Are your genitals “normal?”

Ladies, have you ever wondered if your genitals were “normal?” I perform physical examinations on all of my new patients. This examination includes a pelvic exam. One of the most unique aspects of my job is educating a woman on her own anatomy. I am often the first person who has ever asked a woman …

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43% of women suffer from sexual dysfunction.

When you hear the words “sexual dysfunction” do you think of it as a male or female problem? The vast majority of people think that only men suffer from sexual dysfunction. They think of erectile dysfunction. They think of Viagra. They may snicker at the thought that women can also suffer from sexual dysfunction. Most …

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HRT reduces risk of heart failure and heart attack.

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 …

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Emotional 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. …

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Vulvovaginal 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 …

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Ask for it.

We had a patient today who told us that her sex life had improved significantly but that sometimes she just wanted more. I pushed her a bit to talk about what “more” was for her and she struggled with the answer. Finally she sighed. “I guess, like, sometimes I want more orgasms.” I looked at …

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The sponge — it’s back!

Remember the Seinfeld episode where Elaine freaked out when she heard her beloved sponge was going off the market? I remember wondering, ‘What the heck is a sponge??” Well, the sponge is back and I’m sure Elaine is dancing somewhere in excitement. (Wait a minute…how old would Elaine be now???) The sponge is a form …

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Grandma’s got her groove.

Getting older doesn’t mean you just want to knit sweaters all day. A recent poll by Age UK, a British organization that aims to improve quality of life for seniors, revealed that out of 2,000 senior citizens polled in Great Britain, almost two-thirds of its participants enjoy a fulfilling sex life. One in eight (12%) …

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