I am always surprised at how many patients I see who tell me that their gynecologist recommends they have a glass of wine before intercourse. They say it’s to help them relax and that it would help with the pain they experience during intercourse. Not only does this not work, but the patient is left …
Continue ReadingVulvodynia.
Vulvodynia refers to pain that occurs in vulvar region. Vulvar pain can either be provoked, unprovoked or both. The most common type is provoked vestibulodynia or (PVD). “It has been estimated (that vestibulodynia) effects 12% of premenopausal women in the general population. It is characterized by severe burning/sharp pain that occurs in response to pressure …
Continue ReadingPain in the “V”.
Pain inside or around the vagina is a common complaint from our patients. Many of our patients have visited several medical providers with no answers. Vaginal pain can be an extremely disruptive and debilitating condition. If you google vaginal pain you’ll often come across different conditions that start with the letter “V”. Vaginismus, Vulvodynia, Vestibulodynia …
Continue ReadingBirth control: what doctors never tell you.
If a patient comes to us with low desire or low arousal, one of the first questions we ask is, “Are you on birth control pills?” The reason we ask this is because oral contraceptives can wreak havoc on your system and can be particularly detrimental to your sexual desire. Yaz tends be the worst …
Continue ReadingLichen planus and vulvodynia.
I just read a moving and sad article in Self Magazine about lichen planus and vulvodynia. A young women talks about her vaginal pain and how it has shamed her and ruined her sex life. Vaginal intercourse became excruciatingly painful and none of her gynecologists could see any problem and so everyone thought it was …
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