I sought to speak to our politicians about more choice in the treatment of uterine fibroids. This is not my first rodeo, so to speak. I've been meeting with politicians and bureaucrats for a number of years trying to get better access to medications for women so that their economic conditions aren't affected.

Uterine fibroids commonly happen during the reproductive years in women, a time when they may be growing their families and advancing their careers.

Uterine fibroids come along at the busiest time in a women's life. The symptoms can be harrowing and may include heavy, irregular and prolonged uterine bleeding, anemia, pelvic pressure, sexual pain, pelvic pain, constipation, leakage of urine along with frequency and urgency. Symptomatic uterine fibroids account for 30 to 50 percent of hysterectomies in Canada annually.

The most common treatment for uterine fibroids is hysterectomy which may have a significant economic impact on women especially single moms. Most women will require 6 weeks off of work, often requiring additional child care. Also, there are significant risks such as bleeding and infection for any surgery. Many women suffer a sense of loss when their womb has been removed. fibroid-related surgical procedures cost the Canadian health care system 192 million dollars annually.

Other options such as myomectomy or ablation are not all that appealing to women either, especially when there are medications that are available. Medications such as Fibristal, a selective progesterone, receptor modulator, reduces bleeding and shrinks the size of uterine fibroids lessening they symptoms.

For any woman with uterine fibroids wishing to preserve her fertility or prevent surgery, Fibristal is an excellent choice. But most unfortunately unlike every other province in Canada, Fibristal is not covered by our medical services plan which means women have to pay out of their own pocket. And if they cannot afford this medication, their only option may be surgery. This is simply not fair.

Women need this choice and this medication needs to be covered by Pharmacare. Given the long surgical waitlists not to mention protracted waits in Emergency Departments for visits related to pain and bleeding, it would only make sense that the government cover Fibristal, reduce emergency room waits and decrease surgical waitlists.

Hence, my trip to the legislature today because this is a no brainer. Fibristal is a game-changer.

Maureen McGrath is an expert on workplace bullying and sexual harassment, a sexpert, women's health expert and hosts the CKNW Sunday Night Sex Show . Maureen's TEDx Talk on No Sex Marriage: Masturbation, Loneliness, Cheating and Shame has had close to 6 million views in one year. Sexless marriage is a thing. Maureen is the creator of the blog 50ShadesofPink.ca and has a clinical practice in North Vancouver, British Columbia where she helps many couples in sexless marriages. Maureen is also available for SKYPE consults. Contact her at her website: Back To The Bedroom For more information about Mona Lisa Touch a new novel hormone-free therapy for vaginal dryness, painful sex, low sexual desire and urinary incontinence visit Mona Lisa Touch.

Married men may experience frustration at repeated rejection because they initiate sex more often than women do but women may be even more devastated at male rejection believing there is something unattractive or undesirable about them to their partner. Men just think women hate sex. But that's another blog post.

Once couples marry, it seems that sex priorities change dramatically. Couples settle in like they would an old comfy couch. Appearances of a perfect union to the neighbours, friends and/or relatives may be more important than a bond in the bedroom.

With kids comes fatigue, smaller space, stress or a move to the suburbs and the need for a new vehicle. You will never have sex in a minivan so don't even think about it. Time, desire, finances, conflict resolution strategies, in-laws and jobs replace the passion of yesteryear (as long as you didn't marry your best friend or answer the call of your ticking biological clock which means sex was doomed from the start).

So if your wife seemingly hates sex unless she wants something (shoes, a new car or a baby) or if your husband is covertly arranging threesomes with women he's never met (a sure sign of the sexually deprived husband), or if your husband prefers sleep to seduction, your wife is too tired for sex but not shopping, you may be a victim of married sex. And here are the signals:

1. If you do this……I will have sex with you sex….This is sex that is typically associated with an unfinished home project, a hedge trim, the promise of a household chore or simply putting down the toilet seat. (women's standards are pretty low)
2. Shower Sex: The water is hot and the sex isn't. It's awkward, done only to save time.
3. Hurry up sex: The kids are awake, home, listening, going to walk in etc sex. Inevitably she hears someone at the door whether they are there or not. She will check and ruin the moment.
4. Did you did you did you.....? sex. This is transformational sex which goes from in the early days of dating, was that good for you baby? To did you, did you, did you......finish? What's wrong with you? We've been at this for a minute and a half. The hard truth is a soft reality.
5. Morning sex: I am in mourning over the loss of my sex life.
6. Sex anytime anywhere sex: You: Honey, I'm breastfeeding, have a fever, abdominal pain, diarrhea, a runny nose and am bleeding from every orifice. Him: Can we have sex?
7. Tech Sex: No this isn't about vibrators, but about watching tv or checking your iPhone during sex.
8. I want another baby sex. Yes! Yes! Yes! The sex life is reignited. Because most men’s brains are below the belt they are more than happy to oblige because pregnancy is the last thing they think will result from unprotected sex when a woman is ovulating. Our brains are hard-wired for instant gratification. So is his.
9. Why can’t we just cuddle sex? This needs no further description.
10. I wanted to but you were sleeping sex: You didn’t come upstairs fast enough and I fell asleep. Or I just had so much to do downstairs and by the time I came up (the next day), you were asleep.
11. Lights out sex- especially after children, with weight gain, peri-menopause, menopause
12. I just bought 6 pairs of Jimmy Choos sex. Cowboy, take me away!

Both men and women in same sex marriages or heterosexual unions who are deprived of sex from their spouse, experience sadness, loneliness and are at increased risk of hypertension and early death.

The signals above are foreplay to a marital fiasco. Sex in marriage does ebb and flow because marriage is under the constant influence of sex, money and in-laws. Technology too may extinguish the spark. Blue light emission interrupts your sleep and you are more likely to fight the next day. Libido plummets due to resultant tech fatigue. This may be an addiction and every bit as lethal as an addiction to alcohol, drugs, porn, sex, food or shopping.

Communication is key. Keep having the talk. The. Sex. Talk. And it's actually women who report more boredom in the bedroom. Talking about sex is arousing. Why do you think sexting is so popular? Keep in mind, a lack of sex in a marriage is the number one reason for divorce.

So if you're having more quickies than coital extravaganzas, more rejection than reconnection, she prefers long johns to lingerie or if long john is rather lonely, it may be time to massage the marriage and get Back To The Bedroom. Making sex a priority in your marriage is good for intimacy, health and your relationship. Yes, take a page out of Nike's book and "Just Do it!" But just do it well.

Maureen McGrath is a sexpert, women's health expert and hosts the CKNW Sunday Night Sex Show . Maureen's TEDx Talk on No Sex Marriage: Masturbation, Loneliness, Cheating and Shame has had close to 6 million views in one year. Sexless marriage is a thing. Maureen is the creator of the blog 50ShadesofPink.ca and has a clinical practice in North Vancouver, British Columbia where she helps many couples in sexless marriages. Maureen is also available for SKYPE consults. Contact her at her website: Back To The Bedroom For more information about Mona Lisa Touch a new novel hormone-free therapy for vaginal dryness, painful sex, low sexual desire and urinary incontinence visit Mona Lisa Touch.

Are you headed to a Sexless Marriage? Take the Quiz Sexless Marriage Quiz

Hi Maureen,

All dried up Debbie

Hi Debbie,

Thank you for your note. Vaginal dryness is the hallmark symptom of Vaginal Atrophy which is more accurately called Genitourinary Syndrome of Menopause or GSM. They symptoms of GSM are vaginal dryness, burning, itching, thin watery discharge, painful sex, post-coital bleeding and recurrent bladder infections with GSM. Gynatrof takes 2 months to optimize and since it is hormone-free, you can take more frequently even daily if you like. You can also use it during sex.

If you are experiencing symptoms of GSM, it is best treated with low dose localized estrogen therapy such as Vagifem. Vagifem is NOT HRT or Hormone Replacement Therapy which is more accurately described as Hormone Therapy which is the treatment for vasomotor symptoms of menopause such as night sweats, hot flashes and leg pains. Vagifem is low dose topical hormone therapy for vaginal atrophy or GSM. Vagifem is the lowest form of estrogen. The reason that the package insert warns about cancer is because it contains estrogen even though it is such a small amount. It is a regulation requirement that scares off a lot of women.

To be honest, those risks don't apply and it should be changed. Vagifem also takes 2-3 months to optimize after taking it daily for two weeks, then twice weekly on a Monday and Thursday typically at night. The company that manufactures Vagifem, in the interest of making it the low dose of estrogen that it is, reduced the amount of estrogen from 25 micrograms (mcg) per tablet to 10 mcg per tablet so it's not uncommon that that dose is now too low for many women. Some women have to take it three - four times a week as prescribed by their doctors.

Do not waste your money on menosense or menosmart. They do not work. End of story.

There are other low dose localized estrogen therapies: premarin cream and/or estragyn cream. There's also a ring known as an "estring" that contains estrogen, that is left in place for three months, continuously delivering estrogen to your vaginal tissues. At the end of three months, the estring is removed and a new one is inserted by your doctor, Nurse Practitioner or Nurse Continence Advisor.

As for other hormone-free options, there is Repagyn a vaginal suppository which can be ordered online at www.repagyn.ca

There is also now a new laser therapy called the Mona Lisa Touch that we are offering in our clinic which is hormone-free and takes five minutes. Three treatments every six weeks is recommended to restore a woman's vagina to her pre-menopausal state, often stopping light bladder leakage as well. .
One more point. Vaginal dryness/GSM is the one symptom/condition of menopause that doesn't go away. Whatever treatment you use is lifelong therapy. Please let me know if you require anything further.

Hope that helps,

Maureen

Maureen McGrath is a women’s health expert and hosts the Sunday Night Sex Show on News Talk 980 CKNW. She is creator of the blog 50ShadesofPink.ca and has a clinical practice in North Vancouver, British Columbia. For more information about Mona Lisa Touch, visit Mona Lisa Touch

Women have been led to believe that sexual desire precedes sexual activity when in actual fact, arousal often precedes sexual desire especially in the longer term relationships which is anything longer than two years. Once women realize that this linear sexual response is not reliable, they can understand why things hadn't been working the way they thought they should.

That said, if your sex live needs a reboot, a little support may be required in getting the juices flowing, the arousal going. This begins with a little self exploration. It's important ladies to know yourself, explore your body and learn what feels good. According to research about 85% of women self-stimulate so next time you do, make sure you get naked first. This in and of itself is arousing. Touch yourself, feel the sensations, explore and learn what feels good.

In addition to feeling good, self-stimulation revitalizes body tissues and releases emotional tension. Masturbation may help you to increase your arousal to a higher level and experience orgasm and/or increase the pleasure or intensity of an orgasm. Pleasuring yourself is helpful if your partner is on a different sexual rhythm and not only meets your sexual needs, you will be able to communicate to your partner what feels good. Masturbation is healthy, normal and beneficial both physically and emotionally ladies. If you can't touch yourself, who can you touch?

Be comfortable in your own skin and strut your stuff! Naked, of course. The next time you make love with your partner, walk in the room naked. Well ok, naked with the exception of some hot pink pumps perhaps. I was in a store recently and a guy had picked up a size 7 hot pink strappy pump from the sale section to show to his girlfriend. The shoes were too small for her but fortunately were just my size! Know what you want ladies and go after it!

Consider, doing your household chores with nothing on and celebrate! Pay bills at your desk in the buff! Fantasize, it's fun! Conduct your business in your birthday suit! You might want to stop short of answering the door for the delivery man in the buff unless of course it's a fantasy fulfilled. Dream on ladies! It's arousing indeed!

Almost naked works too. You don't want to wear too much which is why a G-String may be perfect. G-string panties are naturally arousing as they gently press against your clitoris. The tighter the G-string, the more pressure applied. You get it.

In order to be comfortable in your skin and strut your stuff in pumps, obviously you must be comfortable with your body. This calls for my "Get Naked Diet." Make a commitment to cutting out sugar, alcohol, carbohydrates and process foods. The "Get Naked Diet" is a lifestyle change to health, clean eating; high protein, low carb, water, low glycemic fruits and vegetables.

Eating this way will increase your energy levels, improve your mood and help you to sleep better. Fatigue is the number one reason for low sexual desire and will no longer plague your sexual response. This Get Naked Plan may also reduce pain because of the elimination of the inflammatory agent sugar from your diet.

Exercise is important too as not only does it aid in flexibility, it increases serotonin levels, improving mood and overall wellness. You can sure exercise in the buff in the privacy of your own home which may increase arousal also! If you feel good, you can't help but look good. I'm not suggesting that only thin bodies are sexy, rather that women with confidence in their bodies are the sexiest bodies. Keep in mind, your physical, emotional and spiritual health are tied to your sex life.

So celebrate your body, get naked, touch yourself, fantasize and strut your stuff back to the bedroom ladies! You'll be glad you did. Oh and one more thing.....no marriage is perfect and you will have conflict, so remember settle all marital arguments in the bedroom.....NAKED!

Maureen McGrath is a women’s health expert and hosts the Sunday Night Sex Show on News Talk 980 CKNW. She is creator of the blog 50ShadesofPink.ca and has a clinical practice in North Vancouver, British Columbia. She is an expert in the Sexless Marriage. Her TEDx talk on the matter has received close to 5 million views in one year.

Vaginal Dryness? Painful Sex? Light Bladder Leakage? For information about vaginal rejuvenation, Mona Lisa Touch might be for you. Please visit Mona Lisa Touch

At age 65, Betsy presented with recurrent urinary tract infections and vaginal dryness. She also leaked urine when she coughed or sneezed. She had been waiting for an appointment with her gynaecologist for three months. Her GP had no idea how to treat her. She kept prescribing antibiotics but there was one problem. Her urine for culture and sensitivity came back negative. Betsy was frustrated.

Lucy was diagnosed with lichen sclerosis, a skin condition of the vulva that results in pain and itching not to mention scarring of the vulva. This not only was uncomfortable and embarrassing, it impacted her self-esteem. She was offered cortisone cream as a treatment by her doctor but she feared that it would thin her skin and make matters worse over time. She hoped for a more permanent solution.

Lichen Sclerosis is a skin condition that creates patchy, white skin that's thinner than normal. Lichen sclerosus can affect skin anywhere on your body. But it most often involves skin of the vulva or around the anus in women.

A woman’s sex life and/or self-esteem needn’t suffer because of any of the above conditions which are quite common in women. Vaginal dryness which is often the cause of painful sex is the hallmark symptom of Genitourinary Syndrome of Menopause (GSM) (formerly called Vaginal Atrophy), a condition that affects women during the menopausal years. Vaginal dryness, leakage of urine, recurrent urinary tract infections are all common symptoms of GSM along with thin watery discharge, post-coital bleeding, painful sex and itching.

Estrogen is the hormone regulator of the vagina and is what keeps the vagina in balance and well lubricated. Lubrication is why sex doesn’t hurt. Estrogen also accounts for the elasticity of the vagina and it is those reasons prevent sex from being painful.

When estrogen decreases in the vagina, the vaginal walls may become dry, lose elasticity and predispose a woman to recurrent urinary tract infections. The treatment for GSM has historically been hormone-free personal moisturizers and/or hormone treatments such as a tablet, cream or a ring that are inserted into the vagina. Both are local therapies and typically doesn’t cause any side effects.

The down side of localized estrogen therapy is that it has to be taken for your entire life twice weekly if you are using a tablet or cream form. If you are using the ring, then this must be inserted and removed by a health care professional every three months. If you stop using localized estrogen therapy your condition will rebound. This is the only symptom of menopause that typically doesn't go away. These therapies are lifelong.

Although localized estrogen therapy is low dose, many women especially those who’ve had breast or uterine cancer are uncomfortable with any amount of it no matter how small. Although localized estrogen typically doesn’t cross over into the bloodstream, we don't really know for sure because some women do experience breast tenderness.

When estrogen levels decline after menopause, many changes occur and women may suffer as a result. They needn’t. You’ve heard of laser therapy for the face? Now there’s laser therapy for the vagina. Enter Mona Lisa Touch a new novel fractional CO2 laser therapy for vaginal health. It is being used to treat vaginal dryness, painful sex GSM (vaginal atrophy), leakage of urine and may even help some women with lichen sclerosis.

Many women have called this new laser treatment life changing. Others have said it brought them back to their youth. The Mona Lisa Touch laser therapy is a simple procedure that takes less than five minutes. Typically, a woman will need 2-3 treatments and many women report symptom relief after the very first treatment and even greater improvement after the second and third treatments.

The Mona Lisa Touch is convenient, performed in the doctor’s office, requires no anaesthesia, has minimal side effects and requires no downtime. The Mona Lisa laser probe is inserted into the woman’s vagina and delivers laser pulses. The total procedure time is less than five minutes and is virtually painless.

Some women may experience mild discomfort with the laser probe tip insertion during the first procedure if there is sensitivity. Many women report instant relief and provides lasting results. A once a year single treatment is recommended after the first series of treatments to maintain symptom relief.

Ladies, don’t let vaginal dryness, painful sex, leakage of urine and/or lichen sclerosis get in the way of your life or worse your love life. There are lots of treatments available including laser therapy such as the Mona Lisa Touch which I'm happy to report, we are now offering for women in my clinical practice. Mona Lisa Touch

Maureen McGrath is a women’s health expert and hosts the Sunday Night Sex Show on News Talk 980 CKNW. She is creator of the blog 50ShadesofPink.ca and has a clinical practice in North Vancouver, British Columbia. For more information about Mona Lisa Touch, visit Mona Lisa Touch

Convinced that she can stop the threat, Paula takes on most of the duties of the home after the wedding. Fighting alongside men in a domestic war to end all wars, she finally discovers her full powers of cleaning, organizing, breastfeeding, working in and outside of the home, scheduling, cooking, homework, dinner prep, bill paying lunches and laundry. It's no wonder there was little left over for lust at the end of the day. Her super powers diminishing, this wonder woman was wilting.

Her powers seemed to "peter out" once she got back to the bedroom at the end of the day with her husband. The fatigued former princess turned power woman was losing her sexual desire. She was one unhappy princess. This power princess understood the importance of owning her sexuality. She knew that the experience of an orgasm was just the power she needed to help her with sleep, mood and the pain of her daunting domesticity. Plus, she needed to rev up her sex drive.

Enter the Wonder "Womanizer"

a clitoral suckling device with a laser like red beam that "finds" the spot. No guess work here ladies. No instruction needed. The Womanizer is placed on your clitoris after you turn it on and finds your spot. It's a hands- free device that is good for any exhausted princess. There are 8 settings, ladies so you can control your own power.

There is so much power packed into the wondrous womanizer, many princesses report a pleasure like never before. And it's fast. Orgasms are experienced within a few minutes at the most. The womanizer knows we power princesses are pressed for time. A trip to the moon and back in no time often experiencing "multiples" of varying types of orgasms designed to give you sexual pleasure like never before.

For those princesses who've never been able to experience orgasm (a condition known as primary anorgasmia), most report climaxing for the first time in their lives. This revolutionary pleasure air technology makes it possible to stimulate the clitoris without direct contact, thus avoiding overstimulation and hypersensitivity. The womanizer is the best thing to happen to a woman's sexuality since the sexual revolution of the 60's.

As wonder women, we don't often focus on ourselves. The womanizer will help you to do that. It's therapeutic because it helps you to handle the daily stress of your power packed days. And you have the the power to turn on your womanizer for yourself or for your husband, should he be man enough to understand this little power packed pleasure device is not intended to replace him rather to revive your sex life!

With power packed in the palm of your hand, this revolutionary pleasure air technology makes it possible to stimulate the clitoris without direct contact, thus avoiding overstimulation and hypersensitivity. So if you want to put a smile on your face, a spring in your step and add a punch to your power, the womanizer is for you!

To gain new powers ladies, you can purchase your wonder womanizer here: Womanizer

Maureen McGrath hosts the Sunday Night Sex Show on News Talk 980 CKNW and owns six womanizers, one in every colour. Her TEDx talk has had over 2.7 million views. She is in private practice in North Vancouver and author of the book: Sex & Health:Why One Can't Come Without The Other. She is Executive Director of the Women's Health Initiative Network. She loves Conversations That Matter About Sex.

#sex #femalesexuality #menopause #yvr #love #lust #lowsexualdesire #relationships

A consummate interviewer, Stu got right down to it inquiring about the sexual frequency of the millennials versus the menopausal. This was where I got to dispel some myths. Everyone thinks the millennials are having great sex. This flies in the face of conventional wisdom. The research doesn't support this and most millennials have less sex than baby boomers. That's in part because we associate sex with youth. Not true.

We live in such a sexualized society yet we remain prudish on the prose around sex. Because the subject of sex remains taboo, many people struggle with talking about it. Couples who may have been together for years suddenly go silent when struggles emerge between the sheets. From vaginal dryness to unresolved conflict, erectile dysfunction to anorgasmia, low sexual desire to division of household chores, fatigue, finances and infidelity, the problems with sex are endless and can wreak havoc on relationships.

When technology is the preferred bedfellow to a spouse, the same brain chemicals are released and provide pleasure equivalent to a good romp in the hay. There are other dangers too. You can be whomever you wish....on line. And you can cheat with someone you've never met.....on-line. And in this era of technology, it's never been easier to cheat.....or get caught. And....and...and....

Couples over the age of 50 can have their best sex ever as many women's sexuality awakens at this time of life. Many people especially women overcome their body image insecurities, free themselves from religious sex shrouds and have enough sexual experience (or not) to know what they want.

Although much of the advice around a good sex life centres on leading a healthy life through lifestyle, diet and exercise to increase blood flow, important for sexual function, there's clearly a need to add variety to spice things up especially in the long term relationship. Vulnerability and the willingness to explore is integral to a great sex life. Dirty talk has never been more important.

Since my interview with Stu aired, I've had countless emails from people recounting their sexual struggles. For the most part, it has been men reporting a frustration about things going down in the bedroom. Well everything except for them. Pun intended. Their wives no longer want to have sex with them!

The inclination is to blame their spouse but I am quick to point out that there may be one of many reasons their wives do not desire sex with them. Irritability, anger, depression, excessive alcohol consumption, substance use/abuse, workaholism, pornography, children, infidelity, weight gain and/or erectile dysfunction are just some of the many turn offs for women. One must take a look at themselves first. Blame is shame.

Men get turned off too and when a man doesn't desire sex with his wife, she may feel unloved, undesirable and lonely. The karyon of this may be his low testosterone level, depression, cannibis or erectile dysfunction. That said, he may no longer be attracted to his wife if she has gained weight. Or he may be getting sex elsewhere. It may sound shallow but this is no time to get offended. It's time to do something to help yourself and your marriage.

The fifty something crowd contacted me to say their sex life came to a screeching halt because of painful sex due to vaginal dryness. Many women opposed to taking any form of medication are unaware that not only are there hormone-free personal moisturizers, but a new laser therapy called Mona Lisa Touch is also available.

At the end of the interview Stu asked for my best advice. That is such a difficult question to answer because there exists an exorbitant amount of problems with sex, and just as many answers.

But I know this is true. When you confront a problem, you begin to treat it. Sex is important throughout life and there are significant risks such as infidelity, chronic masturbation and/or pornography when sex flies out the bedroom window whether you are in a same sex marriage or a heterosexual union.

Listen to your partner's concerns about your problems with sex. Your partner's sexual problems are your problems. If you don't listen and deal with any sexual dysfunction, you may find yourself with relationship problems. To listen to a Conversation That Matters with Stu McNish, here's the link: The Problems With Sex

Maureen McGrath hosts the Sunday Night Sex Show on News Talk 980 CKNW, is an avid blogger and an ardent feminist interested in equality. She shaves her legs, loves men and can take a joke. Her TEDx talk has had over 2.7 million views. She is in private practice in North Vancouver and author of the book: Sex & Health:Why One Can't Come Without The Other. She is Executive Director of the Women's Health Initiative Network. She loves Conversations That Matter About Sex.

Angela's relationship was also suffering as she was no longer able to make love to her husband because sex was so painful. This was impacting him and he had turned to pornography which made her feel even less desirable. Angela had been to several doctors and physiotherapists to no avail. One specialist a uro-gynaecologist didn't even examine her vagina when she went to see him. Angela was in despair.

Angela described her vaginal pain as though knives were cutting her on the inside. She also had burning and occasional itching. When I examined Angela, I noted that her vaginal tissues were pale, thin and red. All of these were signs of Genitourinary Syndrome of Menopause (GSM). GSM was previously called vaginal atrophy or vulvovaginal atrophy. The symptoms described by Angela in addition to the results of my examination confirmed a diagnosis of GSM.

I suggested Angela return to her own doctor with my letter outlining her diagnosis and my pronged approach for treatment of GSM which included:

1. Low dose localized estrogen therapy (by prescription)
2. Gynatrof a hormone-free personal moisturizer (available over the counter)
3. Vaginal dilators once her vagina healed after using the above for 2 months
4. Slow return to penetrative sex with her husband

Angela's doctor agreed with my recommendations fortunately. He gave Angela a prescription for a low dose localized estrogen and I gave her some samples of Gynatrof. After two weeks nightly of the estrogen that was to be insert into her vagina, I advised Angela to take estrogen twice weekly on a Monday and Thursday and Gynatrof twice weekly on a Tuesday and Saturday.

Angela was compliant with my recommendations and returned to my office after two months as that is how long this treatment takes to optimize. No longer Angela she suffer vaginal pain. Her vagina was now well lubricated and she was ready to use the dilators and begin to have sex with her husband once again! She was delighted and excited which is a good thing because guys love enthusiastic lovers.

I suggested Angela begin using the smallest dilator and gradually increase every two weeks to the next size. I also suggested she begin to be intimate again with her husband and to start with fondling and have him pleasure her using his hand and/or tongue or both. Then they could slowly return to penetrative sex starting with him using his finger slowly and then advance to inserting his penis.

Since Gynatrof is a lubricant as well as a personal moisturizer, I suggested she use Gynatrof during sex. She was so grateful because she now felt so lubricated with the addition of Gynatrof. She felt Gynatrof was so helpful as she and her husband returned to to their previously intimate life. Gynatrof once again was a critical component to treating vaginal and sexual pain. Angela had her sexy back! One more marriage saved by Dr. Love with a little help from Gynatrof.

Marie-Claire had been involved in an extra marital affair with Louis for the past year. The chemistry was incredible, the passion so palpable, they danced between pleasure and pain. But Marie-Claire was also in emotional pain. Although initially the liaison was strictly for sex in her mind, she started to have feelings for Louis in her heart.

Marie-Claire described a raw sexual attraction she and Louis had for one another from the second they met which ignited even further between the sheets. They would have sex for hours at a time, exploring each other, being playful and having fun, engaging in light BDSM and anal. A very sensual woman, Louis's sexual desire matched hers. Finally a man with whom she could express herself sexually, shame free! But he belonged to another woman.

Louis and his wife were not sexually active because she was peri-menopausal, experiencing vaginal dryness and refused to get treatment. Marie-Claire knew all about that but took a different tack. She had a very stressful job and her last relationship ended badly. Soon thereafter, she began to have vaginal dryness which her doctor said was the result of stress.

Marie Claire's vaginal dryness was resolving when she met Louis because it was just about the same time she discovered Gynatrof, a hormone-free all natural personal moisturizer that contains Vitamin E and hyaluronic acid to keep vaginal tissues supple. Gynatrof is also a lubricant which can be used during sex especially anal.

But the current issue was the realization that the longer she continued her illicit affair, the longer Louis would remain in his marriage. Men cheat to remain in sexless marriages. The longer the affair went on, the more this thought came to mind and the more upset Marie-Claire became.

I've seen many people hurt terribly during an extramarital affair and it's not always the unwitting spouse. Extramarital affairs are more often than not, about the sex. That said, it is a challenge to leave the emotion out of it because of the release of the feel good hormones. Chemistry is one thing but commitment is something else altogether.

It's easy to have a clandestine affair, but something quite different to leave a home, in-laws, children, pets, friends, country club memberships and other aspects of a marriage that are held dear. Yes, Marie-Claire, the more you sleep with him, the more inclined he is to remain in his marriage. The truth hurts.

Maureen McGrath hosts the Sunday Night Sex Show on News Talk 980 CKNW. Her TEDx talk on the Sexless Marriage has had over 2.3 million views. She is in private practice in North Vancouver and author of the book: Sex & Health:Why One Can't Come Without The Other. She is Executive Director of the Women's Health Initiative Network.

Young married couples are busier than ever, working long hours to get ahead and service astronomical debt. Add children to the mix and the pressures drastically increase leading to stress, sleep deprivation and exhaustion. The mounting pressures of raising children where family may be far away include everything from perfect party planning to play dates to early lineups ensuring junior a position at a prestigious preschool.

Sex starved marriages are certainly not limited to the young. Couples of all ages may find themselves in a union that meets infrequently beneath the sheets. The novelty of a new relationship means the frequency of sex may be quite high but as the couple settles into life and routines, the sex can become, well, let’s say a little..…hum drum. The old "you again" scenario. In fact, being in a long-term relationship may lead to boredom in the bedroom, another common reason for infrequent sex amongst many couples. And women report more boredom than their male counterparts according to research.

Sexless marriages don’t happen overnight and stem from a variety of reasons. Surprisingly, the love may be there for the sex starved couple, but the flame has flickered and the light has all but gone out. Low sexual desire, more common in women than men, is a notorious reason for a less than lacklustre love life. And the number one reason for low sexual desire? Fatigue.

Sally, a mother of three and the principal breadwinner of the family, says that day after day of dealing with her three children, her high stress job as a marketing director and mounting financial debt associated with a house move just before her husband lost his job leaves her exhausted at the end of each day, and the last thing on her mind is sex. "It has been more than a year since she's had sex with her husband," she bemoans but claims not to be as bothered as her husband. Lack of sex in a relationship is dangerous and is a leading cause of infidelity and breakups.

Medical conditions like depression or anxiety account for a number of sex-starved marriages. Vaginal dryness is another common cause easily treated by personal moisturizers like Gynatrof, a hormone-free over the counter all natural product. Anger, irritability or a general negative outlook may, in fact mask depression. Jealousy, resentment and loss of self-esteem have an impact on what goes on, or not, in the bedroom as well.

Realizing the importance of intimacy in a relationship is the first step in healing a sexless marriage. The benefits of sex include the release of endorphins, the “feel good hormone”, which may aid sleep, reduce pain and improve mood. So before you head out to buy twin beds, try to heal your sexual woes by understanding the root cause of your problem. If finances are the issue, downsize, set a budget or live within your means. Successfully tackling any problem together promotes intimacy, which may increase sexual desire.

Make your bedroom your oasis, a sanctuary for sex. Choose a long wet kiss over an obligatory peck. Try morning sex after a good nights' sleep. Cortisol levels are highest in the morning, so you will have more energy to do it. Experiment. Try tantric sex, the ancient Hindu practice, a slow form of meditative sex that not only bonds but also creates a mind-body connection that leads to more powerful orgasms.

Couples need to make their relationship a priority in their lives. If that means scheduling sex, then get out your iPhone and add it to your calendar. But for heaven’s sake, don’t bring it back into the bedroom.

Maureen McGrath hosts the Sunday Night Sex Show on News Talk 980 CKNW. Her TEDx talk on the Sexless Marriage has had over 2.2 million views. She is in private practice in North Vancouver, BC. She is author of the book: Sex & Health:Why One Can't Come Without The Other. She is Executive Director of the Women's Health Initiative Network.