Painful Sex and Sexual Desire

By Guest Writer|2023-09-27T09:33:58-07:00July 11, 2023|

“Sex is not supposed to hurt.” We hear that all the time, but the sad fact for millions of women is that sex does hurt. In fact, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists estimate that up to 75% of women will experience sexual pain at some point in their lives. Sexual pain can be caused by a laundry list of problems including vaginismus, endometriosis, vaginal dryness, painful bladder syndrome, Chron’s disease, fibroids, scarring from surgery, pelvic floor problems, ...

My Female Partner is Worried About Painful Sex: What do I do?!

By Heather Wheat|2023-09-20T11:13:09-07:00May 28, 2023|

It is more common than you might think for women to experience painful sex. Approximately 75 percent of women experience pain during or after sex at some point in their lives1. Because of the stigma around this issue, your partner might be hesitant to approach you about this. Painful sex may be related to a condition called vaginismus, which is the involuntary tightening of vaginal muscles. While the tightening of the muscles itself might not be painful, ...

Vaginal Dilators: What’s the Scoop?

By Grace Klaris|2023-10-01T11:28:00-07:00May 15, 2023|

Help relieve the symptoms of vaginismus: pain with sex, insertion of tampons, pelvic exams, or any other kind of wanted penetration. Pain with sex or any vaginal penetration can be difficult, but there are options. Vaginal dilators can be a great option when it comes to your journey to wellness. Practices in relaxation and expansion of the vaginal and pelvic muscles may help ease the symptoms. The vaginal dilator is meant to help with this process, as it is designed ...

Estrogen & the Female Body

By Leigh Kinney|2023-09-20T11:12:56-07:00May 11, 2023|

Many women note that their body changes after menopause. Common complaints include changes in vaginal tissue (e.g., dryness, pain, fragility), skin (e.g., thinning, easy bruising), mood (e.g., mood swings, depression), metabolism (e.g., weight gain), thinking (e.g., “brain fog”), sleep (e.g., insomnia), and temperature regulation (e.g., hot flashes). These changes occur all over the body, in many different systems. Their common denominator? They are all regulated by estrogen, the primary female sex hormone. What is a hormone? The human body ...

Take your power back in the bedroom

By Darshana Naik|2023-09-20T11:15:05-07:00May 1, 2023|

Three things to help you navigate intimacy with Vaginismus When it comes to sexy-time with your boo, vaginismus can put a cramp in your style for sure! Vaginismus-related intense tightness and pain make women not only avoid sex but forego any and all forms of physical intimacy. Women sometimes fear that other forms of physical closeness might put their partner in “the mood” only to say NO when it comes to penetration. They hold back their kisses and caresses ...

Relationships and Pelvic Health

By Heather Wheat|2023-09-20T11:12:21-07:00March 29, 2023|

Okay, ladies, it’s time for some real talk. Relationships are hard. Period. I follow some friends from high school on social media, and their Instagrams are what I refer to as highlight reels: photos, stories, or reels of all of the family fun moments they want people to see. But I know that in the background of those grammable moments are the day-in, day-out efforts of making a marriage or partnership work. And you know what? It takes ...

Vaginismus Overview

By Grace Klaris|2023-10-02T01:06:14-07:00March 27, 2023|

Do you dread going to the gynecologist because of traumatic pap smears? Does painful sex prevent you from achieving healthy intimacy with your partner? Do you find it impossible to insert a tampon? Or maybe you’ve been told you have an “overactive” or “tight” pelvic floor. If any of this resonates, you may be suffering from a condition called vaginismus, and you are not alone. Vaginismus is a common condition and can affect women of all ages, including trans ...

Power of Questions in Your Vaginismus Journey

By Darshana Naik|2023-09-20T11:09:55-07:00March 2, 2023|

Three questions you need to ask your doctor One-in-Five women in the United States experience sexual pain! There are many reasons for painful sex, but vaginismus-related pain (pain related to involuntary vaginal tightening) by far has the most success rate with treatments1. In a study in 2017, nearly 73% women suffering with vaginismus were able to achieve pain-free intercourse when they received the necessary treatments1. Getting access to the right intervention starts with finding the right provider and asking ...

Drop It To The Floor: Pelvic Floor 101

By Grace Klaris|2023-10-02T00:44:37-07:00February 21, 2023|

When it comes to muscles, we all know the heavy hitters. Most people can point to their biceps, abs, and hamstrings, and probably even demonstrate a few exercises that target each one. But how many times have you heard someone talk about strengthening their coccygeus (kok-sij-ee-uhs)? Do you remember ever learning about your levator ani muscles in school? Probably not. Although these muscles are present in people of all genders, those with female anatomy are more likely to suffer ...

Dismissed Symptoms: When Your Doctor Isn’t Listening

By Heather Wheat|2023-09-20T11:08:37-07:00February 21, 2023|

If you think it’s all in your head that your doctor isn’t listening to you when you ask for help with symptoms and health issues, it’s not. Three years ago, TODAY did a study about how women felt doctors didn’t truly hear them or listen to them in office visits and emergency rooms. The survey’s findings included many personal stories from women who had had their serious conditions dismissed by doctors, but also some shocking statistics. Twenty ...