by Dr. Barb Depree, M.D.
In a post last month we established that folks over 50 are reentering the singles scene with seriously outdated information about the sexually transmitted infections (STIs) that have become commonplace since their own prom nights.
When it comes to older people and STIs, “don’t ask; don’t tell” is the MO. Doctors don’t think to ask Grandma about her sex life, and Grandma sure ain’t talking. […]
by Dr. Barb Depree, M.D.
In our little roundup of sexually transmitted infections, maybe you’ve noticed that many of them have no symptoms, and others mimic common illnesses like the flu or a urinary tract infection.
The take-away? There’s no way to know if you’re carrying an STI without getting tested. And there’s no way to prevent reinfection unless your partner gets tested, too. […]
by Dr. Barb Depree, M.D.
When was the last time your doctor asked you how your sex life was going?
I thought so.
In a new study, a team from the University of Chicago surveyed over a thousand OB/GYNs about whether they talk with their patients about sex. The results may not surprise you, but they won’t reassure you, either. […]
by Dr. Barb Depree, M.D.
The provider-patient relationship is delicate and fraught with opportunity for misunderstanding. On one hand, you have a busy professional in a somewhat risky, stressful profession who is pressed for time and is trained to speak a foreign language—medical mumbo-jumbo. […]
by Dr. Barb Depree, M.D.
Dr. Sheryl Kingsberg is a MiddlesexMD advisor and a psychologist specializing in women’s sexual health. She talks to physicians a lot about why it’s important to at least ask about a patient’s sexual health and maybe take her sexual health history. So she’s very familiar with the view from the physician’s side of the desk when it comes to talking about sex with patients. […]
by Beverley Golden
Being an Aquarian with five other planets in air, I am challenged by the persistent desire to fly wherever I want to go. Of course not in the literal flying sense, but in the metaphorical craving to get where I’m going as fast as I can. It is a daily challenge for me to stay in my body and be on the ground. I believe this is partly why I’ve had so many physical health issues from a young age, a reminder that I need to pay attention to and be in my body. […]
by Barb Depree
I get occasional questions about erotic use of various household objects. I am, after all, long trained as a physician, so safety and hygiene are among my first concerns. And, since starting MiddlesexMD, I’ve seen some very well designed vibrators, dilators, and dildos that I know are safe, easy to clean, and designed specifically for older women’s pleasure. […]
by Rosemary Lichtman, Ph.D., and Phyllis Goldberg, Ph.D
The “Sandwich Generation” is a term that has now made it into the dictionary. It fits an increasing number of Boomer women whose reality includes being squeezed between the demands of growing children and the needs of aging parents. […]
by Andrea Lynn
My daughter has become fascinated by health – good and bad – since she turned 4. Four is a year for discussions about death and sex, I’ve been warned by friends. It’s been true, so far, but far more interesting than either is health – what is good for us, what is bad for us. Her fascination with exercise, healthy eating and the horrors of smoking, among other things, is fodder for daily discussion. And while I’m all for healthy discussion about nearly anything, the talk of health hits me just as I’m occasionally starting to feel old. Or not old, exactly, but a little tired. […]
by Dawn Aarons, BA, D.A.C.
Menopause is called a “Second Spring” in Chinese Medicine. This is distinct from the “summer heat wave” or “winter storm” that some women describe.
A woman has entered menopause when one year has passed from her last menstrual period. The transitional phase leading up to that time is called perimenopause, and it can last for many years beginning anywhere from a woman’s late 30’s to her 50’s. […]