Q: Which of your patients do you recommend lube to?
A: When women come to my consulting practice they begin by filling out an eight-page intake form. About 10 of the questions address their experience with intercourse, and if I notice any responses about discomfort or even dissatisfaction with sex, I bring up lube and talk to them about how it might help.
Q: What can cause discomfort with sex?
A: Burning and pain during intercourse are more common than people realize. Menopause causes hormones to change, decreasing production of natural lubrication, and there are certain pelvic conditions and surgeries that result in the need to use lube.
Q: So is lube mostly for older women?
A: Definitely not! Even hormone-based birth control options can cause dryness, and breast cancer survivors are often younger women who experience premature menopause and are left without hormone options. Lube can be very helpful for younger women for a variety of reasons.
Q: What drives you to do the work that you do in your office and on your website?
A: My overwhelming concern is that women are just giving up and opting out of sex as they get older and it becomes uncomfortable. My goal, my personal mission, is to help women never get to the point where they decide to opt out of sex.
Dr. Barb DePree has been a gynecologist in West Michigan for more than 25 years. In April 2010 she launched MiddlesexMD.com to help answer women’s questions about sexual health. Visit her site for more information about women’s health and sexual wellness.