All in gynecology
We aren’t taught much about what happens during menopause and the few years before. Read on for some things you didn’t know were related to the loss of estrogen that your ovaries used to make!
Vaginismus is an involuntary, tight contraction of muscles around the opening of the vagina that makes putting anything in the vagina painful, including sex. Dr. Becky Lynn, gynecologist and sexual health specialist talks to Megan Normille, pelvic floor physical therapist about how physical therapy can cure vaginismus.
Sandpaper. That is what my patients tell me about how their vagina feels during sex after menopause. There’s good news though--you don’t have to live that way. There are several things you can do to reinvigorate “down there”.
Testosterone. That lovely hormone of desire, of sex, of muscles and power and strength. We think of manly men with hairy chests when we think of testosterone. But did you know women have testosterone too? They even make more testosterone than they do estrogen. Testosterone is one thing that controls sex drive in women and does a whole host of other things. It starts to decline in your late 20s. This can contribute to low libido in women. So should testosterone be replaced? I hope to answer this question for you with answers based on scientific studies- not bogus internet marketing claims. Does testosterone make for better sex?
If you are a midlife woman, peri or postmenopausal, then in some instances the answer is yes! Testosterone has been shown to definitively improve several aspects of sexual functioning. Testosterone improves sex drive, arousal, helps you have more and better orgasms, and increases pleasure and responsiveness.
Breast Cancer- that thing that turned your world upside down, breast cancer survivor. Time to get your life back. But no one told you what was going to happen to your sex life!
Did you know your breast would look funny or that you would lose sensation in your chest? Your nipples would be gone? Did they tell you what lack of estrogen does to the vagina? Did anyone mention that sex was going to become excruciatingly painful or you would never want to do it again? No, no and no. Because, as they should be, everyone is working on making the cancer go away for good. At the end of the day, you still have to lead your life. But should you even worry about sex when you should feel lucky to be alive?
The answer is YES! Sex and intimacy matter! There are things you can do to improve your sex life. Giving up is just not an option.
In my gynecology and sexual medicine practice, I see women every day who tell me they have lost their sex drive. Some women are desperately missing it. They say they “want to want” again. Others tell me they would be completely happy if they never had to have sex again in their entire life. Some have '“duty sex” just to please their partner. How can women improve and regain their sex drive? Yes, there are ways to improve your sex drive. Read about it here.
