Sex File: He won't have sex without taking a shower first 

"While it's lovely to have sex with someone who is always squeaky clean, that your partner can't have sex without taking a shower first suggests that there is something psychological going on."

Picture: iStock 

When my new partner and I started dating he often suggested we take a bath or shower together before sex - and I thought it was romantic. Now it seems he won't ever do it without showering first. I've tried initiating sex spontaneously, but he always finds a way to shut things down. How can I make him loosen up and be more relaxed?

People have their own unique approach to hygiene and sex. Many feel comfortable having oral sex only if they have had a bath or a shower first. Others focus on dental hygiene and insist on pre-sex brushing and flossing. After sex, women are advised to take a pee within 15 minutes to avoid getting yeast or urinary tract infections. Men often have a more anomalous approach to the postcoital clean-up.