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Sex-Related Pain: Clinicians Must Recognize Negative Effects and Intervene to Help
Graziottin A, Gambini D, Bertolasi L. Genital and sexual pain in women. Handb Clin Neurol. 2015;130:395-412. doi: 10.1016/B978-0-444-63247-0.00023-7.
Sex-related pain is an all too common problem that often goes unaddressed, according to the experts who authored this educational chapter for clinicians. Some still hold the view that the cause of sexual pain is mainly psychological in nature, which may contribute to a delay in diagnosis. This may have dramatic consequences for women who are suffering. Women with sex-related pain may experience years of distress and discomfort. Negative effects include those that can be measured, such as a high financial toll, and others that are difficult to measure, such as deterioration of personal happiness or healthy relationships. To help clinicians learn more about how they can help women with sex-related pain, experts authored this chapter to include key points of medical education in the area, including neuroinflammation; neurologic diseases; genital and sexual pain syndrome; bladder pain syndrome and other comorbidities including endometriosis and irritable bowel syndrome; and iatrogenic genital and sexual pain (pain caused by surgery or other medical interventions).