Exposing a psoriatic elbow, or a pair of red knees, can be pretty uncomfortable, but imagine how difficult it can be when the psoriasis is hidden beneath your underwear! It's the most private part, the part that is not normally shown to the world for fear of indecent exposure. How do you deal with psoriasis in this area?
Genital psoriasis affects the most intimate of your body parts, and it can be hard to deal with when the people that see them are the people who matter most - your partners, girlfriends, boyfriends, lovers... Sometimes you just have to take a deep breathe and allow one more person to see it - your skin specialist / dermatologist.
It can lead to a negative knock-on effect on your sex life, the level of intimacy you share with your partner and your body-image... But there are ways of dealing with it!
When it comes to sex and genital psoriasis, the best option is to be open about it. Sit your partner down on the bed and explain what it is, stressing that it's not contagious, it's not an STD (or Sexually Transmitted Infection STI) and they don't have to worry about anything.
Once you turn the lights down, you can't see it any more and the biggest obstacle is the uncomfortable feeling you get during intercourse. So don't forget to moisturise beforehand and use sensitive soaps and body wash in the shower so as not to irritate the skin unnecessarily.
By following these simple steps, you can minimize the impact that genital psoriasis can have on your life (including your sex life) and build an even stronger relationship. Psoriasis doesn't need to be a secret. By concealing it and hiding it from everyone, it can increase your stress levels and actually deteriorate the skin even further.
All The Dirty Details Of Genital Psoriasis
The type of psoriasis normally found around the groin area is called "Inverse Psoriasis". It doesn't sound very nice, but this type of psoriasis usually breaks out in those moist areas hidden by underwear, where there's a lot of sweat, heat and where the skin is already sensitive and thin.
For a man, it can appear on the penis, including the tip/head, the scrotum (yes, this means itchy balls guys) and around the bum (be careful when wiping!), and for the woman, around the vulva on the outside of the skin, and very rarely - inside it. The skin here is very thin and vulnerable, which makes the whole affair much more uncomfortable.
On the statistical side, genital psoriasis is quite common and usually affects one out of three patients with psoriasis. Whilst 33% might sound like a lot, I think that the number is actually higher, maybe even much, much higher.
Many people develop genital psoriasis, and are too afraid to seek professional assessment because they think it might be a sexually transmitted disease! It doesn't blister like herpes, or cause ulcers like syphilis, but people don't know that. They think that somehow they caught something - even if they don't sleep around!
Other people just feel embarrassed about going to their family doctor, unzipping and saying "look - it's redder than a tomato!" Furthermore, some people go to their doctor, but then their psoriasis is misdiagnosed as a fungal infection instead! It's this combination of different reasons that means that genital psoriasis is most probably the most hidden type of psoriasis on the whole body.
All in all, genital psoriasis might be more prevalent than we think. If you have it, remember to consult a qualified professional, because it is treatable and you don't have to suffer in silence!
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