Recognition of the problem is a good place to begin. Try not to have hurt feelings over this problem. It's a common couple occurrence. And, it’s not just men who suffer insipid sex. Women actually report boredom in the bedroom more often than men, according to research. Time to really man up guys!

There's something new on the menu for you. Set aside more time than you think you’ll need to satiate your sexual desires. Go in hungry, literally hungry. Be open. Be vulnerable. Own it. . Check your problems at the door. Keep the end game in mind. It’ll be fantastic, you’ll feel fulfilled and fabulous--if you follow my lead!

Chances are you have not satiated your sexual palate lately. Make a commitment together that the two of you will add flavour to your sexual repertoire. To do so, look no further than your own refrigerator--time to bring in the aphrodisiacs! Pour yourself a stiff drink. Then get out the whipping cream, chocolate sauce, honey, maple syrup and more. The ultimate in oral sex.

Now you’re getting it. Maybe it’s time to rekindle the flame somewhere other than your bedroom. Make love in the lav. Dim the lights, add candles. Think shower head. Excellent for experiencing sexual pleasure. Besides, it’ll make things hot and steamy. Place some thick luscious towels on the base of the tub and hop in. Run warm water, bask in your oasis.

Set up a smorgasbord of your favourite sensual flavours soon to be turned into sexual sensation delicacies. The softness of the whipping cream, the silkiness of chocolate, the sweetness of honey making a mess of maple syrup! Invite your lover to pick their favourite flavour gently applying, rubbing, massaging onto their erogenous zones. Touch, lick, taste. Oral love play.

Head for the shower, it’ll add some splash! With a little creativity, imagination, time and a towel, you’ll soon be asking, “what’s on the menu tonight, honey?”

Given the variety of personal moisturizers available, it is so important that a woman chooses the right product for the right reasons. Knowing the ingredients of a personal moisturizer and how it works is one important aspect of optimizing treatment.

Whenever any treatment is not working, I recommend patients speak to their doctor about discontinuing use and/or switching to another option. In this case, both personal moisturizers that Meredith was inquiring about (Replens® and RepaGyn®) are over the counter, so Meredith is free to choose another personal moisturizer as neither requires a doctor’s prescription.

One of the key benefits of RepaGyn® (apart from being hormone free and providing long-lasting moisturization) is that it has the additional benefit of helping to promote healing of the vaginal mucosa (tissue). If the vaginal mucosa does not heal then Meredith may continue to experience vaginal dryness as she was while using Replens® which just provides the moisturization aspect. Healing the vaginal tissues is rather important because dry tissues can tear and bleed, something many women do not realize is happening.

My Recommendation for Meredith

I suggested that Meredith use a personal lubricant during intercourse, and I also recommended that she switch . Meredith took my advice and started using RepaGyn® for her vaginal dryness. Within two weeks, she noticed a difference in the degree of her vaginal pain with intercourse – she found it helpful to use a personal lubricant, as I had recommended, helping reduce friction to decrease sexual pain. By the end of two months, Meredith no longer required the use of a personal lubricant as her sex was as she said, “Pain-free once again thanks to RepaGyn®,” which she used (as directed) vaginally once daily at bedtime.

Final Thoughts

I took the opportunity to educate Meredith that if her vaginal dryness progressed to other symptoms such as post-coital bleeding, burning, itching, recurrent urinary tract infection, thin watery discharge and/or leakage of urine, she may require treatment with a low dose localized estrogen therapy. But for now, continuing with RepaGyn® was just what the “nurse” ordered to keep her going back to the bedroom.