Most of the advice and information about female sexuality found on the internet and in the media depicts love, relationships and sex as “movie romance”. It’s just not real. And often I find myself spending time with patients trying to help them understand that, in real life, relationships and sex are often messy, complicated, funny, …
Continue ReadingPutting Pleasure into Sex Education
My younger patients, twenty and under, are often confused and seem a little uncomfortable when I ask them about their “Desire” for sex. Their answers include: “fine,” or “ok.” I will then try and make them more comfortable and normalize the idea that sexual desire is a normal and healthy part of life. Many women …
Continue ReadingUnderstanding Bioidentical Hormones and Compounding Pharmacies
Often patients have misinformation about bioidentical hormones and compounding pharmacies since there is so much confusing and misleading information out there about both of them. Hopefully this sheet will clear up some misunderstandings and misconceptions. Bioidentical hormones – are products in which the chemical makeup of the hormones exactly matches the chemical makeup of the …
Continue ReadingNo “Normal” Down There
Why is it that so many of us go through our lives without looking deeply at our sexual self? There are few aspects of our lives that produce as much shame as sexuality, and the need to be “normal.” Society has created this mythical notion of what is “normal” or “ideal.” The normal weight, the …
Continue ReadingAn Erotic Theme Park?
Just when you think you’ve heard it all, someone proves you wrong! Brazil is planning on building an erotic theme park. You can’t make this stuff up. They think it will be a big draw, and I’m guessing they are right. They are marketing it, however, as an educational program with information on the history …
Continue ReadingSex and the vibrator movie.
I admit it. I have been waiting all my life (okay, maybe just the last 10 years) for someone to make a quality film about the incredibly interesting history of vibrators. Really. I’m not kidding. And finally, someone is doing it. (Well, I can’t actually vouch that it’s quality, but it is a real film). …
Continue ReadingSeeing vaginismus everywhere.
My husband claims I see vaginismus everywhere. Okay. Maybe he’s right. Maybe I do…it kills me. When I see a woman who is totally avoidant of relationships I suspect she is fearful of penetration. When I see a young girl fearful of tampons, I suspect she is panicked at the idea of putting something inside. …
Continue ReadingA good day at our center.
Someone once asked me what makes a good day at our center. Today is one of those days. Today I got an email with a copy of a baby picture from a patient who struggled for 2 years with vaginismus. She is fine, having great sex and has a beautiful little baby girl to prove …
Continue ReadingHormones: The base coat paint.
Plain and simple, hormones seem to be the base coat paint for our sexual functioning. They have such a significant impact on who we are and how we react to things that when they are low or missing or if we have too much, nothing really seems to go right. We can get anxious, moody, …
Continue ReadingSex therapy and sexual health.
Sex therapy is a life saver when problems in the bedroom link to problems in the relationship, a person’s comfort level with emotional intimacy and more. But issues like pain and low desire — even trouble with orgasms — often have roots in physiological imbalances (hormones, neurotransmitters, muscle spasms.) So while you’re looking into sex therapy, consider …
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