62. Understanding Painful Sex with Jill Krapf, MD, OB/GYN

In this week's episode, I am joined with Dr. Jill Krapf to discuss the education and causes behind painful sex!

Dr. Jill Krapf (MD MEd FACOG IF) is a board-certified Obstetrician-Gynecologist specializing in female sexual pain disorders at The Center for Vulvovaginal Disorders in Washington, D.C.   She is a Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at The George Washington University. Dr. Krapf is active in research and has published chapters and peer-reviewed articles on vulvodynia and vulvar lichen sclerosus.  She is Associate Editor for the medical journal Sexual Medicine, as well as for the textbook Female Sexual Pain Disorders, 2nd Edition.  She is a Fellow of the International Society for the Study of Women’s Sexual Health (ISSWSH), serving on the Education Committee and the Social Media Committee.  She shares educational content on her Instagram page @jillkrapfmd.

Do you experience pain in the vulva area, painful sex affecting your relationship or quality of life?
Vulvodynia: the pain of the vulva, specifically where the pain is located.

What to expect with a consult:
Dr. Jill Krapf spends 1 hour & 20 minutes dedicated to new patients
1.  She will start with baseline history after getting to know you
2.  She will go through the history of your pain
3.  She will conduct an exam
4.  She will come up with a treatment plan, steps to move forward.

The causes of painful insertion sex are split into 4 categories:
 
-Hormonal
          *Women who are experiencing a drop in estrogen levels that help produce natural lubrication.
-Muscle Related
        *The pelvic floor muscles can get clenched leading to a lack of oxygen to the area causing a burning sensation
-Nerve-related
        *Nerves leading to the vulva area become irritated
-Inflammation
        *Internal inflammation, skin conditions causing tearing, tightening & irritation
        *external inflammation such as infections causing irritation

The phycological side:
         Pain-related anxiety, the idea that you have an acute pain source. For example, you treat a yeast infection and it goes away. Say, the infection comes back, and when you treat it again the symptoms didn't go away. This infection starts to affect the clothing you wear, the way you sit, and it takes up so much anxiety/fear in your daily life causing a physical pain

Connect with Dr. Jill Krapf!
 
THE CENTERS FOR VULVOVAGINAL DISORDERS: https://vulvodynia.com/
Instagram: @jillkrapfmd

Connect with Rachel!
Instagram: @The_Rachel_Maine
Website: https://linktr.ee/WellnessSexpertise
Facebook: Rachel Maine
Facebook Group: Owning Your Sexual Self 
Email: therachelmaine@gmail.com