A great workout at the gym demands to be followed up with a refreshing shower, but guys need to practice preventive men’s sexual health care in the locker room and public showers. After all, when a man's member is exposed, it's at its most vulnerable. Good penis care is essential; if a guy doesn't take care of his own junk, who will?

Public showers are not always the cleanest.

It's kind of ironic that the place a guy goes to get clean is not always the cleanest place around. At home, a man can make sure that his tub, shower and bathroom are as clean as a whistle; at the gym or in another public bathing place, he's dependent on both the attentiveness of the cleaning staff and the diligence and honor of his fellow bathers.

Mold and mildew

Mold and mildew live in warm, damp places, which of course exactly describes a shower. These fungi can be found anywhere in a shower that is not properly cleaned: the walls, the floor, the ceiling or the shower curtain. While a man's penis is not likely to come in contact with the walls, floor or ceiling (unless he is unusually well endowed), shower curtains are a different matter altogether. If using a public shower that has individual stalls, avoid letting the penis graze the curtain. A fungal infection on the penis is especially likely to grow, as the crotch has the same moist, warm characteristics that fungi tend to thrive in.

Sharing is not caring.

It's true that having a sharing nature is a wonderful quality in a person; however, for health reasons, sharing needs to stop in the locker room. Using another guy's soap is just asking for trouble: not only might it contain chemical ingredients that could cause allergic reactions; it may also contain dermatological factors that can get passed on to the second man's skin. The same is true for using soap supplied by the gym itself; even if it is new, it may contain ingredients that can cause an allergic reaction in a sensitive penis.

Clean, dry towels supplied by the establishment are probably safe, but by no means borrow a towel from another member - especially if he has already used it.

Close shaves

Many gyms frown on shaving in the showers, especially crotch trimming; if, however, a man does decide to shave his pubes in public, he should bring his own cream (or gel) and razors. Another man's shaving cream is as likely to contain allergy-causing ingredients as another man's soap; another man's razor will have remnants of his skin and hair (and may be dull).

Don't let modesty prevent good penis health care.

Some men feel very self-conscious about being naked around other men. They may feel that their penises are being examined - and with good reason. All guys sneak looks at other guys while in locker rooms and showers because it's a good chance to compare and learn.

How does this "peep show" affect proper penis care? Often a man may feel self-conscious about properly washing his junk in public, especially in an "open shower" situation where there are no individual stalls. This is especially likely to happen if a guy is afraid of getting an erection around other guys.

The fact is, guys get spontaneous erections in public all the time; most every man has experienced this in a public shower. So it's important that a man not worry about this result and go ahead and properly clean his penis. (This includes pulling the foreskin back to clean underneath the hood for men who are intact.)

Proper penis care should also include the regular use of a top drawer penis vitamin cream (health professionals recommend Man 1 Man Oil), although if desired this can be applied in private rather than in a locker room. Men who frequent gyms and health clubs may be more prone to bacterial and fungal exposure, and so should definitely choose a vitamin cream with vitamin A (which has well-known anti-bacterial properties). Penis rashes that pop up from public cleansing will also benefit from a cream with soothing vitamin E and shea butter.