Blog & News

It is common to group vaginismus and (vulvar) vestibulitis into one and it takes a proficient clinician to know the difference. Generally speaking, Vaginismus = unable to have vaginal penetration/s, or able to have them but with pain and distress. Vulvar vestibulitis = penetrations are usually available but the pain/burning/discomfort surrounding the area may complicate […]

Do I need to remove the tampon before going to the bathroom? The tampon sits in the vaginal canal and is not directly affected by either urination or defecation, but the string may get soiled.  That said, you can easily proceed with voiding first and changing the tampon when you are done, using a bit […]

The reflexive reaction during gynecologic exam is to tighten up the pelvic floor (PC muscles) as the clinician is about to ‘go in.’ The physical fact is that the more you tighten up, the more discomfort you will feel. So, what is the trick?  Minimizing this reflexive reaction. As you lie there, feet in stirrups, […]

Women do not so much care about the length of what goes into the vagina (penis, dilator, sexual toys) because it will only fit as deep as her vagina allows. However, the physical feeling that does matter to a woman is that of girth (width) expansion.  A better yet definition of that sensation is ‘fullness’ […]

Do women need to guide the penis toward their vagina when having sexual intercourse or can the penis find its own way in? Generally speaking, the penis has a built-in GPS and can find its way without guidance, aided by the V-shape of the pelvis that funnels the way toward the vagina. That said,  reality […]

(This post was updated in December 2014, and again in May 2016) A vaginal applicator is used for inserting different preparations into the vagina: medication (i.e. Monistat for infection), hormones (i.e. estrogen, such as Premarin or Estrace), lubricants (i.e. Replens), etc. Some applicator come pre-loaded and are used only once before being discarded.  Others are […]

Not all bleeding/spotting after intercourse suggest a medical crisis. Common, every day causes may include: Chafing irritation because of dryness/insufficient lubrication. You have vaginismus or dyspareunia — your vagina is tight (nervous) causing chafing irritation. You just started having intercourse and are still breaking left-over hymeneal tissue. Your vagina is fragile because of estrogen depletion […]

A repeated question by many patients: “Am I doing it wrong? I cannot have intercourse.” And more questions: Is he trying to get into the wrong hole (vagina)? Maybe I do not have a hole (vagina)? Are we doing it in a wrong position? The truth is that nature created us in favor of having […]

Who loves going to the doctor for a gynecologic (pelvic) exam? Nobody really, just like not loving going to the dentist and having all that work done in the mouth.   But, we do them all for health reason, for preventive or corrective medical intervention. Gyno exams should be done in neutrality – neither loving […]

How do you know that the tampon is in properly? Is the tampon in too deep? Not deep enough? Do these questions sound dumb? Not at all — we hear them all day long from our patients.  Luckily, the answers are simple.  Consider these quick tips: Put some lubrication (KY Jelly or any other vaginally-suitable […]