Women's Sexual Health
Cystitis
This is a common condition experienced by many women. Cystitis is an inflammation of the bladder that is often characterized by frequent urination. Some women experience back pain, abdomen pain and fever. This condition can be caused by an infection, allergy or physical trauma. For example, during intercourse, some women experience pain due to contact with the urethra, which creates tiny abrasions due to insufficient lubrication, which in turn, causes cystitis.
Kegel exercises
Therapists sometimes recommend the use of Kegel exercises to alleviate certain problems. Kegel exercises strengthen your pelvic muscles – the set of muscles and ligaments that support your bladder and help close your urethra, the tube that drains your bladder. Kegel exercises are named for the doctor who developed them in the 1940s.
Illness – long-term and chronic
As a person ages or is diagnosed with a chronic illness, sexual functioning may change. The individual may have a decrease in sexual desire, an inability to have an orgasm or other sexual problems. It is important to note that long-term illnesses do not necessarily prevent sexual intercourse. Often, a sex therapist can help to change a person’s perspectives or beliefs about intercourse and sexual functioning in ways that enrich the sexual experience.
Low sexual desire
Sexual desire varies from person to person and often depends on a person’s emotional state, physical health and overall well-being. Stress, drug use, medications, relationship changes, fatigue and pregnancy can often contribute to an individual’s sex life and level of desire. People who experience a lack of sexual desire should discuss this with their medical doctor and, if necessary, consult a sex therapist for additional treatment.
Medication and sex
Some medications can affect a person’s sex life. For example, many hypertension medications can cause a lack of sexual desire. It is important to discuss all sexual side effects of medications with a medical doctor and assess whether a sex therapist can help.
Sexual trauma
Sex and intimacy can cause both men and women to feel vulnerable. Sometimes, individuals who have experienced abuse may find it particularly difficult to relax and develop a fully healthy sexual relationship in which they feel safe. Sex therapy can help men and women address trauma and abuse that occurred any time during their life – adulthood or childhood. Trauma suffered as a child can be violent sexual abuse – or incedent exposure to sex. It is difficult to talk about abuse and trauma, but Sexual Health Counseling Services provides a safe environment in which a person can address such issues with an expert who can professionally treat the trauma.
Remember: It is important to talk with your sex therapist about sexual trauma that occurred at any time in your life.
Vulvar pain
Many women experience different forms of vulvar pain, including chronic pain, pain upon intercourse, burning, itching, stinging and inability to accept penetration due to muscle spasms and tenderness. Although some individuals believe that these symptoms may be psychological in nature, many symptoms are indications of a more serious medical condition or vulvar disease such as:
- Lichen sclerosus – a chronic inflammatory skin disorder
- vagnisimus – a tightening of the muscles at the opening of the vagina due to spasms
- vulvodynia – a chronic, unexplainable pain in the skin of the genitals.
Many vulvar diseases and conditions exist and should be examined and diagnosed by a medical doctor as soon as possible. For more information regarding these conditions and many others, please refer to the Web site for the U-M Center for Vulvar Diseases.
Taking care of your vaginal health
A person’s sexual health is part of good general physical health. Whether or not a person is sexually active, genitals are a part of the body, and like any part of one’s body need some attention and care. Taking care of both the vulva and the vagina are part of a woman’s good physical health, and is simple and easy. Follow this link for additional information.
Why try dilator therapy
Reflexive tension in the pelvic muscles can be caused by pain during sexual activity. Anticipating sexual activity may cause voluntary or involuntary tensing of these muscles—a self-protective attempt to avoid more pain. A woman can learn more voluntary control over these muscles through pelvic floor muscle exercises (i.e. Kegel exercises). She may be referred to a physical therapist who is specially trained in teaching pelvic floor muscle relaxation and biofeedback. A woman can also learn more voluntary control through the use of vaginal dilator therapy. The most common dilators used in vaginal dilator therapy are the Syracuse Medical Dilator and the Mylex dilators. These are smooth plastic cylinders rounded at the end, in graduated sizes. The smallest size is about the diameter of a tampon. At the beginning of dilator therapy, your health care provider will discuss with you how to use the dilators. The instructions can be used as a reference between health care appointments.
