http://kinseyconfidential.org Just another WordPress weblog Tue, 16 Mar 2010 17:20:29 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 en hourly 1 2006-2007 aschweig@indiana.edu (Kinsey Confidential) aschweig@indiana.edu (Kinsey Confidential) posts 1440 Just another WordPress weblog Kinsey Confidential Kinsey Confidential aschweig@indiana.edu No no http://kinseyconfidential.org/wp-content/themes/kinsey/images/kinsey-podcast-300.jpg http://kinseyconfidential.org 144 144 http://kinseyconfidential.org/clitoris-vulva-fusing/ http://kinseyconfidential.org/clitoris-vulva-fusing/#comments Mon, 18 Jan 2010 14:00:26 +0000 Dr. Debby Herbenick (M.P.H., Ph.D.) http://kinseyconfidential.org/?p=1321 http://kinseyconfidential.org/clitoris-vulva-fusing/feed/ 2 2:45 I think itrsquo;s pretty fantastic that you are looking at your own genitals and have a sense of what is normal or not normal for ... I think itrsquo;s pretty fantastic that you are looking at your own genitals and have a sense of what is normal or not normal for your own body. Not all women have seen their vulva even once or know the names of their genital body parts, so itrsquo;s impressive to me that you know these things. The Clitoris: The Basics The clitoris is bigger than it looks from the outside. Although about frac14; to frac12; an inch of the glans clitoris can be seen externally, there are two branches of the clitoris that go backward into the body. The glans clitoris ndash; the part that can be seen from the outside ndash; sometimes seems to fuse to the clitoral hood. The glans may even appear to be trapped inside the clitoris. Changing Bodies Changes to the structre of the vulva, whether to the clitoris or the vaginal lips, can occur as part of menopause, when estrogen levels decrease, or as a result of a genital skin condition such as one called lichen sclerosus. And while this commonly happens to adult women, it can also happen to infant girls or to children or teenagers. If you have questions about your genital appearance, I would encourage you to check in with a gynecologist or a dermatologist who has expertise in genital skin health and disease. You can find such a specialist through the International Society for the Study of Vulvovaginal Disease's web site. What Can Be Done In some cases, treatments such as topical creams may be used to reverse changes to parts of the vulva. Treatments may be more effective if a medical condition is caught early or treated. In some cases, if a problem has been allowed to persist without treatment, it can be more difficult to restore through the use of creams. That is why I would encourage you to check in with a specialist sooner rather than later just in case. Bodies,,Content,Type,,Podcast aschweig@indiana.edu no No http://kinseyconfidential.org/menopause-having-unprotected-sex/ http://kinseyconfidential.org/menopause-having-unprotected-sex/#comments Mon, 05 May 2008 15:30:52 +0000 Dr. Debby Herbenick (M.P.H., Ph.D.) http://www.kinseyconfidential.org/blog/2008/05/05/qa-menopause-and-unprotected-sex/ http://kinseyconfidential.org/menopause-having-unprotected-sex/feed/ 0 3:15 Thanks for your question. Though Kinsey Confidential started out as a service for college students, we do often get questions from women and men who ... Thanks for your question. Though Kinsey Confidential started out as a service for college students, we do often get questions from women and men who are out of the typical college age range. And we welcome them! (submit yours here) Menopause Menopause is a gradual process for women, and as such many women and their partners wonder when a woman can no longer be expected to have periods and is thus no longer able to become pregnant. Generally speaking, a woman is considered to have reached menopause when she has gone for a full year without having any periods at all. Women may go for years having periods only now or then, but that is a time that we call perimenopause ndash; or the time that is around and leading up to menopause. Even if a woman goes for a full year without having a period, she should check in with her healthcare provider who can perform tests to look at her hormone levels. All that said, this only addresses the issue of when a woman is likely done with periods, and thus not likely to become pregnant. That is not necessarily the same as when it is safe to have unprotected sex again. Having Unprotected Sex The decision to have unprotected sex ndash; by which I assume you mean, to stop using condoms or other forms of birth control ndash; depends on each of your comfort level, as well as whether you or she have other health considerations. For example, some women use hormonal contraception for reasons other than preventing pregnancy. And if either of you have other sexual partners, then that is an important consideration too. Talk To Your Wife As such, how will you know when itrsquo;s safe to have unprotected sex again? By talking with your wife about not only her periods, but about your and her feelings related to your experience of sexuality, and your individual concerns and expectations for sex. For some women, menopause brings a range of symptoms that may be best addressed with onersquo;s healthcare provider. Sexual desire may decline with menopause for some women, whereas others find that their desire increases as they no longer worry about becoming pregnant when they donrsquo;t want to become pregnant. Learn More To learn more about sex and aging, you might find the book Better Than I Ever Expected by Joan Price to be of interest. Content,Type,,Podcast,,Pregnancy aschweig@indiana.edu no No