Some women find symptoms of bacterial vaginosis are most noticeable after sex. This is likely to be from having unprotected sex with a male partner since semen is alkaline and sometimes upsets that slightly acidic vaginal pH that your body needs to have. If this is the case, you can try using a condom, or even going for a pee after sex can help. Smoking Cessation Local stop smoking services are free, friendly and can massively boost your chances of quitting for good. These services staffed by expert advisers provide a range of proven methods to help you quit. They’ll give you accurate information and advice, as well as professional support, during the first few months you stop smoking. They also make it easy and affordable for you to get stop smoking treatments, such as: * Varenicline (Champix) * Bupropion (Zyban) * nicotine replacement therapy, such as patches and gum One-to-one and group stop smoking sessions You’ll normally be offered a one-to-one appointment with an adviser, but many areas also offer group and drop-in services as well. Depending on where you live, the venue could be a local GP surgery, pharmacy, high-street shop, or even a mobile bus clinic. Jennifer Percival, who trains stop smoking advisers, says that using both treatment and specialist support is proven to give you the best chance of stopping smoking. “The majority of people who see an adviser will get through the first month after quitting without smoking a cigarette. “Overall, you’re up to 4 times more likely to stop smoking for good if you use a combination of stop smoking… The best way to keep your vagina and other intimate areas healthy is to ensure you wash your vagina and surrounding areas of your skin every day. You do not need to wash the inside of your vagina as the discharge that is produced is designed to do this for you.

Apply externally: Use your fingertips to apply the cream externally to the vulva or affected area. Avoid inserting the cream into the vagina. This medicated creme comes in a discreet 30-gram tube, suitable for daily use by children and adults over the age of 12 years for up to a week, to treat irritated skin that is not broken or infected. The bacterial balance inside your vagina is delicate and some of us are more prone than others to having the balance disrupted. There are a number of things to be aware of that may upset your vaginal balance, leading to a bout of BV. These include: Avenanthramide and Jojoba Oil are the two ingredients used in Balance Activ Intimate Soothing Cream to help control itching and hydrate as well as protecting and strengthening the skin. It is extremely important that the sexual infections, gonorrhoea and Chlamydia are ruled out before home treatment is considered. There is no point in seeking help if only half the investigations are carried out! So don’t be offended if you are offered such tests – they are offered routinely for your safety. And, in my experience, even when women believe they don’t have anything to worry about, they are happy to be screened, just to be sure.

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The vagina also contains an abundance of naturally occurring bacteria that are there to offer protection against harmful bacteria. Bacteria also help to maintain the delicate pH balance. When this balance of bacteria is disturbed this can lead to common infections such as bacterial vaginosis (BV) and thrush. How do you keep your intimate areas healthy? Your period– sometimes prolonged periods can affect your normal vaginal pH balance, leaving you more vulnerable to developing BV. If you do tend to get BV around the time of your period, try using a lactic acid gel during the last few days of the cycle before your period starts, and the last few days of your period itself, to try and prevent BV from occurring.

It is recommended that anyone sexually active should get an STI test at least every 6 months. Even if you think you have been very careful it is possible to have some varieties of STI’s without exhibiting symptoms. STI’s can cause long-term complications if left untreated.Naturally effective: Uses an anti-itch extract and calming jojoba oil to soothe and protect intimate skin, naturally. TREAT BV with Balance Activ. Clinically proven to treat the symptoms of BV and restore the natural pH balance of the vagina. BV is the most common vaginal condition, and thought to be more prevalent than thrush, but it is often confused with that. It’s important to understand your body and be able to identify the symptoms of these common conditions to make sure you get the right treatment to fix it. As a rule of thumb: All sorts of things can cause discomfort down there, such as using sanitary products, washing with certain soaps, and even shaving. Our naturally effective soothing formula is enriched with anti-itch extract avenanthramide, plus skin calming jojoba oil and moisturising vitamin E to rapidly relieve discomfort and restore your intimate skin. Specially formulated to minimise the risk of allergies Both fungus and bacteria naturally live in your vagina, but when the fungus Candida albicans increases, it can cause thrush.

The cream forms a protective barrier over irritated area to inhibit the growth of harmful bacteria, allowing the body to fight the cause of infection. Introducing Balance Activ Intimate Soothing Cream, the perfect solution for sensitive skin down there. This pH-balanced cream is enriched with Avenanthramide, an anti-itching extract, and Jojoba oil to soothe and protect your intimate area against dryness, redness, and irritation. It’s fast-absorbing and non-greasy, so you can apply it daily without any fuss. Plus, it’s safe for use on sensitive skin, so you can rest assured that your most delicate areas are being cared for. Give your intimate area the soothing relief it deserves with Balance Activ Intimate Soothing Cream. Restores and maintains an optimal vaginal pH level to promote a healthy vaginal flora and prevent thrush from recurring. Massage gently: Gently massage the cream into the skin until it is fully absorbed. Use circular motions or gentle strokes to help with absorption.Balance Activ Intimate Soothing Cream Soothes fast whilst protecting and restoring. It is ideal for daily moisturising and safe for use on sensitive skin. Sometimes antibioticsthemselves can trigger thrush and BV, by affecting both the harmful and the good bacteria, such as lactobacillusin the vagina. While you’re taking antibiotics that affect you this way, it could be worth trying an acidifying gel, such as Balance Activ which helps to maintain the bacterial balance within the vagina, and encourages the good bacteria to grow.