Do you have sex and immediately roll over and go to sleep?  Don't ever do that as it is very important to follow a post-coitus ritual. That’s because your groin can be a dark, damp breeding ground for bad bacteria, which makes it just as likely to cause a foul odour as your armpits.  However, it is just not about hopping into the shower and giving every nook and cranny of your penis a good rinse. It is also not about using wet wipes to give that area a rub down. There is a right way to do it. Let us get on the basics.

The Sensitive Mucousal Skin on the Penis

Your penis has two different kinds of skin - mucosal and keratinised. Mucosal skin does not have a hard layer of dead skin over the surface just like the skin inside your lip. On the other hand, keratinised skin has a hard protective layer, more akin to the skin on the inside of your arm. Mucosal skin can be sensitive and prone to injury. During vaginal sex, apart from the good bacteria, the vagina produces specific acidic secretions to help prevent against infection, some of which can irritate the sensitive skin on your penis. If you are into oral sex, the enzymes from the mouth can get into the penis while receiving head. The mouth enzymes can irritate the area around the pee hole. So you must clean your penis irrespective of the type of sex you indulge. Do You Have A Pineapple Penis? Here’s How This Pubic Hair Faux Pas Can Hurt Your Health and Sex Life.

The Right Way to Clean Penis after Sex

The best way to clean your penis after sex is to rinse it with warm water to remove any irritants from the lining of the penis. Adding a gentle soap or cleanser to the mix will help get rid of any bacteria or residual stickiness from compounds such as the lube of the condom. It is also a good practice to pee after sex to help prevent urinary tract infections and help keep the urethra clean. You can also consider using a gentle moisturiser to help rehydrate and protect the skin on the penis. What’s the Average Penis Size Around the World? Find Out Which Countries Have the Biggest and Smallest Male Genitals

Exercising Caution

The idea is to make sure that you are washing enough but also not overdoing it. Over-washing the penis can also potentially damage the protective barrier on your skin and make it easier for bacteria, viruses, and STDs to enter.

All of this might sound like just another chore (apart from opening the condom packet) that you have to think during sex, but it's one surefire way to ensure you are having safer sex.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 08, 2019 09:14 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).