X's & O's Blog

Causes and Treatment of Painful Intercourse (Dyspareunia)

Painful intercourse is called dyspareunia. The word is derived from the Greek word dyspareunos, which means “badly mated!”  Over my 35 years of practice, when me… Read Article

I Wish I Had Done This (Penile Implant Surgery) Years Ago

I can’t tell you the number of times a patient said to me, after recuperating from hysterectomy for severe menstrual cramps or severe pain with intercourse, once again feeli… Read Article

Sex Toys for Men

Are you looking to purchase sex aids and toys for men? Visit the X's and O's Store. Sex toys have for the most part been designed for women, but more men are coming to realize th… Read Article

Think Outside The Box: The Beginner's Guide To Enjoying Outercourse

There’s a common misconception in our culture that sexuality and sexual activity go by the wayside as we age. It may be true that some kinds of sexual activity, such as pene… Read Article

Off Limits? The Best Sexual Positions For People With Limited Mobility

Despite varying physical disabilities, most men and women can continue to be intimate well into their golden years Aging brings changes to our physical and emotional states. Thes… Read Article

Want to reestablish a relationship with your libido?

Loss of libido gets a lot of media attention, so just what is libido, anyway? It is sexual desire or to put it another way, desire for sexual activity. Is this a common problem? Y… Read Article

5 examples of how vibrators have entered the mainstream of the 21st century

50% of women 18 to 60 years of age have used a vibrator. 45% of men have experimented with vibrators. Couples report incorporating vibrator use is not a threat to the male and… Read Article

What kind of sexual lubricant is best?

This article is in response to a question from a reader. She is menopausal and asked what lubricant is best for intercourse. Normally, the walls of the vagina are coated with a t… Read Article

Sexual Wellbeing After Cancer

Sexual wellbeing is a central component of quality of life. Cancer can result in significant disruption of sexuality. This disruption is one of the most negative influences on soc… Read Article

Addyi, Female Viagra?

Addyi, Female Viagra? Recent FDA approval of a pill to treat low sexual desire in women has caused a strong reaction.   More so because of the media label of the pill a… Read Article

Female 'Viagra', Addyi, approved with strong warning from the FDA

This is big news, but is this really like Viagra, and is it safe? No, it is not like Viagra, which works well by increasing blood flow to the penis. The mechanism of action for Ad… Read Article

Vibrators for dummies

I know a lot about female anatomy and I understand sexuality and human sexual response, both medical school and residency training topics. But when a patient first asked me to rec… Read Article

Masturbation, facts, not myths

Masturbation is touching one’s body, including the sexual organs, to experience pleasure. For many, masturbation is a taboo subject. There are many harmful myths, social and… Read Article

Why do women stop having sex?

The two main reasons for not having intercourse in women over 50 are due to partner related factors or lack of partner. Let´s first talk about partner related factors. 52% … Read Article

What can we expect from heterosexual online dating in middle and older age?

Becoming single again, through divorce or widowhood, is an emotionally life changing experience. As research shows, men and women live this transition in different ways. Although … Read Article

Testosterone for women

Testosterone and Women... There has been a lot of media attention to testosterone therapy for women. You might ask, but isn’t testosterone the male hormone? Yes, it is, but … Read Article

Penis pumps

A penis pump is one of the few treatment options for a male who is unable to get or maintain an erection sufficient for penetration, erectile dysfunction. With pump use you can ge… Read Article

But, Doc, what happened to my manhood? (after prostatectomy for cancer)

Manhood, what it means to be a man, is the ability to obtain and maintain erections sufficient for penetration. Having sex is integral to being a man. Sexual performance is a symb… Read Article

Should Every Woman Have a Vibrator?

Sexual devices have entered the mainstream of medicine to treat sexual arousal, orgasmic disorders, and to enhance the female sexual response. Sexual female dysfunction reportedly… Read Article

Is Hormone Therapy Good or Bad?

When my 55 year old sister told me vaginal estrogen cream had really helped her with vaginal dryness and painful intercourse, I was surprised that estrogen was something new to he… Read Article