When Doctor's Don't Listen, Women Treat Their Own Sexual Pain — Here's How

Even in the face of vaginal pain, there are plenty of sexual workarounds women have developed to keep their sex lives robust, and satisfying.

“Flexibility is key,” says Caroline Pukall, Ph.D., psychology professor, director of the Sex Therapy Service at Queen’s University and co-author of the book When Sex Hurts: A Woman’s Guide to Banishing Sexual Pain. “Sometimes, this just means changing the type of sex you have until your pain subsides. It’s like taking a detour on a road trip if there is construction — if penetration is painful, then engaging in activities that are pleasurable and not painful can allow for erotic energy and intimacy to thrive even in the face of sexual pain. READ MORE…

Circumcision: To Snip or Not to Snip?

Science Vs Podcast.

This week, we’re entering the foreskin firestorm. We’re asking: what are the risks of circumcision? And are there any medical benefits? To find out we talk to pediatric urologist Andrew Freedman, HIV researcher Godfrey Kigozi, and sex researcher Caroline Pukall. Check out the full transcript here. Download the Podcast here.

Prostate Cancer Research Funding for Queen’s University Researchers

Two Queen’s University faculty members are among twelve researchers recognized for their contribution to prostate cancer research with grants funded by the Movember Foundation and selected by Prostate Cancer Canada.

Professor Christopher Mueller, of the Queen’s Cancer Research Institute and the Department of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences, has developed a blood test for prostate cancer and Professor Caroline Pukall is conducting a study of LGBTQ+ prostate cancer patients. READ MORE...

Women get mixed messages about sexuality after childbirth

(Reuters Health) - Women receive mixed messages about the ways giving birth may affect their sex lives, according to a new report.

Although studies don’t show a difference between post-delivery effects for vaginal births versus C-sections, media messages - especially dramatic reality TV shows - may lead women to be more fearful of what vaginal delivery might do to their sexuality, researchers wrote in the journal Birth. READ MORE...

How We Think Sex Changes After Childbirth Versus How It Actually Changes

When my boyfriend and I talk about the day I gave birth, he recalls with laughter how I told the labor nurse, with the comedic curtness of a Modern Family character, that it was “go time.” A more memorable moment for me, though, was when I urged him not to “go down there” after I’d delivered our baby. I didn’t want him to see me mangled from the trauma of childbirth, concerned about how the sight might impact our sex life. READ MORE...

Post-Baby Sex Comes with Mixed Messages

You won’t want to have sex for at least six months to a year. And when you do, it’ll hurt, they cautioned.

According to a new study in Birth, women get mixed messages about how having a baby can change their sex lives. Studies haven’t shown a difference in the effects from vaginal to C-section deliveries, but the media is leading us to believe that vaginal delivery can destroy our sex lives, the authors contend. READ MORE...

Sexual Health Research: Beyond the Birds and the Bees

Is there such a thing as being “too” aroused?

With the growing interest in ‘female Viagra’ or the ‘little pink pill’, we often hear about women’s concerns around low desire and sexual arousal. But what about the other end of the spectrum? Is it possible to experience too much sexual arousal?

Persistent Genital Arousal Disorder (PGAD) is a distressing condition that involves feelings of genital arousal (for example, swelling, lubrication, being on the edge of orgasm) without feeling ‘in the mood’. These symptoms can last hours, days, and for some, they may be constantly present. PGAD can make it difficult to start or complete important everyday tasks, such as concentrating on work or school activities. READ MORE...

On the eve of its release, question remains: is 'pink viagra' solving a problem that doesn't exist?

The sex therapist told Charlene to do “whatever it takes” – watch porn, use toys, masturbate — to reignite her sex life, no matter how exhausted she was from her double shift juggling her full time job and running the household.

Another woman was prescribed testosterone for her “inability to orgasm.” Still another was encouraged to undergo hypnosis to deal with her “negative associations with sex.” And next month, there will be another option for women with “sexual difficulties”: popping a pill to enhance sexual desire. READ MORE...

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