I live on a college campus and have noticed many people do not wash their hands after going to the bathroom! I was so shocked, I confronted one of my friends. She replied: "If I don't get anything icky on my hands, I just rinse them withOUT soap. If my hands do get 'dirty,' I wash them with soap." Is her handwashing philosophy correct? Does rinsing your hands withOUT soap do any good?

I have looked through your archives but have not found an answer to my question. I was diagnosed and treated for chlamydia about a month and a half ago. Do I need to get rid of any sex toys I have? Is it possible to become reinfected by using a sex toy that you used while you were infected if you wash it before using it? Please help me find the answer to my question. I really need to know ASAP! Thank you in advance.

Some of my family members insist on using the same towel for drying themselves perhaps 2 or more times before washing the towel. They claim that dirt and germs are washed off during bathing and that using the same towel and rehanging it to use several more times is not unhealthful.... I disagree and say the towel then becomes bacteria infested and when they re-use it to dry themselves that they are putting this bacteria on their bodies. Thanks for looking at this.

Can I use deodorants on my penis?

1) My girlfriend just saw her ob/gyn and was told that she has a mild yeast infection. Being that we are sexually active, is this something that I should be concerned about?

2) Can a guy get an infection if he has unprotected oral sex with a girl who has a yeast infection?

I'm a 21 year old woman with white lumpy vaginal discharge (odorless)...I thought it was thrush but after two courses of yeast infection cream it has not resolved...I have never had sex, so can't have an STD...I get bad pain in my lower back and sacro-iliac region with my period and with ovulation though I don't know if this is relevant...I'm embarrassed to see a health care professional about this and don't know if I'm just concerned over nothing...

How do I know if my hair is oily or dry? Does it make a difference if I'm a guy with short hair?

I have chronic yeast infections. My doctor basically said that I have a pH imbalance and to stock up on Mycelex or similar creams. This answer, to me, is unsatisfactory. There must be something I can do to keep my pH level in balance, or at least on the acidic side. Do lactobacillus and acidophilus tablets keep the vagina more acidic to prevent a yeast infection?

I’m having a burning sensation when I urinate and it still burns after I urinate. Also, I can’t urinate all the way and am continually having to go to the bathroom. I was diagnosed with kidney reflux when I was a child — could this be that?

I am curious to know whether there is any right and wrong ways to wipe one's ass! Is wiping sufficient or should it be cleaned with water thereafter? I've heard that people use water to clean, which is regarded as more hygienic in foreign countries.

How safe is wearing a thong in terms of hygiene after a bowel movement? I wonder because a thong literally sits right on the anus. Are there any products available commercially for genital hygiene?

I'm really stressed out because I've been getting recurring urinary tract infections coupled with yeast infections for the last six months. I'm not sexually active and I've been to two urologists and a gynecologist — they've all given me medication but the problems always turn up again. Is one problem causing the other? Can these prolonged problems be doing serious damage to my body? Perhaps you can't answer my questions either, but I'm really at my wit's end. What do I do? I'm tired of doctors and embarrassing exams and I can't understand why this is happening if I'm not having sex. Also, I'm a senior and in five weeks I'm out of health insurance — extending my parent's policy is very expensive and not an option. I'm busy trying to set up interviews, finish a thesis, and do a million things — I don't have time to be running around to more doctors' appointments! What insurance options are there for recent graduates?

I've been a good kid working out and being healthy, but the gym I go to has uniforms and I always wear a black t-shirt. That's great, until I sweat and it leaves salt rings where the sweat reached out to. Ewwww. This is embarrassing, and I have to wash the shirt before I can wear it again, which is annoying since I go almost every day and need to re-wear shirts once or twice. ANYWAYS, how can I reduce the amount of salt in my sweat, and prevent these embarrassing white rings from forming on my clothes? Eating differently, drinking more water, help!

1) For like several years I have been afflicted with a really smelly crotch. It's like I sweat a lot down there and it just has a really sweaty vaginal odor. I bathe regularly but nothing really helps; by the end of the day I always smell funky. This wouldn't gross me out if it was just an occasional problem, but it happens every day. What can I do?

2) I have an embarrassing odor problem in the crotch area due to sweating. The odor is the same as underarm body odor. FDS didn't seem to help any. Cornstarch and powders work for about an hour. I wear only cotton panties. It seems that gel deodorants (Mitchum/Soft & Dri) are the only products that will control the odor for more than one hour (not long enough). Is using antiperspirants/deodorants harmful to my body (I do not use it in the clitoral/vaginal region, only on the "mound" of hair)? Also, how can I eliminate this sweating? My friends don't seem to have this problem. I am 32 and the problem seems to worsen each year.

I think I may have some kind of urinary tract infection. It came on very suddenly, about three nights ago. And when I pee, there is a burning sensation when my bladder has almost emptied. It's not an STD because I'm in a monogamous relationship, and yes, I'm sure! Please help. Thank you.

My girlfriends and I are debating something: Are baths bad for the vagina?

About six months ago, I experienced pain when urinating after having intercourse. Typically, I have pain/burning the first time I urinate after sex, but then the pain tends to go away or diminish. I am a 38-year-old male. I have no pain otherwise.

If a guy has jock itch, can it be passed on to a woman in the form of a yeast infection during sexual intercourse? I had intercourse with a guy and he had jock itch. A few days later I got a vaginal yeast infection. Could there be a connection?

I've seen used swimsuits on Ebay and in thrift stores. I've also heard that buying used is a great way to save money and prevent waste. I'm not sure if a wearing someone else's swimsuit is a good idea, even if I were to I wash it in hot, soapy water. Is it hygienic to buy used swimsuits?

My cousin's biology teacher told her class that the water we shower in is not hot enough to actually kill bacteria but it promotes bacteria to grow through its warmth. He said it is best to take as cool a shower as one can stand. Is this true?

I am a 26-year-old female and have started getting a yeast infection every month without fail at the end of my period. This started about a year ago and I've cut back on eating bread, I don't eat much sugar and I rarely drink beer. I read online that someone recommended using a douche just before and after starting my period. Is this a reasonable thing to try? I've always been very opposed to douching but I'm sick of the itching and don't want to have to take medication or use cream every month. Any suggestions?