How MonaLisa Touch Can Improve Sexual Intimacy

When you are sexually intimate, you likely experience more than just the immediate physical pleasures of sexual activity. You also feel comfort, relaxation, and a stronger connection with your partner.

As you progress through life, you can become used to forming these physical and emotional bonds, yet it’s frustrating when your ability to engage in sex seems to decrease as the symptoms of aging increase.

If you find yourself experiencing pain with intercourse, or you have developed general vaginal dryness and discomfort, then you may have vaginal atrophy, also known as genitourinary syndrome of menopause (GSM).

Don’t resign yourself to lost sexual intimacy. Discuss your symptoms with Gary F. Willen, MD, at Tahoe Women’s Care in Carson City, Nevada. Dr. Willen offers MonaLisa Touch® treatments that help restore vaginal lubrication and elasticity, so you can enjoy sexual intimacy without the discomfort.

Why am I experiencing sexual discomfort?

Pain during sex is a common symptom of vaginal atrophy, which is the result of decreased levels of estrogen in the body. Reasons your body may lose estrogen include menopause, whether natural or surgical, and perimenopause, the period of time leading up to full menopause. Some cancer treatments, such as chemotherapy, can also affect estrogen levels.

When your body’s levels of estrogen start to decrease, you may experience certain vaginal and urinary symptoms that are associated with vaginal atrophy. These symptoms include vaginal dryness, burning, or itching, and burning or urgency with urination.

Additional symptoms that accompany vaginal atrophy include shortening and tightening of the vaginal canal, bleeding and discomfort during or after intercourse, and decreased vaginal lubrication. These symptoms can be distressing when they affect your ability to enjoy sexual intercourse and other intimate activities.

If your vagina has changed due to low estrogen and the resulting vaginal atrophy, then your sex life has probably changed, too. Dr. Willen understands that you may feel frustrated or even embarrassed by these changes. He provides compassionate care to help you feel at ease as you work together to address your concerns.

How can MonaLisa Touch help?

MonaLisa Touch is a laser treatment that Dr. Willen uses to resolve your vaginal atrophy, and the procedure takes less than five minutes. He inserts the laser wand into your vagina and maneuvers it so he can target laser pulses along your vaginal wall.

These pulses create small holes in your vaginal tissue. Your body works on its own to heal these holes by producing more collagen and regenerating tissue. As a result, your vaginal elasticity increases while dryness decreases, and sexual intercourse is usually no longer as painful.

With MonaLisa Touch, you won’t have to rely on frequent oral or topical estrogen treatments, or constant application of vaginal lubricants. Some breast cancer survivors do not respond well to topical or oral estrogen, so the MonaLisa Touch can be an especially effective alternative.

Another benefit of MonaLisa Touch is that you experience few side effects after the procedure. You may feel slight discomfort, and you will need to refrain from sexual activity for two to three days.

In a follow-up appointment, Dr. Willen discusses any improvement to your symptoms and determines if additional treatments will maximize your results. Most women are satisfied for at least a year after MonaLisa Touch treatments.

If you want to show your love and affection through sexual intimacy but instead hesitate because of discomfort, then it’s time to discuss your options. To learn how MonaLisa Touch can relieve symptoms of vaginal atrophy and help you enjoy sex again, contact Dr. Willen at Tahoe Women’s Care by calling or requesting an appointment online today.