Sexual Pain, a Thorny Embrace

The book is about sexual difficulties that are caused by medical conditions, or have unknown causes, or follow cancer treatment. Illness and sexuality are far from each other, but when sexual dysfunction and organic pathology are associated, each influences and worsens the other. Most often, this results in pain that flares up with intercourse, impacting physical well-being and feelings of patient and partner. The couple suffer for limitations to their intimacy, often without understanding the link between illness and sexual difficulties. The book aims at improving their awareness. It is divided into three parts: the first covers genital and pelvic pathologies; the second part discusses penetration pain due to vulvar and vaginal atrophy, vulvovestibular syndrome, and vaginismus; the third part addresses the sexual difficulties of oncology patients, male and female, who must endure the medications side effects in addition to the damage from ablative surgery. Intimate and rarely discussed topics are made familiar through descriptions of clinical cases, and enriched by description of clinical case and presentation of therapeutic regimens associating medications and behavioral interventions.