questions: condom fit, infection risk and the shape of the jewellery. Depending on the jewellery a condom can tear, and it rarely shows straight away. A ring in the scrotum, a hafada, barely affects the fit; one in the glans may well affect it. As long as the channel is open, any intimate piercing raises the risk of bacterial infection. Sharp, pointed or angular jewellery comes out before sex or gets covered with a special plaster. 5 physical reasons argue against an intimate piercing: earlier infections on the penis, skin that heals badly, excessive scar tissue, allergies and adhesions.

Drug gear stays in one pair of hands

Psychoactive substances come with 6 hygiene rules, and the first is about sharing. Gear belongs to one person, and that goes beyond the syringe: Safer Use Hygiene names filters, spoons and lighters as well. Used tools raise the risk of catching hepatitis. A joint, a pipe or a vaporiser also stays with one person. Pipes and vaporisers then get cleaned thoroughly or disinfected.

Water, skin and packaging make up the remaining rules. Water is a breeding ground for fungi and bacteria, so it gets boiled before use. Hands get washed before injecting. The injection site gets cleaned with an alcohol swab, and a fresh swab goes on afterwards. Purchased substances move into their own container straight away. Anal use adds gloves, and every arse gets its own syringe. And because being high makes people skip the condom more often, condoms, PrEP and regular testing belong here too.

What porn leaves out

3 invisible steps separate the screen from the bedroom, and Anal Hygiene in Porn vs. Reality names them: enemas, an adjusted diet and pre-stretching with fingers or plugs. Performers end up cleaning more thoroughly than most men do at home. Tests for sexually transmitted infections (STI) are standard in advance on reputable sets. The tests cover only part of the risk: local infections from small injuries and germs on fingers or toys stay possible. Good productions therefore keep fingernails short and clean.

Sterile conditions are impossible during sex, because tiny particles of faeces occur in the cleanest rectum. After sex a mixture of lubricant, semen and sometimes faecal particles finds its way out, hours later at times. The same restraint applies to what you expect of your own body: aim for clean rather than sterile. More reading on men’s health is collected in the Guide.

Common questions about sexual hygiene

The answers follow one rule: go easy on skin, and sterilise anything that goes inside the body. Most mistakes happen where the two meet, with too much soap on skin and too little heat on steel.

How often should I wash my penis?

At least once a day, and after sex on top of that. Washing after every pee overdoes it. Warm water and mild soap are enough, with thorough rinsing and careful drying alongside. Strong soaps, hard scrubbing, aftershave and deodorant irritate the skin and the pH.

Can silicone dildos be boiled, and which sex toys as well?

Dildos in 100 % silicone can be boiled. The same goes for sex toys in tempered borosilicate glass and in stainless steel, provided a motor and a battery are absent. Boiling takes 3 to 10 minutes, in a dedicated pot, turning the toy occasionally. Untempered glass can shatter with a sudden temperature change, and porous materials such as TPE or jelly stay out.

Is a normal shower enough for sexual hygiene?

For everyday life and for rimming it is. 2 cleanings a day are the upper limit, with lukewarm water and a mild lotion. More cleaning weakens the protective barrier of the skin. Objects that go inside the body are different: sex toys get cleaned thoroughly or boiled depending on the material, sounding rods get sterilised.

Why do sounding rods have to be sterile rather than merely clean?

Because the urethra leads straight to the bladder, and the bladder is normally sterile. Washing alone falls short. Stainless steel goes into boiling water for at least 10 minutes or gets treated with an alcohol-based disinfectant, then rests on a lint-free surface.

How do I look after a fresh intimate piercing?

The fresh channel is a wound and needs rest. Until it has closed up it stays sex-free, and the sauna drops out. Jewellery gets cleaned in an ultrasonic bath, and the channel gets cleaned as you shower. Fully healed it behaves like an ear piercing.