Female sexual dysfunction is a new area of scientific study and at this time little is known about its causes. It is not normal for women to experience discomfort during sexual activity or intercourse. However, there can be numerous reasons why intercourse may be painful for women and it is a common complaint. Physical reasons may include low androgen levels, lack of arousal and lubrication or internal structures such as cysts on the walls of the vagina.

After surgery, it takes time to regain your strength as well as confidence in your new knee. Most people feel able, physically and mentally, to engage in sexual activity about four to six weeks after surgery. Although individuals vary in their healing rate, at the four to six week point the incision, muscles and ligaments are usually sufficiently healed to consider resuming sexual activity. Talk to your surgeon if you have any questions regarding this.

Most men and women do develop some form of sexual dysfunction as they age. Often, this may be a result of some medical issue such as a circulation, hormone or neurological problem. Also life style factors such as alcohol use, smoking, weight and cholesterol levels have been associated with sexual difficulties. Even depression and many medications have sexual side effects.

middot; Some couples worry about having intercourse during pregnancy. They may be afraid that it will cause a miscarriage. For a healthy woman with a normal pregnancy, intercourse is safe into the last weeks of pregnancy. You and your partner may want to experiment with different positions that may be more comfortable for you. If you are having problems in your pregnancy, your health care provider may advise you to limit or avoid intercourse as necessary.

Another thing to keep in mind is that there is more to this than just your physical recovery. For many women who have just had a child, sex is the last thing on their mind - and their partners need to understand that between sleep deprivation and hormones, a woman's body is a bit of a war zone for a while after delivering a baby. Each couple must work through this particular issue in relation to the physical and emotional state of the new mother.

Answer: It is OK to continue intercourse unless told otherwise by your individual physician or if it is painful. There is more detailed information in your Great Expectations Book on page 28.

Some medications can affect performance and/or enjoyment during intercourse. Many narcotic pain relievers and cortisone medications can decrease sexual performance. Other common medication-related side effects are a decreased interest in sex, vaginal dryness, abnormal erections and delayed orgasms. If you sense that your medication is causing these side effects, try having sex in the morning before taking your first dose or in the evening before your last dose.

Your surgeon consults with each patient on this topic. Depending on a number of factors including age and extent of surgery, normal sexual relations can usually be resumed in 6 to 8 weeks.

I am a lesbian, and I was wondering what happens as far as pap smears and pelvic exams if I never have had, nor plan on having, normal sexual intercourse that is normally the requirement for having a pap smear. I have just started chemotherapy for breast cancer. I have read on the internet that my partner should wear a condom whilst I am on chemotherapy and for a few weeks afterwards. None of the health practitioners has said this. Can you advise. Many thanks. I have recently miscarried at 5.

Many women do. Because estrogen peaks around ovulation, women typically experience a wet, slippery sensation due to the fertile cervical fluid they produce. This cervical fluid feels similar to sexual lubrication, and can therefore be experienced as a sexual feeling. A woman who practices FAM needn't worry about confusing the two, because cervical fluid is checked periodically throughout the day, and not when she is sexually aroused.

Pregnancy can only occur in the few days following ovulation (the release of an egg). This usually takes place at some point in the middle of a woman's menstrual cycle, between her periods. Unfortunately, women have no definite way of knowing exactly when they are ovulating, so there is no guaranteed "safe" time to have unprotected sex.

If you are going to have sex, using a condom is the best way to protect both partners against becoming infected with a sexually transmitted disease. They also protect against pregnancy.

Yes. You can continue having sexual intercourse without fear of hurting the baby through the ninth month as long as you are not experiencing pre-term labor. Check with your doctor if your pregnancy is considered high-risk or if you have other concerns.

You can engage in sexual activity when you feel comfortable, usually after one to two weeks. Remember to moderate your activities and stop if you have any pain and then try to find a more comfortable position.

Safe sex is any sexual practice that reduces the risk of transmission of HIV from one person to another. The best protection is by sexual activities that prevent entry of infected semen, vaginal secretions or blood into the mouth, vagina or anus of the partner. These practices include: Using a condom for all types of sexual intercourse (vaginal, anal or oral) to prevent body secretions containing HIV to come in contact with the skin or mucous membranes of the partner.

Yes, it is safe for a man using Propecia® to have sex with his pregnant wife. The pregnant woman must not ingest the pills, or even handle the actual pills, or any liquid form of finasteride during her pregnancy, because Propecia® is easily absorbed through the skin. Propecia® could potentially harm a male fetus, especially if taken during the third trimester of pregnancy when the sexual organs are developing.

It depends on whether your period coincides with your fertile lunar phase (see below). If it does... well then Yes it is a possibility that you may get pregnant if you have unprotected sex. If it doesn't then you should be OK.

Donors should not engage in sexual intercourse while taking the fertility medication and should not resume sexual activity until they have experienced their first menstrual cycle following the egg retrieval procedure. Engaging in sexual activity during this time can drastically increase your chances of getting pregnant.

This is a personal choice to some extent. In most cases, enjoying sexual intercourse is fine and will not cause harm to the fetus.

Results following our initial 250 operations show that men reporting normal preoperative erections (SHIM >21), potency returned gradually, reaching 85.4% at 12 months and 91.7% at 18 months.

Ask your doctor's advice. Do not have intercourse until you feel comfortable about it. It usually takes about a week after abdominal sterilization. You will have to wait at least four weeks after a vaginal sterilization or sterilization after childbirth. top^

Yes. Keep the site covered with a duty bandage and wear a shirt with sleeves that cover the site as an added precaution.

The frequency of intercourse generally should be that which the couple considers most enjoyable. However, during the time of the moth when ovulation takes place, the most advantageous frequency of intercourse is every other day (i.e., every 48 hours). The reason for this interval is that sperm should survive for 48 hours within the woman's reproductive tract and the egg should be subject to impregnate for 12 to 24 hours.

There is no evidence that sex causes miscarriage or premature labor. You may be sexually active until labor starts unless your physician instructs you otherwise. Lubricants such as Astroglide or KY jelly are not harmful.

You may resume your normal sexual activity one week after the surgery. Remember, however, that you may not be sterile until some time after the operation, and therefore you should continue to use some form of birth control until your doctor confirms that all sperm have disappeared from your semen.