Hot-Weather Gyno Woes.

Don't let these south-of-the-border problems put your sex life on ice. Here's how to fix them fast and get back to getting busy.

* There's no sexier season than summer. But just when you're revving up for a little beach-blanket nooky, a host of health horrors threatens to squash your sexcapades. "Heat and humidity can put women at increased risk for certain gynecological problems such as yeast infections, because bacteria and fungi flourish in these conditions," says Rodney Francis, an obstetrician and gynecologist in Santa Monica, California. To put the brakes on summer bummers, follow Cosmo's expert gyno guide.

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The Beast That's Yeast

What harm can there be in hanging out by the tiki bar in your tankini all day? More than you might suspect. "Anything that causes dampness around your vaginal area, from humid weather to a wet bathing suit, creates a friendly environment for yeast infections--characterized by itchiness and sometimes a cottage cheese--looking discharge," says Dr. Francis.

What you may not know is that yeast infections aren't found exclusively below the belt; you can also get them beneath your breasts. "Between 10 and 20 percent of patients who come into my office in the summer complain of this problem," says Joyce Kakkis, an obstetrician and gynecologist and founder of the Kakkis Medical Group in Long Beach, California.

Quick cure: If you have a vaginal yeast infection (and recognize the symptoms from an earlier yeast infection), it's safe to self-treat with an OTC vaginal antiyeast cream and ointment such as Monistat or Gyne-Lotrimin. Dr. Francis also recommends treatments with additional medication to treat external itching around the labia and surrounding skin, such as the Monistat 3 combo pack and Mycelex 3 Antifungal Vaginal Cream. And you may want to take a sabbatical from sex while you're using the medication. (There's a slight chance your partner can catch a yeast infection and then pass it right back to you.)