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Until recently, I never knew sexual medicine was its own specialty. I mean, of course there has to be a field of sexual medicine, since there are medical fields for every other aspect of biological human life, but when I first heard about IntimMedicine Specialists, I had lots of questions. What does a sexual medicine specialist do? What can they offer that a general physician can’t? What could I expect at an appointment, and what would I make an appointment for?

I got to sit down with Dr. Rachel Rubin, an expert in sexual medicine and urologist on staff at IntimMedicine, and ask her some of these questions. She put me at ease right away, asking me about myself with genuine interest before we got to the questions I had for her. I hope you’ll find her answers as enlightening as I did!

Dr. Rubin trained as a Urologist at Georgetown University Hospital. Early on, she realized that talking about sexual issues was very uncomfortable for patients and even more uncomfortable for the doctors who were trying to train her.

Research has shown that medical professionals don’t do a very good job of bringing sexual issues up with their patients, often because they feel there is a lack of time and expertise to be able to follow up on the questions they get asked, she said.

Dr. Rubin found that she was not afraid to ask people questions about sexual issues, and her interest in treating sexual dysfunction only grew. She completed a sexual medicine fellowship in San Diego and then joined the team at IntimMedicine.

“Sexual medicine is a relatively unknown field made up of many different types of providers who believe strongly in quality of life and improving the sexual health of their patients and their partners,” said Dr. Rubin. “We see people with erectile dysfunction, low libido, penile curvature, pelvic pain, urinary incontinence, and hormone issues, among other things.”

Many times, Dr. Rubin said, patients and their doctors are not only uncomfortable discussing sexual health—they also don’t have time in a 15-minute visit to address such intimate issues. “We don’t see 50 patients a day. We spend a lot of time with our patients, and I pride myself on being able to work within the medical community to build a multidisciplinary team to help each individual patient and couple. Sometimes there needs to be medical treatments or surgeries, and sometimes we need specialized physical therapists to be involved. We often team up with mental health professionals as well, because no one ever taught us how to talk about sex and getting a ‘coach’ to help with that is extremely important. Sexual medicine is very much a ‘team sport’ in terms of figuring out which team members need to be involved with each individual case – it’s not a one-size-fits-all model.”

Another member of that team? The patient’s partner. Dr. Rubin encourages patients who feel comfortable doing so to bring their partners to appointments.

“It is not uncommon that I see a patient and then their significant other comes to see me later, realizing it ‘takes two to tango,’” she said. “Oftentimes you have to think of each patient in the context of a couple, and it’s important to help both people.”

Maybe you have something that is bothering you about your sexual health, but you’ve got too much else going on or you’d rather not think about it, and definitely not talk about it. I asked Dr. Rubin what she would say to people who keep putting off seeing a sexual medicine specialist. “Quality of life is incredibly important,” she said. “Focusing on yourself and your health as a couple is valuable.” Dr. Rubin went on to emphasize that sexual health is closely connected to general health. She also added that “focusing on your sexual health may actually benefit many other parts of your life.” For example, “Erectile dysfunction can be a sign of early cardiovascular disease.”

“Before I see a new patient, I always have a screening phone call with them first, just to make sure it’s a good fit for them before they make an appointment,” Dr. Rubin told me when I asked her what people could expect from an appointment with her. “When people come into my office, they sit across from me, fully clothed, and we just have a conversation. I spend a lot of time showing them anatomical diagrams and explaining everything we’re going to do before we ever do an exam or procedure. Nothing invasive ever happens without a full discussion and without the opportunity for lots of questions to be asked.”

Dr. Rubin’s tone became both more impassioned and gentler when I asked her to name one thing she wished people understood about sexual dysfunction. It was clear to me that she cared deeply about this when she answered. “People are often afraid to admit that they have a problem, because they’re so afraid that it means there is something different or abnormal about them. I understand that it can provoke a lot of anxiety to just come out and say ‘I have a problem, and it’s sexual,’ even to a doctor. Nobody taught any of us how to talk about sex to our partners, or to our doctors, so it can feel very isolating, but the truth is all of these issues are so incredibly common. After speaking with me, my patients are very comforted in knowing that they’re not alone and that there is help.”

As we ended our chat, Dr. Rubin said, “This is all we do,” referring to the team at IntimMedicine Specialists. “Our patients have access to all of the expertise we represent and receive very individualized care. We’ll take the time to get to know you and help you focus on your sexual health.”

So now, I have a question for you: Why are you waiting to start working on your sexual health?

 

Call 202-293-1000 to make an appointment with IntimMedicine Specialists in Washington, DC.

Follow Dr. Rubin on Twitter at @RachelsRubin1 and the IntimMedicine team at @IntimMedicine

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woman, thoughtful

  New research published this month on the JAMA Network Open indicates that 7.0% of women and 10.3% of men have what is now classified as compulsive sexual behavior disorder (CSBD). CSBD is defined as “failing to control one’s sexual feelings and behaviors in a way that causes substantial distress and/or impairment in functioning.” There are a few things we can glean from this data, but it might tell us a whole lot more about our society than it does about human sexuality.

  First off, the results are self-reported and based on perceptions of one’s own behavior. Negative stigma about sexual urges or thoughts within certain cultures and sub-cultures in the United States could result in what researchers are now calling a disorder, but might actually be healthy urges interpreted through an unhealthy social lens. Psychologists have argued about what constitutes “healthy” sexual behavior since the dawn of the field, and the discussion is nowhere near a conclusion. Unfortunately, using a self-reporting survey does not allow researchers to be able to distinguish between participants feeling distressed about compulsive and intrusive sexual impulses, and participants feeling distressed about their sexual urges because of moralistic pressures within their sub-cultures.

  Secondly, the close percentage of men and women who are now diagnosed with CSBD could be telling, or it could not be. The long unspoken “rules” about male and female sexuality in the US could be at play here. Men have been told that their sexual urges cannot be repressed and that it is unhealthy to do so, while women have held the role as “sexual gatekeepers.” Those societal factors and gender roles may have led to fewer men and more women reporting distress due to their sexual urges and behaviors. On the other hand, it could be interpreted that men and women actually have similar sex drives and sexual habits. With interpretations of sexuality in America in such a complicated place, it is difficult to make a determination about this.

  The bottom line is this: if your sexual behaviors or urges are causing you distress or impairment in functioning, whatever that means to you, it is worth talking about! It is our goal to help you feel whole and healthy, and we believe sexual health and wellness is a huge factor in achieving that goal. Give us a call at 202.293.1000 or email info@intimmedicine.com to make an appointment with one of our specialists today. We are here to help.

 

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glansNo, this post isn’t about penises or vibrators. (Why do our minds always go there!) I’ll reserve that subject for Part 2. This is about the clitoris. Yes, the clitoris, “a small erectile female organ located within the anterior junction of the labia minora that develops from the same embryonic mass of tissue as the penis and is responsive to sexual stimulation” (according to Merriam-Webster on-line dictionary). While seldom the subject of much scientific research, a recent publication* investigated the relationship between clitoral size and sexual function (including the extensive internal portion – “out of sight, out of mind” you might say).

In a small convenience sample of women having a pelvic MRI for other reasons (such as fibroid tumors), these researchers compared clitoral size and each woman’s sexual function as measured by several validated scales. Paradoxically, women with the smallest clitorises (yes, that’s the correct pleural of clitoris), specifically the clitoral body and crus (see diagram below), had the best sexual function. Those women with a smaller clitoris tended to have better desire, arousal, lubrication, and orgasm. The authors of the study suggest that a greater density of nerves, basically squeezing the same number of nerves into a smaller space, is what leads to better function.

There are several limitations to this study, so take these findings with a grain of salt. The relatively few women who participated were having their MRIs done for other medical reasons besides participation in this sexual function study. Therefore, the findings may not actually be generalizable to all women, especially “normal” women without another existing medical condition. But, this study does give a whole new potential meaning to the oft-quoted “good things come in small packages” idea.  And that’s c.o.m.e., not c.u.m! Really, does your mind always go there?

Interested in women’s sexual health? Contact us for an appointment.

 

* Vaccaro CM, Fellner AN, Pauls RN. Female sexual function and the clitoral complex using pelvic MRI assessment. European Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology and Reproductive Biology 180: 180–185, 2014.

 

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The “Pink Pill”-Who Is It For?

Pink PillsThe “pink pill”, flibanserin, was developed for premenopausal women. Although preliminary data on flibanserin use among postmenopausal women are available, the drug was studied primarily in premenopausal women with Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder (HSDD), the indication sought at this time.

In the premenopausal population, problems such as pain with intercourse or hyperestrogenism aren’t typically present, simplifying the identification of HSDD. In clinical trials of the drug, HSDD was secondary, generalized, and acquired—that is, it followed a period of normal sexual function. And it didn’t come and go but was present regardless of location and circumstance.

Study participants had had a normal sex drive before their desire “turned off,” an occurrence they found distressing.

Clinicians, myself included, have been frustrated by our inability to prescribe an effective treatment for this common problem. The recent recommendation of an FDA Advisory panel to approve flibanserin for the treatment off HSDD in premenopausal women brings us a step closer to having additional options for treatment.
(Excerpted from an editorial by Dr. James Simon published in OBG Management, July 2015)

 

Interested in women’s sexual health? Contact us for an appointment.

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Women’s Sexual Health- Is There A Remedy For Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder (HSDD)?

woman-506120_640Women’s sexual health took a step forward last month when an advisory panel to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommended approval of the drug, flibanserin, for the treatment of hypoactive sexual desire disorder (HSDD) in premenopausal women. The approval came with some reservations regarding safety (use with certain medications and alcohol). And it’s worthwhile to note that the FDA had on hand its own Drug Safety and Risk Management Committee during deliberations. However, assuming the agency follows the recommendations of the Bone, Reproductive, and Urologic Drugs Advisory Committee, women will soon have available the first agent for sexual dysfunction—aside from a medication for intercourse-associated pain—developed specifically for them.

The wait may be over.

(Excerpted from an editorial by Dr. James Simon published in OBG Management, July 2015) Women’s sexual health

 

Interested in women’s sexual health? Contact us for an appointment.

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Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder (HSDD) is described as having the following characteristics:

  • persistently or recurrently deficient (or absent) sexual fantasies and desire for sexual activitypillows-820149_640
  • marked distress or interpersonal difficulty in response to this deficiency
  • lack of another explanation known to affect sexual function.

In other words, a person once had a healthy desire for sex which they have lost, and there is no other explanation for that loss of interest or desire. In addition, the loss of this desire is noted by the person and the change is causing distress, relationship difficulty or both. (Source: Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th Edition)

In clinical practice, HSDD is easily identified using the Decreased Sexual Desire Screener (DSDS), a simple screening test that asks 4 yes/no questions:

  1. In the past, was your level of sexual desire or interest good and satisfying to you?
  2.  Has there been a decrease in your level of sexual desire or interest?
  3.  Are you bothered by your decreased level of sexual desire or interest?
  4. Would you like your level of sexual desire or interest to increase?

A “yes” response to each of these questions is required. In addition, a fifth question asks whether a number of conditions, drugs, or circumstances might be responsible for the decreased desire or interest:

  • an operation, depression, injuries, or other medical condition
  • medications, drugs, or alcohol you are currently taking
  • pregnancy, recent childbirth, or menopausal symptoms
  • other sexual issues you may be having (pain, decreased arousal or orgasm)
  • your partner’s sexual problems
  • dissatisfaction with your relationship or partner
  • stress or fatigue.

Only when all of these items are excluded as possibilities can a diagnosis of HSDD be made. (Source: OBG Management, July 2015, sidebar)

 

Interested in women’s sexual health? Contact us for an appointment.

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Sexual HealthDid you know that the female sexual response changes throughout a woman’s lifetime? It’s true. When a woman is young and in love, her sexual response is drive in great degree by desire, meaning she is much more likely to seek out and be receptive to sexual activity.

So what causes this change in sexual response? It’s mostly due to hormonal and physiological changes that take place as a woman ages. And while a change in sexual response isn’t a problem in and of itself, it can often lead to worry for the partner. Men may think that their partner’s feelings for them have diminished. That’s why it’s so important to keep the lines of communication open and educate your mate about the changes you’re experiencing.

There are times, though, when lack of desire, arousal or orgasm is a serious issue that needs to be addressed by your physician. In fact, this is probably more common than you think, as an estimated 44 percent of women experience sexual dysfunction at some point in their lives. The good news is that there are low-risk, non-complicated hormonal and non-hormonal options for women that can bring back that loving feeling. Watch for an upcoming blog, which will discuss these options in greater detail.

 

Interested in women’s sexual health? Contact us for an appointment.

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