Frequently Asked Questions

Maze Women’s Sexual Health is one of the largest centers for female sexual health in the country and we only focus on treating female sexual dysfunction. Maze is unique in that we treat both the medical and psychological aspects of sexual dysfunction. We believe this is crucial to achieving a successful outcome because so often we find the physical issue and the psychological impact are closely tied together and create a circular effect if not treated simultaneously. For example, if a woman is suffering from pain with intercourse, she will likely experience fear and anxiety each time she attempts intercourse; both pieces must be treated. Our goal is always to encourage the mind and body to work together, which is when our patients experience the best results.

Our highly specialized team includes a doctor, nurse practitioners and therapists, all working together to provide a level of empathy and caring not often experienced from medical professionals. In these days of managed care, it is rare to find a medical professional who is able to take the time to really listen.

Maze Women’s Sexual Health is one of the largest centers for women’s sexual health in the country that specializes in treating women who are having problems associated with sex. Many women’s problems have physiological roots and medical professionals are beginning to recognize more and more treatment possibilities for many of these problems.

For over a decade,the topic of sexual function has been on the table; not to mention on TV, in magazines, in stand-up comedy routines and, yes, in doctors’ offices. With one caveat — we could talk about it as long as we were talking about men.

Medications that treat erectile dysfunction in men successfully resolved many (but not all) of the problems men were having with their erections as they age, or because of a medical condition, or due to depression after a job loss. Sexual dysfunction, though upsetting, was now an issue a man could address with his doctor quickly and get “back to business.”

Over the course of his 25-year practice, Michael A. Werner, MD, a board-certified urologist specializing in male sexual dysfunction and infertility, learned a lot about the lives of the men he treated, and he could not ignore the plain fact: women were suffering from different types of sexual dysfunction, and there was very little help.

Maze Women’s Sexual Health

Founded in 2000 under the original name “The Medical Center for Female Sexuality,” Maze is dedicated to helping women treat female sexual dysfunction in each of our offices in the New York area. Every patient is greeted with warmth and support, participates in a psychosexual intake process, and has a physical exam. Depending upon the condition presented, follow up appointments are made to explain a diagnosis and recommend treatment.

Women who come to Maze vary in age, from newly weds in their 20s, young mothers in their 30s, and pre- or post-menopausal women in their 40s, 50s and older. They come with dramatic stories of marriages not consummated, withering sex lives with life partners, years of pain while trying to love their partners, and vanishing — or nonexistent — orgasms.

A variety of medical and psychotherapeutic tools are used to treat women in our offices, and the success rate is high. The practitioners at Maze work closely with patients in an intimate but comfortable environment. Sometimes women try out different vibrators to help with orgasm; we assess hormone levels to understand decreases in libido; different exercises or medications are combined with the most effective lubricants to reduce pain and anxiety during sex. Visit our testimonials page to hear women’s stories in more detail.

Each month, thousands of women come to our site to learn that they are not alone; that their pain or loss of desire is not “in their head,” that there are treatments for the complex arena of women’s sexual health. Some travel from afar to see our practitioners because there are very few practices like this in the country. Some call for a non-diagnostic consult so they can make general suggestions to their own local doctors.

Whatever your situation, you are reading this because you have questions about your sexual health. We hope we can be of help.

In our view, sex therapy (whether is psychotherapy, behavioral treatment or education) is almost never the full answer to most sexual problems. It is one important tool to be used within a broader context that includes physiological conditions, psychological problems or relationship issues.

Our Center tries to get a full picture of all the contributing factors involved in a woman’s sexual health. If you need medical intervention we’ll treat you or coordinate the appropriate care. If you need education, ideas or behavioral techniques we will work with you on those as part of a treatment regimen. And if what you need is couple’s counseling or more in depth psychotherapy, we’ll help to coordinate that for you as well. Think of us a triage center, helping you figure out the most effective ways and means to get you help.

The professionals at Maze see women with a wide variety of sexual complaints. The facility treats women who are experiencing a lack of sexual desire, either as a recent development or those who feel they have never had a sex drive at all. Women who are unable to become sexually aroused are also treated, as are women who have pain or difficulty associated with intercourse as well as women who are having problems with orgasm. Most complaints will fall somewhere into one of these categories, but some will not. In some cases, a woman is unable to define the problem herself. In these cases, the professionals at Maze will help her do so.

Since Maze is a medical facility, treatments are covered by many insurance companies. The organization is not in-plan with any insurance companies, so patients are required to contact their insurance company directly for reimbursement. Our office will assist with this process.

Even if you live too far away to see us on a regular basis, there are many aspects of sexual health we can help you with. Although we cannot diagnose or treat medical conditions over the phone, our practice does have two helpful programs for people who contact us from out of our local area. Learn More

The professionals at Maze use a variety of modalities including topical testosterone, progesterone, papaverine and L-Arginine. We also use a large range of oral medications including DHEA, Wellbutrin, and Viagra. The professionals work with the Eros device, dilators and vibrators as well as biofeedback. Some psychological treatments include behavior modification techniques, guided imagery, and relaxation exercises.

That’s a pretty tough question to answer. It greatly depends on what the issue is you’re coming to see us about. In general, low desire patients start to see an improvement between six and eight months. Pain patients usually see significant improvement within thirty to sixty days.

The first appointment will take approximately 90 minutes. Patients first meet with Bat Sheva Marcus L.C.S.W., M.P.H., clinical director of Maze Women’s Sexual Health. She will take an extensive psychosexual history. Patients will then have a thorough physical exam. Most blood tests and other medical tests will be performed during this first appointment. Occasionally, patients will be asked to return to have blood drawn on a specific day.

Often, the Maze staff will be unable to provide a treatment plan until the results from all of the tests are completed. Patients will be asked to schedule a follow-up visit where the team will be able to present a treatment plan for the patient.

It’s high. For the most part 90% of the patients who see us have significant improvement in their sexual health. But there is a caveat.

Progress is best measured by a patient herself. If she doesn’t return for follow up assessment or treatment, there is no way to know how our treatments are working. Patients who stop coming after the second visit because things feel better, or don’t return after a first level of treatment isn’t completely successful, have less opportunity to resolve their issues. When a patient takes responsibility for her own care, who explores the avenues to success as diligently as we do — she is our star patient who virtually always finds solutions that work for her.

Our testimonials reflect the voices of many women who talk about “sticking with it,” until we found the source of the problem or the right combination of treatments. Treating sexual dysfunction is still as much art as science. You need to be present, involved and committed to make things work. But then they usually do.

We know there is a significant financial commitment involved when you come to see us. After over fifteen years of practice we are convinced that the only way we can provide the level of care necessary and appropriate is by setting aside a significant amount of time and resources for each patient. And that is an expensive proposition.

Your first appointment is 1½ hours. Follow up appointments generally run 20 minutes to a half hour. Compare that to the 6 minutes most physicians are able to allot for patients today.

We try hard not to make you wait, we coordinate care with your other physicians, we call you back in a timely manner and have convenient lab services on site. All these elements require a financial commitment on the part of the Center so we can fulfill our mission.

We want to help you have a satisfying sexual life and we want to do it well. If we accepted insurance plans we would not be able to achieve these goals as well as we do. Charging our patients directly, and working with them to understand which services may qualify for out of network coverage, is the model we use to help our work be accessible to more and more women.

We have made arrangements with CareCredit.com, an interest free loan company, to assist patients. This is a payment plan that allows a patient to pay over time without penalty or interest. Please talk to our billing department before deciding we’re too expensive. We never want someone to go without help because they can’t afford to see us.

Only you can really answer that question. If your problem is bothering you, has lasted more than a few weeks or months and the solution is not easily apparent to you, you probably need professional help. In general we believe that if women were able to resolve problems related to their sexual health, they would have done so a long time ago if you were able to.

If you’re not sure, you might want to come in for a consultation anyway. The professionals at Maze are very good at helping you clarify issues and untangle problems. Unfortunately women often wait until the problem has become almost unbearable before they are willing to take the time to deal with it. Then sometimes it’s harder to fix.

Our Painful Sex Glossary provides a list of terms associated with sexual health disorders that cause pain during intercourse.

Our Sex Therapy Glossary lists medical and other terms commonly associated with sex therapy.

Our Sexual Health Glossary provides a list of general terms associated with sexual health and wellness.