When sex hurts, there is hope.

That is not a statement that would come to mind for most people, but it means so much to me.  I suffer from dyspareunia and provoked vestibulodynia.  For those of you who don’t speak in medical jargon, that means I suffer from painful sex and pain in my genitals.  At an earlier point in my journey, even the slightest touch from the soft end of a cotton swab could bring me to tears.

But there is hope.  It took me three years of going doctor to doctor, trying treatment after treatment, all the while suffering from extreme pain, before finding an accurate diagnosis.  After three more years of physical therapy, medications, more doctors and further diagnoses, I am in a much better place.  I still have pain, but the frequency and severity are drastically reduced from where I was, and I know there is more healing to come.

It has been a journey.  There have been a lot of difficulties, but I have learned so much in the process.  One thing I have learned is that I am not alone in my adversities.  Women, and even men, across the country and the world experience this very intimate suffering.  The resources available online have increased exponentially since I was first searching for a diagnosis, and I want to join the cause to reach as many people as possible so they can find help and healing sooner.  There is no need to suffer alone or to feel hopeless.  My desire is that this blog will help you know that when sex hurts there is hope!