Vaginismus is a condition in which the vaginal muscles involuntarily contract, making penetration painful and sometimes impossible. When we first see a vaginismus patient at the Center, we do a psychosocial assessment as well as a medical one. Frequently, though women are told that the condition is all in their heads or the result of …
Continue ReadingHappy birthday, “Our Bodies Ourselves.”
There was a recent review by CNN on the book, “Our Bodies Ourselves”. The book, considered the definitive manual on women’s sexual health, is having it 40th anniversary (Boy is that going to make many of us feel old!). The book first appeared in 1941 and tried to take a non-paternalistic, honest look at the …
Continue ReadingCheers!
A recent study in the Journal of Sexual Medicine states that, “moderate consumption of alcohol (11-20 drinks a month), through psychological and social disinhibiting effects, may favor sexual activities(for women with no health issues who are between the ages of 18 and 35).” This article basically states that though excessive drinking at any age can …
Continue ReadingTalking during sex — Part 2.
Whether you want to talk “dirty,” or romantic during sex is a matter of personal preference but I feel pretty strongly that developing a dual vocabulary is not only good but almost necessary for most couples. We are all aware of what turns us on naturally. And most of us fall into one of the …
Continue Reading“Staying Well with Guided Imagery.”
I highly recommend the book, “Staying Well with Guided Imagery,” by Belleruth Naperstek. Ms. Naperstek is a psychotherapist who has worked with patients of all kinds, from the “worried well” to the chronically ill. In her work as a therapist she began to use guided imagery tapes to help individuals work towards healing and health. …
Continue ReadingTalking during sex — a two part blog entry.
I often hear of couples who seem mismatched when it comes to talking during sex. One of them really enjoys verbal interchanges when they are going at it. Others seem to prefer total silence. And then there is the mismatch in terms of what and how people want to talk. Some people want to use …
Continue ReadingTestosterone treatment.
At the Center, we often treat women with low desire by giving them testosterone. Whether a woman is 24 or 54, they generally fear that testosterone will “turn them into a man”. Though high enough doses can have masculinizing side effects, we use such small doses that we rarely see them. Women make testosterone just …
Continue ReadingPost orgasm crunch — Is it a new cereal?
Today we had an hysterical appointment with a patient where we created the new sensation, “post orgasm crunch”…okay. I’ll be honest. It wasn’t a new sensation but a problem that needed to be solved. The patient was talking about the fact that when she is having intercourse with her husband she will sometimes have an …
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