Is Cycling Bad For Women’s Sexual Health?
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- Опубликовано: 7 июн 2024
- Are women at more risk of infection, skin irritation, or genital swelling whilst cycling? What can be done to avoid genital pain, discomfort and numbness? Manon recently met up with expert gynaecologist Jess Preshaw to discuss the impact of cycling on women's sexual health.
Pain or discomfort on the saddle 0:00
Meeting Dr Jess Preshaw: Expert gynaecologist 0:41
Why do female cyclists get infections? 1:17
Is irritation of vulval skin common? 3:10
Adopting a skincare regime 4:23
At what point should a female cyclist stop cycling? 7:03
Pain urinating from cycling 8:07
Are women more at risk of infections? 8:53
How to avoid infections 10:08
Pubic hair and the risk of infection 11:21
Would you recommend shammy creams? 12:30
Issues with vaginal swelling 12:50
There is no need to feel embarrassed! 16:43
Symptoms to watch out for 17:41
Conclusions 18:47
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What other medical topics would you like us to investigate? Let us know👇
Not because I'm a man 😁
But really good video.. these things are talked about too little 👍
Something that I heard mentioned in passing on a podcast; the impact of gels and carb mixes on dental hygiene and health. We take in a lot of sugar on the bike and I think with the growing trend to take in more and more carbs on the bike, I'd like to know if we're doing ourselves harm. Thanks!
Is cycling bad for men's sexual health? I have no idea how men ride a bike with all that going on down there. Enquiring minds want to know. Can we get a diagram? Since we are on this topic? Chamois cream for Her in the purple tube is a good product, lather it on thick!
@@Amanda_K_001 I'm almost 100% sure that cycling is unhealthy for men's sexuality.. I just came to ride 😰
@@Amanda_K_001 they already done an episode about getting a numb doodle. Search for it.
This was a really interesting video to make, I hope you all find it helpful!
Thanks.
the most informative video on this subject I've come across. thank you manon and GCN for dedicating an in-depth video to do this interview properly that covered a lot of good topics. having dealt with various saddle sore/numbness/swelling issues over the years, I wish I had known sooner a lot of the information Dr. Preshaw shared!
Extremely helpful. Thank you so much
One of my faves on GCN!
Thank you for covering this topic!!
Thanks Manon for doing what a lot of people are too uncomfortable to do, seek an expert's advice. This is something I have been completely uninformed about, having the alternative plumbing set. Yet, funny enough, just a day ago while talking to my neighbor she regretfully stated she was hesitant to try cycling due to the interaction between saddle and rider. She used to be an avid runner but multiple knee surgeries have caused her to give up the sport. Now I feel a bit more equipped to approach the subject and I can point her in the direction of this video. This helps a lot so thanks for providing information to the community!
That's awesome! Great to hear that you've taken something from this video 🙌Please do share with your neighbor!
Thanks so much for covering this really important and painful topic
I would love to have a similar interview done with saddle makers. With regards to seated issues, are the manufacturers aware of how many issues women face in cycling? Are they designing with women in mind? How do they currently design for women (is it a man taking a wild/educated guess as to what a woman needs, or are there real women involved in the process)?
As with so many sports, it's taking a very long time for change to occur with women in mind both because the bias is towards males and women generally don't report these kinds of issues due to how society views talking about this "private" matter, especially for women.
We need to make such talk far less taboo and far more main stream.
Yes!! Exactly
Thanks for including us post-menopausal women Manon, cycling doesn't stop at 50!
Now, THIS is what I call useful and informative. More such content, please, instead of feeding people abnormal quantities of food or cofffe until they are sick.
excessive exercise, dieting, and birth control are all bad for women health and mental health
Not been wondering about this myself for possibly obvious reasons but very glad to see such a grown-up conversation about a perennial issue that must affect a lot more cyclists than most men, or women, would realise.
Great Public service broadcast - thank you Manon. 🙏
Thank David! These are important topics, we're happy that you enjoyed the video
I see what you did there. (Perianal/perennial.)
@@paddymurphy-oconnor8255 to be fair I did check very carefully *not* make that spelling mistake.
In all seriousness though, so much that is covered by GCN can be quite temporal, this is an issue that has always, and will always, be a factor for female cyclists. Its great it has been covered so well and honestly - especially cutting through the hype around chamis-creams etc - I hope it gets pinned to the top of the video list for new women rider/viewers to find easily to answer their concerns before they might be put off the sport before they even start.
Well actually.... It's spelled "perineal". 🥸
Meanwhile I’m over here misreading “great pubic service” 😂. All puns aside, thanks for tackling important topics.
I love your content Manon! It’s so good to feel represented and get female focused content! Amazing work 🙌
Thanks AnnMarie❤
@@manonrides sending you another cheer from California!
Really great that these issues are getting talked about in detail and not just in little random clips. Nice one gcn.
My wife and I ride together. Informing myself, to support her health, is important. I will make sure she gives it a watch! The video was very well done.
thank you! we hope it helps plenty of riders!
One of the best and most useful videos yet. Not just one for women, one that all of the men should watch too so that we can support our friends and partners in their riding.
GCN is definitely a cut above - and Manon is an amazing presenter.
My wife’s just getting started and she had a minor crash which hit her groin area last week. Her recovery’s been fantastic and she actually started riding again yesterday.
This video is helpful on how to enable me to help her dial in her cockpit to ride with comfort and efficiency.
Exactly, I've been learned and trained by male cyclists, they have an important role to play in female cyclists education !
This was wonderful to hear, a serious scientific look at female anatomy in relation to sport. Not only was this reassuring, it was also informative. As a woman in my fifties, there are some issues here that you discussed, that I have faced related to aging and correct self care. I was well into my thirties before I discovered good cycling shorts and the benefits of them, having spent all of my twenties riding in aerobics kit. Even now I suffer I with pain post ride and have tried so many saddles to get to the one I use. There are so many medical issues that we face, especially as we age, it is lovely to see GCN taking them seriously. I shall now go and take better care of my 'Down There'! Well done Manon and thank you.
Great to hear you enjoyed the video! We're aware for many people it's not as simple as jumping on the bike and having fun, are there any other topics we should talk about?
Post Menopausal valval-vaginal issues are a bit different but I appreciate the topic being covered!! Awesome
My wife ha suffered from pudendal nerve issues for many years. Good to see you delving into this subject. For so long people like her felt like freaks.
Bravo for doing a topic on this in a real way with addressing proper language and using visuals appropriately. There is NOTHING to be embarrassed about. If you are a human being, you most likely have genitals and that is not embarrassing.
And this doctor was fantastic.
These are exactly the types of questions I've been having recently! Especially the shaving vs not shaving. Thanks Manon!
Whoop whoop! Glad we could help 🙌
friend of my cycling group who was a nurse always says "pubic hair, leave it there" ☺☺
After I stopped shaving all my problems disappeared. Probably not for everyone but I never go back because health always wins.
Great video and well explained. My only issue is Manon repeatedly saying ‘vagina’ when she’s referring to the vulva. Getting the basic anatomy and terminology correct is really important for topics this like this.
Great progress from GCN on a topic like this though.
From a male rider thank you this gives me a greater understanding and appreciation of the differences in male and female physiologies.
I remember the shock of both me and my boyfriend when we changed the position of the saddle and it became actually comfortable. I was shocked that it could be comfortable and my boyfriend was shocked that I haven’t realized earlier that something was wrong 😮 for a few seasons!
The first video I saw with so much information about what we women face daily while cycling. Thank you, great job!
Thank you for this video Mannon. I have been looking for information on exactly this but most cycling info is very male oriented. Thank you so very much 😊👍
Glad we could help! Do you think you'll be taking any of these tips on? 🤔
@@gcn I am wondering if there are saddles for women that probably have a hole in the middle or something to take the pressure off the sensitive area? That would be so helpful. I'm actually thinking about quitting road bikes in general because I'm just sitting on the most inconvenient spot...
@@a12i9yes, and man use said hole as well. It's called cutout. And it comes in many different sizes, since everyone needs something different. Look it up and maybe go get a bikefit to get help from a professional that can point you in the right direction
@@a12i9 Yes there are saddles for road bikes which are designed for women and have a slot u[ the middle. Any decent bike shop should have a couple, but you may need to ride it for some time, maybe months, before you can tell whether or not it is suitable for you, and then you find that the manufacturer has stopped making that particular one, happened to me!! Also, if i put too much Buttr (the women's version of course) on, I find that it gets cold where I have put it.
As men we obviously have no idea what it's like for women to be on a bike. So if our wives, girlfriends or really anyone who we're comfortable discussing this topic with want to get into cycling, this seems like a very useful video to share with them. Thanks, Manon!
indeed.. we have no idea obviously. I wonder if they'll do/have done a video for men? Our penis shaft goes right under us and is flattened and mashed by bike seats. I wonder what issues men get.
@@user-xj5xp6qz5g They've done two videos on this topic related to men, they should come up if you search "global cycling network men's health"
Si did a video on this topic for men on GCN a few years ago, should be easy to find with a search.
As a man i have adjusted several saddles for women and countless times i had to explain to not to sit on the vulva, use the seatbones...
Really good that a topic like this is discussed in a serious manner, with no eufemisms.. well done Manon and GCN!
So incredibly grateful to Manon and GCN for this video, I've been really struggling with saddle pain and haven't got it quite right yet, still having to take a couple of days off after every long ride to 'recover'. So nice to have this normalised and also to have some suggestions of other things to try.
Single parent Dad... 9 year old daughter... Thanks 😅👍🏾 🚴🏾♂️🚴🏾♀️⚡ #BikeLife
Pleasure!
that's very good informations for those who got daughters.
👍
Glad we could help out! Are father Daughter bike rides on the cards?
@@gcn yes! Although we are with the electric crowd⚡👀🤫
Can I suggest you look up a proper anatomy diagram then!! Manon's questions almost always said "vagina", but the issues are actually with vulva, labia and perineum. You and your daughter can better communicate if you have the right words.
Also, try to find trusted female friend your daughter can talk to. No 13 year old (in my experience) wants to talk to her dad about her vulva.
Manon, thank you so much for this frank, honest discussion. I've noticed changes after I hit menopause, and it seems that these are normal. It's important for every woman to know her area, in case something changes. We need to stop being embarrassed to discuss this.
Thanks, Manon & GCN! I have been struggling with saddle pain. Thank you for the detailed information and solution suggestions backed up by expertise!
Thank you GCN and Manon for covering this topic! Got lots of useful information here
This information needs to be shared with GPs. I have suspicion that many may just say if it is causing pain stop cycling. Some of the skincare advice is also relevant to us men. One of the more useful and informative GCN videos.
Terrific video, and such a mature approach. I have sent it to a female friend who has spoken about saddle soreness. Like a few other people, when I saw Si's video, I wondered if/when the women's version would arrive. Congratulations!
Thanks so much. Such a common and unaddressed difficulty in female cyclists and put up with saddle discomfort for years. Discussing the clinical management by an expert was so useful 😊
Thanks Manon and GCN for a very informative and easy to watch and follow video and great to see women's cycling health issues being looked at in such a straightforward way 🤩🤩
Getting a bike fit, especially for a TT, was critical for me. The correct saddle that fits my body made all the difference.
What is a TT?
@@fionamoar7923 time trial bike or the lazy way to say triathlon bike 😁
@@AnaFerreira-nn3qmIs there even a difference? They look the same to me
@@lbgstzockt8493 huge difference !
Thank you so much for doing this video!! Much appreciated ❤
Thank you so much for speaking to this topic! Very informative!!!
You're welcome Colleen!
Such a valuable video. Thank you, Manon!
Thank you so much for addressing this. So informative.
Thank you, Manon and GCN, for such an excellent, important video.
Congratulations on the most amazing, educational, professional, mythbusting gcn video ever! Thank you Manon and Jess for taking this straight on! Cyclists of all genders, especially ride leaders, need to see this one! I have it bookmarked and will be sharing it widely. As an former RMT, I frequently had to tactfully suggest referalls to our clinic's Pelvic health Specialist Physiotherapist. She helped all genders come to understandings of these pelvic area basics. The insight into face care regime was jaw dropping! Thank you for all the insights on saddle issues seamlessly woven into the context of pelvic health. I REALLY appreciate that an open, frank, candid, no nonsense or silliness resource is out there. It is soo important to realize that in order to ride a bicycle as a woman, you don't have to/should not be in pain! If it persists, get it checked out. Thank you Manon for having the courage to take this one on in what is still a male dominated sport! Maybe with this vital information, fewer female riders will drop out of the sport, assuming it just isn't for them. They now stand a chance to get the saddle/chamois/bikefit complexity sorted out for themselves! More of anything along these lines in content please!
Great video. This is some of the most interesting and useful content I’ve seen GCN publish in some time. Nice work Manon!
Top video Manon. Great to see issues discussed and tackled head-on, especially sensitive ones. It's where you need exactly the clarity and confidence of experts like Jess.
On the other side of the coin I got my aching plumbs checked out by a doctor even though I suspected it was cycling related. He gave the all-clear and said it was the best thing to do. New saddle addressed it (despite being fitted for the old one).
Finally, my two favorite topics are combined into a GCN video - thank you! This is a MUCH needed conversation! As a piece of feedback to Manon, the correct term to use rather than vagina is the vulva. Your opening interview statement of "...there is a lot of pressure on our vagina when we ride" should have been stated as "...there is a lot of pressure on our VULVA when we ride." I'm glad that Dr. Preshaw clarified the difference between the vulva and vagina, but Manon continued to use "vagina." The vulva is the entire female genital area that comes into contact with the crotch part of our underwear, chamois pad, and therefore, with our saddle too. The vagina is one opening of the vulva. I find many folks often mixing up "vagina" and "vulva," and it's very important for these terms to be used correctly, so that women can properly explain what issues they're experiencing during or after riding. I wish that this mix up in terms could have been picked up in the moment of the interview, so that Manon could have reworded the second question onwards when Dr. Preshaw explained the accurate terminology and gave that anatomical overview.
Thank you for talking about this! Very relevant information
Such a great video! I've been looking for this information for a long time but it's seldom talked about directly on RUclips or other free resources. Thanks for supporting us female cyclists! 💪
Good job on making this video. Definitely need more like this. Have you done one on best saddles for women. The split saddle was a real game changer for me.
Thank you for covering this important topic. Really helpful, great information.
Excellent video and very useful, not only for women, but for everybody as well!
Thanks for all this great info. I’ve already been doing some of these things but feel validated with you talking about this!
Glad that Manon led this talk! Need to know how to take care of ourselves properly.
I can confirm the doctor is right about infection issues - my New Bike Day led to a UTI. 1) Had loose-ish pants on that are good on my commuter bike, not road bike. Chafed like mad on the outer skin areas. 2) Needed backpack (usually wouldn't), and more aggressive position made my water bottle fall out of the backpack. 3) Got lost 10mi off course while going towards the cafe.... and way off course was where I discovered my water bottle was missing. It was hot out. I was sweaty, with no hydration.
The cafe was closed when I arrived. Brewery next door had non-alcoholic kombucha, thank goodness. Damage was already done sadly. I was *so* dehydrated, sweaty, and chafed, and in just under 2 hours.
Three days later UTI hit, and hit *hard*. Thank goodness for antibiotics.
New bike now is only ridden with tight fit pants, and if longer than 1hr, with a lil' padding.
Such a great video - thanks Manon!
Fantastic piece, thank you for such a frank and friendly discussion about this. Very informative and lots of helpful tips.
Glad you made a video about this important topic so that the issues can be addressed and taken care of. Cycling is meant to be enjoyable and not painful.
What a great video- thank you Manon and GCN! Is there an associated written article?
Game changing video. Thank you Manon for looking out for our lady bits. You addressed so many issues and questions I have had as a female cyclist. Thank you! Thank you!
Thanks for the video!
It's awesome to see cycling, in general, better embrace female cyclists. 🙌 As important as it is for ladies to have the same opportunities in professional bike racing, it is also very important that ladies have the same access to a healthy and fun cycling experience. So this content is super wonderful. Great job, Manon. 👏👏👏
Great vid Manon. I am going to send this to all friends just getting into cycling for mental health.commuting. Excellent work O Queen of Dragons.
Great video! Such important topics to be discussed.
I am going to throw a video idea because... why not: when buying women specific bike products, how to tell if it's really made for women or it's just a men's product sized down! (For example, with clothes, like bibshorts!)
Well done guys, a delicate subject Well covered, and I am sure it will help lots of ladies deal with any issues that occur. Big thumbs-up 👍
GREAT INFO Miss Manon….. info I really needed thank you!!!
Think that might be the best video you’ve done Manon, and Jess was a natural
Great interview Manon, thanks
I’d like her to do a follow up video on finding the right saddle shorts to accommodate what the doctor just talked about
This is great! More female cycling specific videos please 🙏🏼
Definitely. Anything you'd like to know about in particular?
@@gcnI have some...How to deal with periods effectively while riding; more diagrams on how different bike setups and saddles affect the vulva; diagrams of pain points on the vulva and how to fix your bike setup, etc. Thank you so much this video--when I started cycling there were very few women and I had to learn through trial and error (ouch!)
Such useful information & advice!! More of this, please!
Great helpful video. Thank you!
MANON THIS IS THE CONTENT WE NEED THANK YOU SO MUCH!!
Great video, Manon your approach to this topic was perfect, people need to have straightforward discussions using the appropriate terminology and language (none of these school playground terms). The more people start thinking in normal terms and not shying away from these type of topics then better understanding we all have. More context like this please.
Thank you so much for this video, it's such an important topic! 🔥
.... because so professionally done. . Thx.
Oh THANK YOU for this episode!
you're welcome!
Well done GCN and Manon for doing this video. It was long overdue after Si’s video on men’s sexual health some years ago.
Thank you so much, Manon! This was super helpful. ❤
You're welcome!
Thank you for the professional advice, this is great!
Kudos to you ladies for tackling a sensitive subject that ostensibly affects approx 50 percent of the cycling population. Some great, really useful information.
Great content and super helpful!
Thank you for this, great Intel. Would love to hear more on treating the perineum issues.
Quite informative ! Thanks for sharing
No worries! Please pass the video on to those you think would benefit from this info 🙌
thanks for a great video Manon & GCN!
Our pleasure!
What a useful video, thank you so much!
Excellent, truly informative content. Chapeau GCN.
GCN really doing fantastic work. Appreciate this channel so much
Our pleasure! thanks for the love! 🫶
I am so thankful I came across this. I no longer feel uncomfortable reaching out to my OBGYN about this topic because I know that most of my discomfort was biking related. I hope other women start asking more questions and stop living in pain! Thank you for the informative video!
Such a helpful video
This video was extremely informative. I will share this video for sure.
Ditching shaving my lady parts was a game changer for my cycling experience. Takes some time to get used to it...
Well done for making this video. Very needed. All the questions we have wanted to ask but been too shy.
it's a pleasure! We are so happy that it is helping so many cyclists!
Thank you so much Manon and Dr. Preshaw for having this open conversation! It’s great to see issues pertaining to female anatomy addressed in a straightforward manner. And thank you for reminding us ladies not to be embarrassed about our bodies, it’s time to fully embrace that paradigm shift! I look forward to more great content like this from GCN 👍🏻
Very Insightful, Awesome & Thanks :)
VERY useful video, and thank you for talking about perimenopauseal issues 🙏🏻 I wish I had seen such useful content when I began cyclin, would have avoided much discomfort.
Very informative thank you 🙂
Great topic to discuss. Thank you .
you're welcome!
This is a super, courageous video. Kudos, Manon!
Really good, educational content.
great video!
i glad for this open talk thank you
Thank you for this!
Our pleasure, hope you found it helpful.
I love a video that answers the title question is the first 30 seconds... bravo... bravo...
Would it be possible to get some names of the recommended emollient the Dr spoke of? The over the counter types preferably... this is an amazing video thanks for being brave enough to deal with it 🎉😊
Hydromol!
Great thanks
manon, well well WELL done for tackling such an important, and sensitive (sorry, pun not intended!) topic. this kind of content really makes a difference and i'm sure will for years to come.
👍
Where were you in the 1980’s when I needed this!!! Great video. Keep them coming!
so glad you found it useful! 🫶