Keep on Learning
Remember in middle school (we called it junior high in those days) when the boys and the girls were shepherded into separate rooms for those awkward films? It might have been presented by the gym...
View ArticleWhat We’ve Learned about Osphena
Just over a year ago, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved a new drug to address dyspareunia, painful intercourse caused by the loss of estrogen during menopause. As we’ve said (often),...
View Article“Are Those What I Think They Are?”
I’m a gynecologist. I talk about sex and body parts all day long, and I have for 25 years. I guess I take a certain amount of openness for granted. I see intimacy as a cherished part of relationships,...
View ArticleGood Sex, Grandma?
Perhaps you’ve seen reviews of a new book, called Sex After…: Women Share How Intimacy Changes as Life Changes. It’s definitely in my reading pile. The author, Iris Krasnow, interviewed 150 women from...
View ArticleStuck without Solutions
If you’re a regular reader of the MiddlesexMD blog, you might think I’m a broken record on the topic of the dearth of pharmaceutical tools to address hypoactive sexual desire disorder (HSDD). That’s...
View ArticleReading between the Lines
I have a lot of conversations with women about sex, given my line of work. And, because of that little pink “Ask Dr. Barb” button on the MiddlesexMD website, I get some cryptic emails, too. Sometimes I...
View ArticleNew research addresses pain-in-the-back sex
Connect the dots for me here: Research consistently ranks good sex as an important component of quality of life. Back pain is a serious deal-breaker to good sex because when your back hurts, sex does...
View ArticleThink about What #WomenDeserve
This summer, in a blog post on the absence of pharmaceutical options for my treatment of women with hypoactive sexual desire disorder (HSDD), I said “I’m not in the room for the FDA discussions.”...
View ArticleLifestyle Choices for Breast Health
You know that silly song about the thigh bone being connected to the hip bone—and so on? Well, the kernel of truth in the ditty is that, when it comes to health and our bodies, things are indeed...
View ArticleCommon-Sense Tips to Ease Back Pain during Sex
Whether you have a little twinge or serious back pain during sex (and who doesn’t now and then?), these preventive measures can help ease the pain. Explain the problem. Don’t leave your partner in the...
View Article“Eating at the Y”: Why it’s a good thing
I may be going out on a limb here, but I’d like to make a case for oral sex. It gives us another avenue to intimacy and pleasure, and as such, is an important component of a lusty love life. It’s a...
View ArticleHead over Heels: A Little Primer
In the last post, I ran up the flag for oral sex—mostly as a way of keeping our repertoire broad and deep as we and our partners face age-related issues with sexual sensitivity and/or function. After...
View ArticleFilms to Fuel the Fire
When I read the results of a new study showing that couples who watch and then discuss movies about relationships could reduce the likelihood they would divorce, it occurred to me that watching movies...
View ArticleDate Night Makes a Comeback
I don’t know about you, but I care about a lot of things: my profession, my daughters, my friends, my community, my church. Because I care about them, I carve out time for them. My calendar is full,...
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Madwomen through the Holidays
I recently read a book review recounting one woman’s harrowing passage through perimenopause. The Madwoman in the Volvo is a graphic and humorous account of emotional upheaval, distress, seismic life...
View ArticleA Resolution Worth Making
We know and have mentioned before that relationships and connection are what make us happy. And yet when it’s time to make a New Year’s Resolution, what do we choose? According to one study, 47 percent...
View ArticleRepurposing Pharmaceuticals: “New” Drugs for Menopausal Symptoms
Low-fat mocha or chai tea latte? Caramel-cashew delight or plain vanilla? Everyone likes choices. As a physician, I really like to have options in my toolkit. If one drug doesn’t work or causes...
View ArticleSex and Alzheimer’s: A Tangled Web
No conversation about dementia is easy, especially when it regards someone you love. Talking about sex is no piece of cake, either. But any conversation about Alzheimer’s or dementia ought to include...
View ArticleBereaved on Valentine’s Day
When the one you loved—and the one who loved you—has died, how do you get through Valentine’s Day? If you’re in this situation, please accept our condolences. Perhaps just when it seems it couldn’t get...
View ArticleThink Outside the Heart-Shaped Box
If Valentine’s Day came and went without notice, don’t despair. The holiday is not a test; nobody’s keeping score if you’re not. That’s not the only day for romance or to show your love. When you wipe...
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