When it comes to taboo topics, vaginal dryness, an inability to have an orgasm and an itchy vulva top the list. And while we don’t expect you to be the one to initiate these subjects at your next dinner party, it’s time to bring these taboo topics into the open. So, who better to turn to than Chicago Woman Board member and Medical Director of the Northwestern Medicine Center for Sexual Medicine and Menopause, Lauren Streicher, MD?
Is there a female equivalent to Viagra? Despite the claims of ads touting products promising to revitalize a woman’s lackluster sex life, a female equivalent to Viagra has proven elusive. Flibanserin, (Addyi) is commonly called the “female Viagra”, but it is not. Viagra increases blood flow to the penis. Flibanserin increases libido by working on the brain to get you thinking about sex.
I thought hot flashes only lasted a couple of years. It has been seven years of waking up four times a night and sweating through my clothes! When will it end? We now know that hot flashes can last well over 10 years for many women. The good news is there are safe hormonal and non-hormonal options to put out the fire so you can function again.
My periods stopped five years ago and I thought I was done with menopause. But now I have terrible pain with intercourse. I also keep getting bladder infections! While other things can cause those symptoms (yes, you need to see your doctor), the most likely culprit is genitourinary syndrome of menopause, a consequence of estrogen-starved tissues. There is a long list of medications that will alleviate the symptoms in addition to an office laser procedure to restore normal tissue elasticity and lubrication.
I was always able to maintain a normal weight, but since I went through menopause, the scale keeps going up. Help! Sleep disturbance, hormonal fluctuations and stress create the perfect storm for putting on the pounds. Every individual is different, but usually dealing withthe sleep, and managing raging hormones allows you to get back on track.
5 Things Your Doctor Didn't Tell You About Your Sexual Health
Diabetes: This may get in the way of your ability to have an orgasm. Sure, your doctor asked about numbness in your feet, but he or she didn’t mention that your clitoris might also lose sensation due to neurologic changes that commonly occur with diabetes.
Birth Control: Your birth control pills can dry up your vagina. Menopause may be years away, but if your vagina is more like the Sahara Desert than the waterfall it used to be you may be one of the three percent of the population that has this side effect from hormonal contraception.
Vibrator: It won’t mess with your pacemaker. No way do you want to tell your cardiologist that you are terrified that sex with your regular partner “Bob” (AKA your “Battery Operated Boyfriend”) will cause a pacemaker malfunction. Rest assured, genital vibration will not un-pace your pacemaker.
Lubricant: Using Vaseline as a lubricant can cause vaginal infections. Vaseline makes your chapped lips feel so much better, so it stands to reason that it would be the perfect product to keep your other lips moist as well. But unfortunately, petroleum jelly has been shown to double the chance of bacterial vaginosis, the most common cause of vagina odor and irritation.
Incontinence: It isn’t just ruining your underwear. Many women who have involuntary loss of urine also have painful sex, or the inability to have an orgasm. The culprit is weak, and/or sometimes painful pelvic floor muscles. And there are solutions that don’t involve drugs or a trip to the operating room.
To get all of your other taboo questions answered or to request an appointment, visit sexmedmenopause.nm.org or call 312.694.9676.