While sexual dysfunction affects both genders, it is more common in women than men, with past research showing that prevalence of sexual complaints among women is 43 percent. Additional studies have shown that lack of desire is among the top sexual difficulties experienced by women, followed by inability to achieve orgasm and pain during intercourse.
Although discourse on the topic has grown over the past few years, there are still many misconceptions about factors contributing to sexual dissatisfaction or dysfunction. Leah Millheiser, MD, a clinical assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology, is working to change that through her clinical work and recently launched blog and Twitter feed.
In an effort to foster a frank discussion of this important and often misunderstood health topic, we've asked Millheiser to respond to your questions on female sexual function. As this month's Ask Stanford Med guest, she'll address a variety of topics, including diagnosing and treating women's sexual pain, low sex drive and chronic disorders such as vulvodynia.
You can submit a question by either sending a tweet that includes the hashtag #AskSUMed or posting it in the comments section below. We’ll collect questions until Tuesday (Aug. 13) at 5 PM Pacific Time.
When submitting questions, please abide by the following ground rules:
- Stay on topic
- Be respectful to the person answering your questions
- Be respectful to one another in submitting questions
- Do not monopolize the conversation or post the same question repeatedly
- Kindly ignore disrespectful or off topic comments
- Know that Twitter handles and/or names may be used in the responses
Finally – and you may have already guessed this – an answer to any question submitted as part of this feature is meant to offer medical information, not medical advice. These answers are not a basis for any action or inaction, and they’re also not meant to replace the evaluation and determination of your doctor, who will address your specific medical needs and can make a diagnosis and give you the appropriate care.
Previously: Shining the spotlight on women’s sexual health and Birth control pill may lead to sexual problems for women
Photo by James Burrell
