When there’s pain with sex, anything that whispers sex can make us women cringe. It can negatively impact our openness to being touched, inhibit our desire and arousal, and erode our ability to experience sexual pleasure. Some conditions leading to painful sex include: vaginismus, vulvodynia, infection, stiff joints, scar tissue from a procedure after giving …
Continue ReadingThe mystery of vulvodynia
Although vulvodynia is a condition that affects many women – studies estimate between 6-20% of women – it is still frequently missed or misdiagnosed, even among clinicians specializing in womens’ gynecologic health. Many women suffer from vulvodynia for years, often seeing multiple providers and being subjected to many unnecessary tests and ineffective treatments, prior to …
Continue ReadingThere is Help for Vaginal Pain
It’s unlikely that British philosopher Francis Bacon imagined that his phrase “knowledge is power” would find its way into the blog of a sexual dysfunction clinic centuries after he coined it. But In an interview with Scienceline, our Clinical Director, Dr. Bat Sheva Marcus, recalls his words of wisdom when she says: “It breaks my …
Continue ReadingDiagnosing Dyspareunia (Addressing Painful Sex)
Dyspereunia. Admittedly, it’s not a flowery word, and it’s not a walk in the park for those who are diagnosed with it. Dyspereunia is an umbrella term that describes several types of pain that women may experience with vagianl penetration. Discomfort in the vulvar region or pain with intercourse, vaginal muscle spasms that prevent penetration …
Continue ReadingVaginismus? Vulvodynia? What?
People ask all the time about the difference between Vulvodynia and Vaginismus, so here’s a brief explanation: Vulvodynia is chronic unexplained pain in the vulva that lasts for over 3 months. The pain can be described as burning, stinging, rawness, or even itching. It can occur with intercourse, but frequently women will have pain with …
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