Happy New Year!!

Happy 2018 everyone!! I can’t think of a better way to start off the New Year than by LAUNCHING my *new* WEBSITE! My hope is that you will find my site to be a safe place where women can openly discuss and explore their sexuality. Why am I so passionate about this forum? Unfortunately, there are countless women of all ages suffering in silence regarding painful sex. It is a topic many of us ignore or avoid due to embarrassment, fear, frustration, lack of resources, and confusion. Statistics cannot even accurately say how many women experience painful sex because so many cases go unreported. I felt up for the challenge of promoting change!

Studies have shown that the majority of women will experience painful intercourse at some point in their life. Whether it be a first encounter, after childbirth, or postmenopausal it can occur at any point in a woman’s life cycle. The important thing to know is that if you’re currently in a season of life experiencing painful sex, you are NOT alone! Don’t suffer in silence. Educate yourself and find help!

My philosophy has always been, “knowledge is power”. If we arm ourselves with a good understanding of our bodies and with the appropriate words to use regarding our symptoms, then we have already conquered so much of the battle!

Firstly know your anatomy! You don’t have to hold a masters in science or biology to understand how your body works. All women have a pelvic floor (google some images of it so you can visualize what your body looks like). A woman’s pelvic floor consists of the muscles, ligaments, connective tissues and nerves that support your bladder, uterus, vagina, and rectum and help all the pelvic organs function. Women have two openings or holes in their vaginal area; one is the urethra, which is the area where urine comes out. The second is the opening to your vagina, which is the area where intercourse is performed, the blood from menstruation flows from, where a tampon is inserted, and where a baby comes out.

The pain that women feel in their vaginal area can have many different SOURCES. Regardless of the source (stay tuned for more on this) there are some key words to know in order to pinpoint where your pain is.

*Dyspareunia- Painful sexual intercourse. The pain can happen anywhere on the cycle of sex. During initial penetration, during insertion, or even after intercourse is over.

*Vulvodynia- Pain at the entrance to the vagina, on the labia, or clitoris. Women describe the pain as stinging, burning, or rawness.

*Vestibulodynia- Pain, tenderness, redness at the entrance to your vagina.

*Vaginismus- a condition in which intercourse is either very painful or impossible. Women describe it as “not having a hole” or “it’s like hitting a brick wall”.

I’m here to tell you that these conditions are all REAL. They are NOT in your head! You can’t just sip some wine and push through it. You need HELP! These conditions CAN be treated and a normal healthy sex life IS in your future.

Let 2018 be the year you cure your sexual pain!