Function: Sexual Penetration

Dear Dr. Myrtle, I have difficulty with vaginal penetration. When I try to have intercourse, it hurts and I just don’t want to try again. Is there anything I can do on my own, or do I need professional help? For some, vaginal penetration can be uncomfortable or impossible, and can cause difficulty with intimate sexual penetration or hamper...

Dear Dr. Myrtle, I am 44 year old and had a hysterectomy because of a tumor. I was not sexually active prior to the surgery. I am now in a relationship that could be sexual, but I am nervous. Will the hysterectomy affect my performance? Should I continue to have pelvic exams if I don’t have my uterus, but still have my ovaries? First, yes...

Dear Dr. Myrtle, After several months as friends, my dance partner and I have decided to fulfill each other’s desires. We have had a very strong sexual tension from the moment we met. Just recently we started becoming more touchy, and she has made it clear that she is ready for us to act on our desires. My fear is that when the time comes...

Dear Dr. Myrtle, I have some questions about painful anal sex.We took a big jump the other night with a rather large butt plug. It hurt, and I bled a fair amount. I don’t even really like anal stimulation, but my partner enjoys it a great deal. Is there anything you can suggest that will make this more pleasant for me? First, if anything...

Dear Dr. Myrtle, Why is my vulva so sensitive? I’ve been told I may have vulvodynia. What is vulvodynia? What can be done to treat it? There are many potential causes for pain in the vulvar region, and the term "vulvodynia" is a word that describes a variety of conditions. Vulvodyina, or chronic vulvar discomfort, is characterized by burning...

Dear Dr. Myrtle, I am with a new guy, who for the first time I thought could be "the one." After a month and half of hand holding, kissing, and touching. I was ready to make love. He undresses me I undress him, and I get a "big" shock. I’m not trying to be funny, but his penis is so big his father had to be part horse!...

Dear Dr. Myrtle, I am a 19-year-old woman. I am very small, only 5’0" and 76 pounds. My boyfriend has a very long penis (about 9-10").We have had sex about five times, and it hurts really bad when he reaches a certain depth. Could it be that he is hitting my cervix? Is this what hurts? Could it cause medical problems? Is there a way to stop the...

Dear Dr. Myrtle, I see you mention an exercise egg to help me strengthen my vaginal and pelvic floor muscles by doing Kegels. How do I use this tool? What are the advantages to using a tool to do Kegels? Pelvic floor exercise tools act as biofeedback tools and help you know if and when you are contracting your pelvic floow muscles correctly....

Dear Dr. MyrtleI think I’ve developed hemorrhoids as a consequence of anal sex. Help!It is uncommon for people to develop hemorrhoids because of anal sex. Why? Because people who enjoy comfortable anal penetration have good conscious control of their anal muscles and pelvic floor muscles, and thus are better at relaxing at the time of a...

Dear Dr. Myrtle, The other night, my partner was using her fingers to pleasure my vagina, and I started bleeding. The bleeding stopped right away. I know it wasn’t my period, because my usual period stopped about two weeks ago. I was wondering if you had any suggestions as to why this happened. Think about vaginal bleeding in two general...

Dear Dr. Myrtle, I just read the information you have on anal sex. I have a health question. My boyfriend and I have a large butt plug for me (I’m a woman). Is there any danger that my sphincter may get TOO stretched out? When I get old will I be more likely to have need for adult diapers? I am concerned. This is a very common concern,...

Dear Dr. Myrtle, I have searched for an answer to this problem to no avail. Whenever my boyfriend and I have sex, we like the "doggy" position. The problem is, after a while I get these rude sounds emitting from my vagina, like a fart. After a while, as soon as the air starts building up, I start drying up, and that hurts. And then, sometimes...

Dear Dr. Myrtle, On the subject of enemas: You said something to the effect that it’s not good to have/use/administer to oneself an enema before anal sex, but I found a hundred websites of the opinion that there’s nothing harmful about enema-ing and that it just may be beneficial...such as Columbia University’s Go Ask Alice! Yes, but where...

Dear Dr. Myrtle, I am using a moisturizing lubricant for my vaginal dryness, but I find that when I use it during intercourse, it disappears quickly and doesn’t provide much slipperiness. Is there anything I can do to make it last longer, or is there another lubricant you can recommend for use during intercourse? Moisturizing lubricants are...

Dear Dr. Myrtle, I experience a gripping pain when I orgasm! It hurts so much I don’t even want to have another. I’m healthy and fit, and I work out (Pilates) often during the week. What’s happening? Too much of a good thing With all of the focus on strengthening the pelvic floor, there seems to be a silent epidemic of inflexibly tight...

  This article explains some of the complications of a muscle spasm/trigger point of the pelvic floor. It’s detailed, but some of you wanted a better understanding of why pelvic floor trigger points seem so complicated. Trigger Points & the Asthma Attack. Did you know that a muscle spasm is similar to a flute player with asthma?...

Dr. Myrtle, I really can’t believe that anal penetration doesn’t cause anal hemorrhoids & fissures. I see anal sex listed as a cause on the internet--why? Here’s the problem: if you look in the scientific literature regarding causes of anal hemorrhoids, you find lists of causes, most of which I agree with. They list: increased...