5 Key Characteristics of A Sexually Healthy Relationship

Wazzup Pilipinas!?

Compiled in this article are a collection of characteristics of a sexually healthy relationship. After reading this article, you’ll be able to improve upon current and future sexual relationships.

Introduction

Are you satisfied with your sex life?

If the answer to that question is no, or a yes with hesitation, it means that it could be so much better, so much hotter, and lead to much better orgasms. A Sexually Healthy Relationship is ideally a mutually satisfying relationship full of intimacy, orgasms, and fun. Ensuring that it’s both hot and healthy takes some effort.

The CDC recognizes that sexual health is an important aspect of someone’s health. It’s described as a holistic state of physical, emotional, mental, and social well-being concerning sex and sexuality. Sexual health isn’t just being free from diseases or ailments.

Benefits of a Healthy Sex Life

Sex and sexual health play an important role in people’s health and wellbeing. There are physical, psychological, and social factors that not only impact sexual health but our sexual past.

There are immediate benefits of having a great sex life and these include…

· Lower blood pressure

· Improved immune system

· Lower risk for heart disease

· Increased self-worth and self-esteem

· Decreased depression

· Decreased anxiety

· Natural pain relief

· Better sleep

· Increased intimacy

· Increased interpersonal skills

· Stress relief both physically and mentally

Being in a wonderful and healthy sexual relationship is associated with better overall well-being according to a study published August 2019 in the journal Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin. However, that’s not to say that any relationship is good. This study found that being single was much preferred and healthier than being in a bad or even mediocre relationship. Sexual health is not about having lots of sex, it’s about having quality intercourse.

5 Key Characteristics of a Sexually Healthy Relationship

5 key characteristics of a sexually healthy relationship include communication, Openness, trust, self-esteem, and learning. It’s not a matter of obtaining these aspects once and it is done. Instead, it’s about working on these constantly in a balanced way throughout the relationship.

Communication

Talking to your partner about what you like, what you need, what you don’t like, is important. Being honest with your partner allows for more growth and a closer connection.

Improving communication in a relationship can be difficult. Here are some tips to improve communication in a relationship.

· Communicate effectively with partners outside of the bedroom

· Communicate respectfully their desires to have sex, to not have sex, and everything in between

· Talk with your partner about sex before during and after it occurs

· Discuss different topics with your partner before having sex such as limits, contraceptives, condom use, kinks, and preferences.

· Communicate your intentions and expectations in a relationship.


Emotional Connection

Having that emotional bond with your partner ensures that sex is more than just physical. Sex is more than just a blow job, more than just a rim job, more than just reverse cowgirl. It’s important to build a close relationship when sex isn’t directly involved.

A lack of chemistry can have sex difficult or simply not enjoyable. Tips to improve a connection in a relationship

· Do things together whether that’s cooking, a board game, an event, or going on a date.

· Spend time together just being in the same room

· Talk about fantasies with your partner

· Provide displays of affection when it’s not about sex

· Learn your partner’s love language and engage in that love language with them


Trust

Having complete trust in your partner and vice versa allows for both of you to be comfortable and safe with one another. That has sex in general better. It also makes experimentation much easier for both sides.

Being able to trust your partner with your body, and your heart is huge. Here are some tips to improve trust in a relationship

· Allow yourself to be vulnerable enough to build trust with your partner

· Talk about everything and be honest

· Respect your partner’s boundaries and limits

· Develop a sense for your partner’s body language

· Respect a no when it comes to sex whether it comes from you or your partner


Self-Esteem

Having a strong sense of self-esteem, self-worth, self-respect is a vital step to having a quality relationship with a partner. With all partners being comfortable in their skin, comfortable in their sexuality, comfortable with their bodies helps to have sex more comfortable.

Starting with yourself is important. Tips to improve self-esteem in a relationship.

· Appreciate your body in both sexual and not sexual events

· Masturbate by yourself or with a partner to explore your senses

· Deeply explore the topics of identity and orientation

· Be aware of the impact of negative sexual experiences including abuse, cultural norms, and gender roles.

· Acknowledging the past impacts of negative sexual experiences in your own life and start the healing process


Learning

A Willingness to learn is hot. Learn about yourself. Learn about your partner. Learn about different sexual health relationships. Learn about new concepts, kinks, and toys to add to your love life. Whether it’s trying out a new kink or a new sex toy, or something, it helps to bring excitement and bonding into the bedroom and your love life.

Tips to improve learning in a relationship

· Watch sexual documentaries, or podcasts, to expand your understanding of sex holistically

· Read novels such as ‘Sex Plus: Learning, Loving, & Enjoying Your Body’ by Laci Green, or ‘The Coitus Chronicles’ by Olive Persimmon, or ‘Faking It: The Lies Women Talk About Sex & What They Reveal’ by Lux Alptraum.

· Follow sexual health experts on social media to get updated information on new studies and tips

· Discuss the things you learned with your partner.

· Approach your partner about the things you want to learn more about and explore those topics together.


Final Thoughts

True Sexual health requires a positive respectful approach to sexuality and sexual relationships free of coercion, discrimination, and violence. Sex is meant to be an intimate and positive experience. Integrating a healthy sex life into one’s life provides a degree of balance.

Taking a holistic approach to sexual wellness includes emotional, psychological, physical, intellectual, and spiritual aspects of all parties individually and collectively. Being in a good place yourself is just as important as being in a good place in a relationship.

Benilde film “Signal Notice” wins in Davao de Oro

Wazzup Pilipinas!

A film student from De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde bagged the Best Sound Design prize in the eighth Nabunturan Independent Film Exhibition held recently in Davao de Oro (formerly Compostela Valley).

Aki Red got the award for his short film “Signal Notice,” winning over six other nominees, namely fellow Benilde film major Xyron Parapara (“Mundong Walang Katiyakan”), Neo Bryce (“You are Here”), Jaime Morados (“Protacio and the Bum”), Immanuel Verona (“Gulis”), and Maricel Sombrio (“Bluetooth”).

In “Signal Notice,” an elderly patriarch spends his final days trying to reconnect with his loved ones using modern technology. The old man finds comfort among a growing number of animals around his house.

“This experimental film was based on the emotions I felt reading stories of sick people who faced their death alone in their own household. The loneliness and isolation these people feel will drive them to find one last moment of reconnection to the people that made their life happy – one last moment of comfort before they are finally at peace,” Red explained.

Red previously directed “Lilipad na si Birdie” (Birdie Will Finally Fly) which won the best film in the 2019 Manila Student Film Festival 19-21 age category hosted by International School Manila and second runner-up in the 2019 Realifilm interschool competition organized by Adamson University’s Silip@Lente.

“I also wanted to show how with the prominence of social media and modern technology, the younger generations are connected more than ever, but can the older generations still keep up with it? Does modern connectivity last up until one's final days? Let this be a wake-up call for the modern generation to appreciate the importance of personal connections,” the student filmmaker added.

Nabifilmex is “the first ever festival geared towards producing new and fresh cinematic works that depict the culture of its local folks,” film festival director Atty. Karen Santiago-Malaki stressed.

The festival’s edition was cancelled last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This year, the organizers opted to adapt to the absence of physical screenings with the creation of its own film channel.

“It has been our practice to select only 24 competing films. However, considering the deluge of film submissions and in recognition of those who continued to make beautiful films despite the current challenges, our selection committee decided on (selecting more films),” the festival director and lawyer revealed.

“Making this film was a surprising venture for me as it was made during the very first lockdown of the pandemic. It began with a bunch of random clips I shot around my house while practicing my camera composition skills. Then, eventually I saw a pattern in the visuals. It began reflecting unexplained emotions that affected me enough for me to decide that this film needs to be made,” Red disclosed.

“Everything felt so unsure at that time, and there was a constant weight of anxiety and loneliness seeping through unexpected moments of every day. This film served as a way for me to cope – to continue holding a camera and telling stories that matter in today’s times,” the young director shared.

Apart from the six nominees in the Sound Design category, 39 other short films were chosen to compete in this year’s Nabifilmex. Eleven documentaries and 10 foreign films have also been shown in exhibition.

The Nabifilmex jury is composed of film Prof. Ed Cabagnot and filmmakers Benji Garcia and Zurich Chan.

https://youtu.be/xQGCYi-xfa0

70% passenger capacity in road and rail public transport to begin Nov. 4

Wazzup Pilipinas!?

Beginning tomorrow, 04 November 2021, the passenger capacity for rail lines and selected public utility vehicles (PUVs) operating in Metro Manila and its adjacent provinces will be increased from the current 50% to 70%.
Based on Memorandum Circular 2021-064 issued by the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) on 02 November 2021, “Public Utility Buses (PUBs), Public Utility Jeepneys, and UV Express (UVEs) in Metro Manila and nearby provinces in the Metro Manila Urban Transportation Integration Study (MMUTIS) Update and Capacity Enhancement Project (MUCEP) or the provinces of Laguna, Rizal, Cavite, and Bulacan may operate under the approved passenger capacity as a result of the continuous decline in COVID-19 infections and government’s aggressive COVID-19 vaccination roll-out.”

On 28 October 2021, the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) has approved the recommendation of the Department of Transportation (DOTr) and the LTFRB to implement the gradual increase in passenger capacity in public transportation, including road and railway systems for one month until they reach full capacity.

“Pursuant to the recommendation of the DOTr, the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) issued Resolution No. 146, series of 2021, dated 28 October 2021, granting the increase in passenger capacity starting at seventy percent (70%),” the memorandum reads.


Plastic Barriers Not Required

The LTFRB also clarified that plastic barriers inside public utility jeepneys are not required nationwide, provided that proper physical distancing is observed, and passengers practice health and safety protocols to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

“Hindi ‘ho DOTr ang nag-require na magkaroon ng plastic barrier sa pagitan ng mga pasahero ng pampublikong sasakyan gaya ng jeepney. Ang inilabas na protocol ng DOTr noon ay ang pag-install ng plastic barrier upang ihiwalay ang drayber sa pasahero noong tayo ay nasa GCQ noong nakaraang taon,” Chairman Delgra said.

Chairman Delgra explained that with the growing demand for public transportation, there is a need to increase passenger capacity in PUVs as quarantine restrictions are beginning to ease and more businesses are reopening.

He added that the increase in passenger capacity will help cushion the impact of the pandemic and the recent hike in fuel prices on the livelihood of PUV drivers and operators.

“The livelihood of public transport drivers and operators was severely affected with passenger capacity in public transport maintained at 50%. Increasing passenger capacity will mean a higher revenue for the public transport sector lalo’t mas marami ng tao ang pinapayagang lumabas. Malaking tulong ito sa ating mga kababayang pasahero at mga tsuper,” Chairman Delgra added.


Increase in Rail Public Transport Capacity from 30 to 70%

In the railway sector, the LRT 1, LRT-2, MRT-3, and PNR shall likewise implement the increase in passenger capacity from the current 30% to 70%. Starting tomorrow, 04 November, more passengers will be accommodated in the country's rail lines per train set.

LRT-1
30% capacity: 337 (1G trains), 407 (2G trains), 416 (3G trains)
70% capacity: 785 (1G trains), 951 (2G trains), 972 (3G trains)

LRT-2
30% capacity: 488
70% capacity: 1,140

MRT-3
30% capacity: 372
70% capacity: 827

PNR
30% capacity: 286
70% capacity: 667

“Studies have shown that only 0.2% of traceable outbreaks in Germany were linked to transport; only 1.2% of COVID-19 clusters are linked to transport (land, air, and sea); and that there is only a 0.01% chance of contracting COVID-19 in public transportation, with the probability decreasing to 0.005% risk of infection with face covering,” Usec TJ Batan said.


Imposition of Strict Health Protocols

Despite the ease of quarantine restrictions and the gradual increase in passenger capacity in public transport, the DOTr shall continuously enforce the strict observance of minimum health protocols.

Safety measures will still be required, including the 7 Commandments inside public transport: (1) Wearing face masks and face shields; (2) No talking and making telephone calls; (3) No eating; (4) Keeping public transport well-ventilated; (5) Conducting frequent disinfection; (6) No passengers with COVID-19 symptoms are to be allowed inside public transportation; and (7) Observing appropriate physical distancing rule.