When Sex Hurts: Understanding and Healing Pelvic Pain

by Andrew Goldstein MD, Caroline Pukall, Irwin Goldstein

For the 20 million people who suffer from pelvic the completely revised and updated guide for making sex feel good again.
 
Pelvic pain can lead to embarrassment, silence, and misdiagnosis. It can hurt your relationship as well as your sense of self. Tackling the stereotypes, myths, and realities of pelvic pain, this easy‑to‑understand, accessible guide will help readers get the help they need and deserve, offering key information The most urgent questions about the causes of pelvic pain The more than twenty causes of pelvic pain How to find the right doctor The relationship between pelvic sex and genetics The newest in treatment for pelvic pain and pelvic pain indications How psychological factors can contribute to and reduce pelvic pain
Featuring groundbreaking research and stories from people who've lived it, When Sex Hurts provides the tools you need to stop hurting and start healing.

Genres: Nonfiction

401 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2011

Reviews

[Shannon]

I saw this book on a doctor’s shelf and decided to learn some hardcore pussy facts and baby did this book deliver on strange and exciting pussy facts. Honest to god, it’s a genuine page turner of somewhat horrifying vagina problems, but everything is so well explained that I now understand biology and medicine in general better.

[Kate Laycoax · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such an amazing book! It was so informative and so well written. I loved that it was easily laid out and simple to follow. I think every woman/person with these issues should read this book, as it's so helpful to learn about our bodies.

The book details conditions that can explain why we might have pain during sex. It lays out the whys, the whats, the whos and the whens. There are so many possibilities as to why sex might hurt, and this book leaves no stone unturned. I love that this topic was covered, because it isn't always an easy topic to delve into. But, we need to know these things in order to feel better and enjoy ourselves, and to also stay healthy. I know it can be embarrassing or even taboo to talk about these things, but it shouldn't be! This book helps with the stereotypes, the myths, the questions and the realities of what we face. This is a guide that is a must read for those struggling with this common issue.

Each author has their pronouns next to their names, which I thought was a great touch. There were female authors, as well as male authors, which I appreciated, despite the fact that this book is geared towards individuals with vaginas. As someone who has suffered from pelvic pain, endometriosis, interstitial cystitis and mast cell activation syndrome, it was refreshing and so appreciated that these topics were discussed in depth. I also loved that the authors made the connection between gut health and pelvic pain, as this isn't often associated but the links are certainly there. There was an anatomy lesson at the beginning of the book, which I thought was great, as we need to know what parts we have to fully understand our bodies and how to adequately help them. Some people with vaginas still don't know and that's okay; we're always learning and there's no shame in leanring even more about our bodies to better help ourselves and live our best lives.

There is a section in the book that discusses trauma (particularly sexual trauma, but also other forms of trauma) and its link to why sex might hurt. I say this as a trigger warning for those who may be bothered by this subject material, but also because I'm so glad this was discussed, as some people with pelvic pain/painful sex may not be aware that there is a strong link between these two. This discussion is a neccesary one and I'm so glad the topic was covered so that others may make that leap and get the help they may need.

Overall, I thought this book was outstanding and so informative. I would highly recommend to anyone! Special thanks to NetGalley and Hachette Go for the advanced review copy of this wonderful book.

[Katarina Stewart · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great read for me as a health care provider in women’s health diving deeper into healing all kinds of pelvic pain! This is such a prevalent topic, we just never talk about it!!

[M Samuell · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Pelvic Pain Bible!

If you are a uterus-owner who has ever had pain 'down there' you are in luck.
When Sex Hurts is the definitive guide for navigating pelvic pain in a world where, quite frankly, there hasn't been enough research. And a whole lotta stigma.

Revised from the previous version to include more up-to-date research on pelvic pain conditions Doctors Andrew, Caroline, Irwin and Jill have created an encyclopedia of causes, conditions and treatment approaches for everyone with mild passing interest to understand. At one point I even picked up the audio edition in an effort to push through the various medical terms and conditions that would otherwise trip me up.

In this instance, however, a physical copy is the way to go. There were several places throughout with charts, links, worksheets, questionnaires, and downright useful information that I would have loved to copy, highlight, bookmark, or share with my primary care doctor.

Because yes, this book even empowers you to help work on a holistic treatment plan with your regular providers even if they aren't specialized in the field. Why? Because few are, and you deserve to live pain free.

Unfortunately, there is not a lot of information available for regendered patients which is addressed at the top. Hopefully this will be a large part of the update in the next edition. Otherwise, I cannot recommend picking this book up enough. It has definitely given me insight into my own history of aches and pains (day-to-day) beyond the blanket 'it's endo we don't want to do surgery' approach to gynacology.

I now have a list of resources and references to start my own road to recovery.
One of the few books that I have ever been able to call a life-changer.

[Thank you to netGalley and Hachette Books for a free copy of this read in exchange for an honest review.]

[Hannah Spangenberg · Rating 5 out of 5]

Do you experience chronic pain around sex and daily life “down there”? Look no further. This book is the Bible of sexual dysfunction.

Part 1 helps you identify your pain and sets you up on how to have a productive conversation with a doctor — something I wish I had four years ago when my chronic pain began.

Part two walks you through all the possible primary causes for your pain. Don’t have a background in medicine? That’s ok. The authors have made this information incredibly digestible. After reading this section, and taking a look at the very helpful figures they’ve provided for visual aid, I am almost certain I know what the root cause of my pain is and will be bringing this information to my next doctors appointment with my sexual health provider.

The third part assess additional causes, like child birth, clitoral adhesions, gut health, and previous cancer diagnoses.

Lastly, part four recommends how to tackle the psychological effects of persistent genitopelvic pain, how to handle with a partner, and more. These conditions hugely affect those who experience this pain’s lives. Often we are left feeling hopeless. I promise that this book will make you feel hopeful again.

Thank you to the dedicated and passionate authors of this book. I left with a condensed set of knowledge that I can bring to my health providers. I feel empowered and like I have more control over my chronic pain. I am hopeful for a full recovery someday soon.

[Meriam Brooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

Anyone with female reproductive organs may have pain in that area at some point for any number of reasons. This book feels like the handbook for pelvic area pain. There’s SO much. So many reasons for pain and so many hopeful solutions.

Mainly, I just want to go to a pelvic floor therapist who has read this book because even being in the health profession who has taken many anatomy courses and such…I was overwhelmed. This book made me grateful that I didn’t have some of the most unbearable sounding issues they bring up, but overwhelmed about how to help myself. I would say the book seems to make it clear that many common issues need CBT, sex therapy, and PFT to start. So that’s good.

Overall, overwhelming but very well written for a health care provider that would help people with all these pelvic pain issues.

[Kat · Rating 5 out of 5]

To anyone who has found that sex is less pleasurable than expected or that it has become less pleasurable over time, this book is for you. Your pain is most probably treatable, and it shouldn't take you a decade to feel better. In fact, the sooner you get the right treatment, the better you'll feel and the less long term damage you'll risk. My only qualm is that I wish the section on endometriosis were longer and included more on progesterone IUDs as positive options.

[Courtney Mosier Warren · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a research goldmine! This is a much needed book in a sea of less than great research and misconceptions. Wildly important read. I loved the first section and the section on the correlations between CBT and sexual health.

[Em · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fantastic book for anyone with pelvic pain or any practitioners treating pelvic pain. This really opened my eyes to the fact that there are different forms of provoked vulvodynia and how they are each treated slightly differently depending on the cause. This book is easy for the layman to understand, with all medical terms defined and explained, and it reads in a logical, easy-to-follow order. It is also thoroughly referenced and based off solid literature.

[Cass Klein · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pelvic health related listen.
Great content that was informative and digestible. I have already started recommending the book to patients to help assist in understanding their symptoms and navigating challenging conversations with this practitioners.

[Leah Roberts · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve not felt this seen in a really long time. This book has given me practical tools to talk to my doctors about what I need, and it has been invaluable reading about other women who have had the exact same journey as I have. Highly recommend!

[Nora · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not ashamed, life happens. Very interesting read. I feel like everyone women should read this to know more about their body.

[Anna Ruprecht · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read to evaluate as a book to potentially give to therapy clients and loved it! I definitely recommend to everyone, if you have pain or not.