Jeez! thats like asking if you should cut your ears off in case they get dirty. Just wash yourself man!

Good stuff Matt, et al.

This is getting as good as the thread that was entitled along the lines of "all the questions the girls did not want to ask", or something like that - it went on for ages, and, yes, I reckon half those reading it were male; same in this case? (1/2 the readership is female?).

I can't think of any particular personal or hygiene questions at present, but one never knows, and I'll stay tuned in the meantime.

seriously dude... Thrush isn't caused by being dirty or not washing yourself... it's down to warmth and moisture allowing bad bacteria to grow and the good bacteria not having the chance to tackle it... due mainly to low immunity, antibiotics or over use of things like anti-bacterial wet wipes.

Nearly had to have that done a few years back - my Dr winced at the thought and said he was glad it wasnt him . The trouble is the recovery time after such an Op . I was in my late 30 s then and when i eventually saw a specialist we were talking of a number of weeks to recover :( Cant comment on the hygene bit but i understand the way forward is now having it done by cold laser - sooner you then me :welcome:

Does it help if you stir your yogurt with it ?

[ I only asked !!!!]

circumderision ?
 

Hoooo-haawww....er ... did you just recently aquire the appendage that the proposed operation is being contemplated for, and , you haven't yet become familiar with its care. =) ? Surely you get to see willy several times a day , no?
In truth said operation has only a very rare occurrance of being medically necessary .I t is predominantly driven by ignorance of proper hygiene and religious mythology no different than which drives the horrendous equivalent of female circumcision. Males of homo sapiens during millions of years of evolution have not gone extinct without this "operation".
Please, back to motorcycle topics !!!

I think this is a very important topic and quite rightly in place on a travel forum where such things can be a problem on the road.

While I was a nurse you'd be amazed at the number of men who had to have this done - for quite good medical reasons... including..

* Foreskin too tight - this can develop in later age
* Recursive infection
* Pain during inter-course

all of these can develop later on in life and don't neccessarly occur during childhood.

I had mine done when I was 11... I used to get really bad infections and such - down to it being a bit warm down there - after the operation no such trouble.

m

Gentlemen.... Line up in an orderly fashion for your injections, malarial pills and circumcision....

http://www-sop.inria.fr/meije/person...Guillotine.jpg

I believe this is a very good place to discuss this and glad that it's possible here, because it ain't anywhere else - except maybe the Drs office - which will cost you (or our healthcare system) money, their time and probably yield even more bizarre and unrealistic answers than you'll find here!

Anyone who's ever traveled by bike in the tropics know it's IMPOSSIBLE to stay dry down there, and when it's not possible to take a shower (those of you who haven't traveled to 3rd world countries have no real excuse), then it's nice to hear alternatives to staying clean.

I don't have any problems with infections or otherwise, but I do get damn hot and sweaty some days. When it's hot I wear only boxers under my vented riding pants, and all of my boxers are of the moisture wicking type fabric (Helly Hansen, etc...). When I'm stopped somewhere and the heat and humidity are unbearable, I go commando style (no underwear) in swimming shorts or otherwise. Everyone knows that's one of the reasons women wear skirts/dresses is to stay cool.

And surprised nobody mentioned using that liquid hand sanitizer (with alcohol, that doesn't require water) in a pinch. I love it for my hands but never tried it down there!

Good points there - but remember you shouldn't use the liquid sanitizers down there... they kill off everything... including the bacteria which help fight off things like thrush and other infections.

I would like to add something to this interesting discussion even though I don't have the appropriate parts!!

As a girly who likes to keep clean but often finds myself a day or so away from a shower when travelling the world I use feminine wipes rather than baby wipes for 'down there'. As a girl I am more likely to develop thrush and I find baby wipes actually increase the chance of me getting it rather than keeping it at bay - this is because baby wipes have various chemicals that react to my sensitive areas! A definate no to wet wipes which have all sorts of nasties in them, they would be ok for face, pits etc.

I would recommend feminine wipes (perhaps you could ask your wife to purchase them for you!) - these are especially designed to be used in such areas and if you are prone to thrush then I can recommend Natracare Certified Organic Cotton feminine wipes which are organic and chemical free - buy from a health shop or on-line.

Good luck!
Kate

If only they did them in "commando wipes" or maybe "Adventure wipes" then maybe we'd buy them. It's always worth having a chat with a local pharmasist as they'll know what the active ingredient is and maybe could advise a manly product!

The manly way is a good scrub with carbolic soap and a swift ride on a frosty morning.

If you don't have a lot of water to make proper full body wash, it is very easy to wash your strategic locations with just a few handfuls of water. Actually I can't see where is the problem here (except if it is medical). With 2 liters of water you can make full body wash in the bush. If you have only little water left, wash only strategic locations. Even if I'm washing only strategic locations before going to sleep I feel much better, almost clean. :thumbup1:

Kate is right.
Baby wipes are good but can cause irritation down there.
Feminine wipes can be found almost in all south american countries. Don´t know about Africa though but should be available in major towns.
I have used both feminines wipes and baby wipes and never had problem with feminine wipes (got very sensitive skin) while baby wipes can actually cause rashes.... so, no need for surgery!