Empathy is the most fundamental building block of any relationship. The concept is that if you are able to think about your partner and what they are thinking and feeling, it may make you feel more connected to him or her. It may take some practice. It requires a bit of focus to think about …
Continue ReadingImbalance in sexual desire between you and your partner.
In my practice at the Medical Center for Female Sexuality, we see many patients with questions about desire. What do you do when there is an inequity between how much you desire sex and how much your partner does? How do you get your desire level back to what it was when you first met? …
Continue ReadingPositive body image and sex.
As a clinician at the Medical Center for Female Sexuality I hear many, many women struggle with their self image. Patients wonder how they can feel “sexy” when they don’t feel good about their bodies. There is no easy answer to this question. Just as each woman must explore her likes and dislikes sexually, each …
Continue ReadingDesire and arousal — they are different!
We tend to mix up the two. Women say things like “I don’t want to have sex.” And what they mean by that, often, is “it doesn’t feel good when I have sex. I don’t get turned on.” But, the desire to have sex can — and often is — divorced from the way our body …
Continue ReadingSex after childbirth.
We see women of all ages at the Center, but in the last few years we have been visited by a large number of women looking to address changes in their sex lives after having babies (typically, we see a woman after her 2nd child, though first time moms make appointments too). Generally, the two …
Continue ReadingSafer sex.
I recently met a woman who is entering the dating scene after 25 years of marriage. She is excited about the prospect of dating a new man but scared by statistics she’s heard about STDs and adults. It is true that the STD rate in older adults is increasing. She confided in me that STDs …
Continue ReadingNew Year’s and exercise.
Happy New Year! Joining a gym and getting more exercise is probably the most sought after resolution year after year. As a former personal trainer I can attest to the fact that the fitness industry booms after we ring in the New Year. Gym memberships can be very expensive especially when you factor in the …
Continue ReadingThe hormone conversation — again.
The following is a letter we received from colleagues digging into the details of the Women’s Health Initiative on hormone therapy for women. At MCFS, we don’t advocate for medical prescription via blog, but the following outlines some reasonable questions about the validity of the study which concluded that hormone therapy was dangerous for post …
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