People often ask if sexual trauma is at the root of dyspareunia (pelvic & vaginal pain). It is not simple because every person is different.
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“Why I’m Done Trying to Be Man Enough”
October is Domestic Violence Month, but in our current socio-political climate, most of us don’t need a calendar announcement to be reminded of this insidious abuse. The #metoo movement, the recent Supreme Court Justice hearings, the fall from grace of several prominent business, entertainment and political leaders – all of these events mark a critical …
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#SpeakUp
Millions of us were glued to the TV when Dr. Christine Blasey Ford told her story. During the hearing, phone numbers flashed across our screens. These phone numbers were for sexual assault hotlines. The number of calls these hotlines were receiving increased during and after Dr. Ford’s hearing. Hashtags were created and they continue to …
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Kink Is Not Abuse
Strangling a partner, grabbing and pulling hair, and slapping someone all sound like forms of physical abuse, and indeed can be. In fact as someone who has worked with hundreds of survivors of intimate partner violence these activities are often what was described to me. Many of them finally left the abuser when their partner …
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Pelvic-Floor Therapy
As a professional working in the field of women’s sexual health at Maze, I wondered what impact the abuse perpetrated by Larry Nassar on USA gymnasts would have on individuals in need of pelvic – floor physical therapy and the profession in general. I came across an article online which sets the record straight about pelvic …
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Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM)
April is nationally recognized as Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention month. As I ride the NYC subways I see numerous posters publicizing the issue of unwanted sexual contact. I’m surrounded by images broadcasting: Keep Your Hands Off Me You Have The Right To Speak Up If It’s Unwanted, It’s Harassment Rub against me and I’ll …
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Can Wild and Crazy Sex Exist in the Time of Me Too?
I have been struggling mightily for the past few months to articulate what Haley Phelan says so perfectly in this weeks NY Times.Thank you Haley! Sex is tricky, messy and complicated. Trying to harness it into a set of rules will only lead to more confusion and ultimately disappointment. That doesn’t mean we don’t need …
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Making Sense of Sexual Harassment
It’s time to see sexual harassment in all its variant shades of grey. We don’t do ourselves or anyone else any favors when we lump together rape, public displays of indecency, getting groped, or having lewd language spewed at us, all in one basket. They are just not the same thing. There is rape. There …
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October is Domestic Abuse Awareness Month, But Where is the Purple?
October is both breast cancer awareness month as well as domestic violence awareness month. For many years now October has been filled with walks and runs to raise awareness for breast cancer research , buildings lit up with pink lights, and beautiful pink ribbons women and men proudly display on their t-shirts, hats, cars, etc. …
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