Any significant time spent outdoors can lead to a whole lot of discomfort if you’re not keeping hygiene top of mind, even if it’s just for one overnight. Below are a few little steps you can take to stay fresher longer while keeping those reproductive parts happy and healthy.
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Give yourself the best chance to stay clean in the first place. Despite the way outdoor sex is romanticized, there are cleaner places to have sex in the outdoors, and dirtier ones. Sandy beaches, hot springs, and mud are a few of many popular fantasy locations that can actually be higher-risk when it comes to introducing other bacteria into our bodies during sex, especially if it’s penetrative. Feel like taking the risk for the sake of the experience? Go for it. But know that you’ll need to prioritize your hygiene in order to continue mitigating issues in the coming hours and days.
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Always pee after sex, especially if you’re someone with a vulva. Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are incredibly common outdoors, and they can be a real pain. Not to mention, you may need to cut your trip short if you contract one, as untreated UTIs can quickly lead to kidney infections– which can be dangerous. Urinating soon after sex is important to help clean out the urinary tract and flush out any particles or harmful bacteria that may have gotten pushed into it during sex.
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Similarly, stay hydrated. Because if you’re not staying hydrated, you’re not going to be able to pee regularly. (Also, you might just be grumpier in general, and who wants that?)
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Wash or wipe your hands and fingers before any intimate touching, especially if you were doing any kind of activity where dirt and/or sweat were present.
- If you or your partner(s) menstruate, know that having penetrative intercourse during menstruation can also increase your risk of infection for everyone involved, especially when it comes to contracting a UTI. If you or your partner(s) are particularly susceptible to infections, you can either plan your outdoor romp to be at a more optimal time or do everything possible to keep yourselves clean before and after the experience.
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Stay near water if possible on overnight trips so that post-sex dunks or skinny dips are easy-breezy. There’s nothing like a naked dip in the water to clean yourself off after sex in the great outdoors!
- Keeping your reproductive parts dry and aired out is critical to avoid yeast and other bacterial infections, especially on multi-day trips. Whenever you can, take off any base layers or underwear and slip into some flowy pants, put on a long skirt, or wrap yourself up in a towel to let your body breathe in some of that fresh air. It’ll thank you later.
Originally adapted from Good Lovin' Field Guide Vol. 1: The Down and Dirty Field Guide to Great Outdoor Sex written by Laura Borichevsky for Après Delight.