Posts Tagged ‘female sexual dysfunction’

Newer Entries »

Sexual gridlock

Monday, June 7th, 2010 by Shannon Bertha, ACS, PhD

Sexual dysfunction is a complicated problem and often it isn’t one thing – or one person’s issue –  that is causing it.  If the problem goes on long enough, often it begins to affect other issues in  the relationship.  I notice that women often take on this problem as their own, “It’s my fault” or “It is my problem” or “My husband is fine, it is ME!”  At times, partners may be contributing to the problem or experiencing sexual dysfunction themselves.  At the Center, we work with our female patients to achieve optimal sexual functioning, but at times, we can only take the patient so far and may need her husband or partner to seek treatment as well.  He may be suffering from sexual dysfunctions such as difficulty achieving or maintaining his erection, low desire or ejaculation problems.  At times, men are embarrassed about getting help and therefore stop initiating lovemaking.  If  this disrupts the natural patterns in a relationship,  sexual activity may decrease in frequency and women are then left wondering what happened.   The lack of desire may become magnified, no one feels comfortable initiating sex and we have  sexual gridlock!  No on’e s moving. No one’s initiating. No one’s talking about it.  And…no one’s having sex!

Keep in mind that sexual issues are a multidimensional and it is important to investigate this from many angles. If you begin to sense gridlock in your sex life, stop the cycle, be gentle with your partner, and try to understand what’s happening between you.  If it appears to be a physical issue, there are practitioners who can help men and those who specialize in women’s sexuality.  If it doesn’t seem to be sourced in a physical problem, often some short term couples therapy can help you talk through immediate issues and get back to business!

Tags: , , ,
Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »

Defining “bioidentical”

Tuesday, May 25th, 2010 by Bat Sheva Marcus LMSW MPH PhD

There is so much confusion and misinformation when it comes to “bioidentical hormones.” Let me see if I can clarify a little: 

  • “Bioidentical hormones” does not mean that the hormones are “organic.”
  • “Bioidentical hormones” does not mean that the hormones are “natural.”
  • “Bioidentical hormones” does not mean that the hormones are “not really hormones.”

 “Bioidentical hormones” means that the chemical makeup of the hormones exactly matches the chemical makeup in the same hormones in your body. It can be man-made but the molecular components are exactly the same as that same hormone in your body. For example, if you look at bioidentical estrogen under a microscope it would look exactly the same as the estrogen your body makes. It could have been created all chemically, in a laboratory, but the components of the compound match your body.

 “Hmmmm…” you ask, why would anyone make non-bioidentical hormones to replace those in your body. Well, for one thing bioidentical hormones can’t be patented. The same way you can’t patent water, unless you add some flavorings to it, you can’t patent estrogen unless there is something different about your estrogen. So drug companies are incented to change the chemical compound. Sometimes makers of specific hormones suggest that the difference they have made is a “good” difference and thus justify the changes. We haven’t found that to be the case. In general we find that women seem to respond better to bioidentical hormones.

 But don’t worry about the drug companies. Now that many realize that women prefer the bioidentical compounds they have found ways to patent their product by developing better or unique delivery systems: a specific cream to hold the compound, a patch, a pellet.

 So, if a practitioner wants to prescribe a hormone, you can discuss the options intelligently. For more information you can read these two articles, the first is authored by the Mayo Clinic and is a negatively predisposed to bioidentical hormones; the next comes out of Harvard Medical School and is more balanced. Let us know your thoughts!

Tags: , , , , ,
Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment »

Did you know: the pill neutralizes your sex drive

Thursday, May 20th, 2010 by Ilene Rosenthal, Marketing

Fifty years ago, the birth control pill gave women a freedom that previously eluded them: without fear of unwanted pregnancy, women could engage in romantic or recreational sex with relative control over the prospect of pregnancy.

I’m sure many of us would agree that this was a life-changing development, aligned with the women’s movement and a gift that allowed women to have children when they wanted to, and, yes, have sex when they wanted to, too.

We never imagined that this freedom would come with a side effect that was filled with irony, but a study has recently been released by the Journal of Sexual Medicine that connects serious declines in sex drive with hormonal birth control.

Bat Sheva Marcus, clinical director of the Medical Center for Female Sexuality in New York, had a lot to say about this in a recent article in The Daily Beast, the online newsstory outlet.  Dr. Marcus was interviewed last week and asked to respond to the conclusions drawn in this study of over 1000 women.  Her point of view is based on nearly eleven years in practice, treating women with different kinds of sexual dysfunction, low desire being the more common culprit.

Her response was declarative:  “all hormones are suspect!”  and estimates the pill is a contributing factor in 60 percent of the women she treats for low libido.

Read what real women say in the article and on the MCFS website

Tags: , , , , , , ,
Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment »

“IT’S ALL IN YOUR HEAD!” and other myths about painful intercourse

Friday, May 14th, 2010 by Shannon Bertha, ACS, PhD

I’m tired of doctors telling patients “it’s all in your head,” a quick response to a problem because they do not know what to say or how to help. Although this may be true in some circumstances, shouldn’t doctors acknowledge what a patient tells you? How do you know what they are feeling, emotionally or physically?

The other day I had a woman state that she had been to numerous doctors, who told her the pain she was experiencing was “in her head.” Rather than acknowledge this issue or explore it, they dismissed her, her feelings, even her symptoms!

What does this patient do? Feeling hopeless, as if pain during intercourse is something she would have to endure the rest of her life, she goes to the internet and finds something called vaginismus, painful intercourse . She reads testimonials on various websites, and learns that other women also experience pain during intercourse and this is not something “in her head.”

These women are, in fact, able to find treatment with specialists who have decades of experience with treatments, and which also house the newest solutions to this problem. At the Medical Center for Female Sexuality, we are able to treat patients with vaginismus relatively quickly in most cases; and most patients complete their treatment and go on to have satisfying, pain-free intercourse.

I commend women on their tenacity to find an answer to this problem and to not settle for “it’s in your head,” even if it comes from a powerful influencer such as a medical doctor. We know our bodies better than anyone can because we feel what is happening. So, trust those feelings and if you feel something that doesn’t seem quite right or the way you thought it should be, search until you get your answer or until you can find someone who can answer and acknowledge and treat this condition.

Tags: , , , , ,
Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »

Does your OB/GYN sell sex toys?

Monday, April 19th, 2010 by Bat Sheva Marcus LMSW MPH PhD

Here’s an article about an ob/gyn who sells sex toy in his office. OB/GYN Andrew Scheinfeld Sells Sex Toys – AOL News

   He believes he’s the first OB/GYN to do so. Maybe he is. Maybe he isn’t. He certainly is not the first PHYSICIAN to sell sex toys. We’ve been carrying them for  years – for many of the same reasons he has. Patients are embarrassed to go to a sex toy store and often they need advice and encouragement that only a professional can give. Anyhow, good for him! We’ve been trying to convince OBs for years that there are specific sex aids they should carry in the office. Maybe it’ll catch on.

Tags: , ,
Posted in Uncategorized | 2 Comments »

And the Survey Says……Sex!

Friday, October 2nd, 2009 by Ilene Rosenthal, Marketing

Why is it that we need a survey to prove that women are interested in sex?  And when we get the data, why is everyone so surprised at the results??

 A new online survey asked 500 women aged 35 to 49 about their interest in sex, and whaddaya know, 76% of women are “interested in maintaining a healthy sex life” and about 50% declare they “initiate sex with their partner.”

 Among respondants, 35% say sex improves with age and experience, and half of the women surveyed said that they have sex once a week or more.

 It’s not entirely surprising that this study is getting press.  The ‘middle aged’ woman who’s the CEO of a fragmented and unpredictable corporation called her family may be perceived as too busy, exhausted, or just generally distracted to be interested in intimacy.

There’s no arguing: the business of feeding, clothing and educating her children while cooking, cleaning and holding down a job is unimaginable sometimes.  But we also know from the women who come to the Center that a robust sex life can be an antidote to all that work; it can help let a little air out of the balloon of our full life and, like a sigh, allow us to enjoy ourselves, and the partners we love.

 In fact, the longer we are with our partners, the more comfortable we may feel, and the more we may be ok with asking for some sexual attention when we need it.

 Of course, we see many women who are not part of the 50% that have sex once a week, and who do not initiate sex, either because they don’t feel the desire, or because it hurts to have sex.  Well, that’s our work.  Data like this is an inspiration, even if it’s not a surprise.

 The survey was sponsored by Teva Women’s Health, the manufacturer of the ParaGard Intrauterine Copper Contraceptive.

Tags: , , , ,
Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »

Article on Female Sexual Dysfunction

Saturday, March 15th, 2008 by Melissa Ferrara FNP

Here is a thoroughly written article from the Washington Post about Female Sexual Dysfunction.  It gives great information on current treatments and research. However, I find it discouraging that there are professionals out there that still believe FSD is not a “real” medical condition.  My patients are so relieved when they hear from us that their could be a physiologic cause to their FSD.   I do not deny that there can be psychological components to FSD, but we have to look at the whole person when treating this condition, especially the physical aspect. 

Tags: ,
Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment »

Newer Entries »