sallie spotlight | women’s health
Ask Dr. Wood
charge that is not harmful or concerning. Also, discharge can vary depending on where you are at in your cycle. For example, if you are ovulating, you are likely to have a very thin, clear, stringy discharge. Your body is ready to create a pregnancy and even your discharge is willing to help! During other times of your cycle, many women will have a thin, slightly off-white or tan-colored discharge. Normal discharge should not be uncomfortable or have odor. If you are experiencing abnormal discharge by color, discomfort or odor, please seek health care. A very quick examination can get you quickly on the road to recovery.
By Dr. Trish Wood, Board Certified OB/GYN Sponsored by the Flint Hills Community Health Center/ Lyon County Health Department
Your yearly exam is complete. You’ve answered all the questions asked of you. You’ve even asked a few appropriate questions about your overall health. I start to leave and politely say my goodbyes. My hand is on the doorknob and just before I leave I hear a quiet, “Ummm ... ” Don’t worry! If you’ve made it this far I promise to take if from here. Many women have more questions on their minds than they tend to confess. It’s my job to make you feel comfortable enough to bring them to me. As I have been known to say on a daily basis, if you can’t go to your gynecologist with your questions, who can you go to?! One of my many rewarding experiences is figuring out how to communicate to you in a way that makes you feel comfortable enough to tell me what’s really on your mind. There’s no shock effect for me. If you’re thinking it, I’ve heard it! Let’s just get right down to it. There are a handful of questions that seem to be the most embarrassing for you. For me, answering them, or investigating them, is a part of my daily routine. Is it common to experience decreased sex drive? I just don’t seem to be interested in sex? Decreased libido is a diagnosis I review on a daily basis. Yes, it is quite common. If you are experiencing decreased sex drive you should visit with your health-care provider. There are many reasons why you might be experiencing low sex drive; hormone imbalance, side effect of birth control or other medication, menopause, stress, exhaustion, lack of stimulation prior to intercourse. There are many things for us to evaluate. The message I first try to convey to my patients is: You are not alone! Decreased libido is common in most women’s lives at one time or another, and for some women, for most of their life. I have many recommendations for you. Some women have found tremendous results from supplemental hormones that increase sex drive. Others need some recommendations on a different approach to sex. Many women are pressed for time and skip over the most important aspect of the actual sexual encounter: FOREPLAY! STIMULATION! Without time for appropriate stimulation, there isn’t adequate hormone response to effect your vaginal tissue allowing for comfortable sex. STIMULATION = APPROPRIATE HORMONES = RESPONSIVE TISSUE = GOOD SEX! I have been known to give my patients homework. Here is a common plan: Buy a kitchen timer and set it to 15 minutes. 68
Your partner is not allowed to undress himself for those 15 minutes. Encourage him to be creative with you during that time! Again, the idea here is allow your body the time for stimulation, to be prepared for intercourse. When its not, intercourse is uncomfortable and can even be painful. It doesn’t take too long before the desire for sex decreases subconsciously as a result. Can I have sex on my period? The short answer is, absolutely! Some women, however, are very uncomfortable while menstruating. Cramping, bloating, moodiness are all symptoms commonly found during this time. Others, however, are quite lucky not to experience these symptoms and some even have increased sex drive with their period. Some things to remember, however, is that your estrogen level is usually lower during your period. As a result your vaginal tissue may be a little more delicate and thin than it is during other times of the month. Make sure you have adequate lubrication. If you feel dry despite adequate stimulation, try plain water-based lubrication. Another great rule of thumb (for every woman, anytime) is, empty your bladder before and after intercourse. This will flush out the bacteria in your urethra, near your bladder to decrease the odds of a urinary tract infection. What can I do if sex is painful? If intercourse is painful, you need to seek care with your physician. Sometimes an evaluation will reveal findings responsible for your discomfort. Other times the solution is as simple as a recommendation for different positions during intercourse, or a longer interval of time for stimulation. If you aren’t getting adequate time for stimulation, you aren’t receiving the appropriate hormone response to prepare your body for sex. Remember ... STIMULATION = APPROPRIATE HORMONES = RESPONSIVE TISSUE = GOOD SEX! Is all vaginal discharge bad? Most women have a normal physiologic dis-
What do I do if I can’t remember if I removed a tampon? This is a question I hear from time to time by a mortified patient who barely had the courage to even present for evaluation. If you ever find yourself in this situation, and can’t confirm if you’ve removed a tampon, please schedule an appointment promptly. A very quick and simple examination will put your mind at rest and save you a great deal many more problems! And please know, you are not the first person to have this concern! Do I really need to see my health-care provider yearly? Yes, you do. Depending on your PAP history, you may not need a PAP test every year, but you do need a complete “Well Woman Exam.” What may feel like a brief exam to you can yield tremendous answers or clues about your overall health. Although it may be difficulty to squeeze into your schedule, taking the time to do so will help you to avoid any unnecessary surprises that could have be easily handled if caught early. What if I’m too embarrassed to tell the scheduler why I’m making an appointment? This is a completely understandable concern. If you are making an appointment regarding something personal, feel free to be vague. No one needs to know your direct concerns except your physician. “I need to schedule an appointment about a personal problem.” “I need to schedule an appointment and prefer to tell the physician the reason.” “I need to schedule an appointment and I’m not comfortable saying the reason.” You get the point. You don’t have to say anything to the office staff or scheduler that impedes you from presenting or feels invasive to your privacy. The point is to get there! So you when you find yourself mortified about a question or concern, remember this article, smile and tell yourself, “If I can’t ask my gynecologist, who can I ask?!”