I have recently heard that a drug has become available for
painful sex or dyspareunia.
Yes, osphena has been around in Europe and Japan for some
years. Dyspareunia is said to affect close to 20% of women at some point in their
lives. Sexual intercourse becomes very unpleasant and painful. Over the years,
both physical and emotional causes have been thought to cause dyspareunia. In
some women, there is a lack of lubrication due to lack of estrogens. Most women
with this disorder use lubricants but now osphena is said to function better.
Osphena is very similar to estrogen and it increases lubrication and also
causes thickening of the vaginal tissues. It does not work right away. The pill
is taken by mouth and its effects are noted in 5-10 days. Unfortunately,
osphena does not work in all women with dyspareunia. It also has side effects
like hot flashes, muscle pain and excess sweating.
The only way to know if it
will work for you is to try it. I would only get a month’s prescription, as the
drug is not cheap.