A paper published in the BMJ Group’s Journal of Family Planning and Reproductive Healthcare cast doubt on the Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) and the Million Women Study, which associated hormone replacement therapy (HRT) with an increased risk of breast cancer. As years go by it is becoming more evident that the Million Women Study is …
Continue ReadingEmotional affairs.
I recently had a friend ask me if I thought an emotional affair was dangerous. She asked me this question because she has been having some difficulty in her marriage and she found herself being drawn to a close family friend. They had a lot of shared history and she felt comfortable talking to him. …
Continue ReadingDopamine and sexual functioning.
Dopamine is a neurotransmitter, which is a chemical released by nerve cells to send signals to other nerve cells. “Dopamine plays a major role in the brain system that is responsible for reward-driven learning. Every type of reward that has been studied increases the level of dopamine transmission in the brain, and a variety of …
Continue ReadingVulvovaginal atrophy.
Vulvovaginal atrophy (VVA) is a common condition in menopausal women. It is most commonly caused by decreased estrogen levels which affects the vaginal tissue. This tissue becomes thin, pale, dry, friable and inflamed. Women will often complain about vaginal dryness, decreased lubrication and/or pain at the vaginal entrance. Other symptoms include pruritis (itchiness), bleeding, urinary …
Continue ReadingWhat’s the secret to making romantic love last?
Dining and Differentiation What’s the secret to keeping passion alive? There’s no one best answer, and every couple is different. But many therapists, myself included, talk about something called “differentiation” as a key factor. Differentation means being able to take care of yourself, as a separate person, while you’re in intimate dialog with your mate. …
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