Sex is always imagined as something that feels pleasurable, but a few wrong moves underneath the sheets could leave you with unbearable pain.
While it’s normal for a couple to feel adventurous and try to add new sexual positions to their repertoire – it’s also easy to forget the safety precautions that come with being spontaneous.
Here are some tips on how to avoid straining a muscle or simply injuring yourself in an attempt to intensify your, and your partner's, orgasm.
We speak to Tracy Ziman Jacobs, an intimacy expert from Totally Me in Morningside, Sandton, for some advice.
She tells TRUELOVE that even though love is in the air this Valentine’s Day, she advises couples to take it slow and know their limits to avoid injuries.
Here are five common sex injuries and how to avoid them:
1. Urinary tract infection
Urinary tract infections (UTI) can occur when there’s been a lot of sex in a short period, eventually resulting in a burning sensation when urinating. However, UTIs are treatable.
A UTI can be prevented by practising good hygiene habits before and after sex.
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2. Back injury
Trying new positions is fun, however, it is possible to pull some muscles in your back and other parts of your body.
This is quite common when you introduce new sex positions, for example, if you try to do the reverse cowgirl for the first time, it's very easy to hurt your back.
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Stop and change the position if you feel a bit of pain or discomfort. Don’t try to push through it in other words.
3. Foreign objects into the vagina or anus
You forgot to remove your tampon or you lost a condom inside? It happens. Make sure that you take your tampon out before intimacy and check that the condom is removed after sexual intercourse.
You should also not put anything into the anus unless they are approved anal play toys like butt plugs.
If a condom or anything foreign gets stuck into your vagina or anus, try to relax and seek medical attention if you can’t get it out.
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4. Carpet burn
This happens when you and your partner take it off the bed to make love on the carpet. Due to friction during foreplay or intercourse, you can end up with carpet burns on your elbow, back or knees.
If you get carpet burns, clean the area with cool water and an antibacterial soap thereafter apply an antibacterial ointment on it.
“It is so sore and burns like hell,” says Tracy, that’s why the wound needs to be treated.
5. Using candles in the bedroom
Being spontaneous is fun but watch out when it comes to using candles because they might fall over and then start a fire.
Candle a great for setting the mood but make sure they are placed in safe locations and stable surfaces.
When it comes to candle wax play, the temperature of the candle wax needs to be safe to be used on the body.
If you try to drop candle wax onto your partners’ body, make sure that the temperature is not too hot to cause burn wounds.
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