[under_the_iron_sea]

I came back from my OB/GYN appointment today, and I had been complaining about pain during intercourse. To make a long story short, after some investigation, he told me that it was my perineum, and then asked me if I had ever been raped or sexually abused. He said this was a common problem in women who had been. Now, I was abused as a child, but I don't think I was abused sexually... I would hope I would remember that He said it could just be that I need to "become more comfortable with my body," But, I think I am... And I'm in a wonderful, loving relationship with my husband, who is attentive and supportive, and... I don't know. It all seems like it should be fine. So now I'm feeling kind of strange and stuck and not sure what to do next. Anyone else have an issue like this? Any suggestions? Thank you.

[winter4me]

You might want to get another opinion. Just to be sure this is the problem (don't tell the next practitioner what the other said)
I had problems with this as I got older (due to dryness/atrophy---yuck, estrogen cream helped, some say vitamin D topical helps)
Are you well lubricated for intercourse? Has anything changed? (I am presuming this was not always a problem) What does the pain feel like? (raw? sharp/internal, burning, tight??)---I'm not asking you to tell me but I hope all those questions were asked. Are you on any new meds? Anything troubling you in the relationship, even if you think it is silly.........
Do some online research yourself too---you may find something that really fits what you are experiencing.
Maybe someone on the women-focused support forum has information..
Good luck, don't give up---sounds "fixable".

[Perna]

Here's a good, helpful (to me) article: http://www.acog.org/~/media/For%20Pa...726T1158591873

I am sorry your OB/GYN left you feeling confused and unhelped. Reading about his question I was reminded of when I had a very rare, weird ear thing (a black fungus, yuck!) and the doctor asked if I had diabetes (I did/do not) because it showed up most often in diabetics. I think we grab on to their question as if we are part of that group kind of the same way we may grab onto illnesses reading on the internet, because those illnesses have our symptoms? The OB/GYN has to ask because that's where he sees it most often but then when you say, "No" right away to not having been sexually abused, and maybe add, "What else you got, doc?" they have to try to dig a bit deeper in their knowledge, get more details (or, you look online :-) But please don't take on questions to yourself of whether you were sexually abused or not just because someone else asked you that in a totally unrelated situation.