8 Embarrassing Problems You Should Discuss With Your Doctor

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We all keep secrets. But some secrets kept from your doctor can hurt.

A problem you consider to be simply embarrassing may be a symptom of an undiagnosed medical condition – possibly a treatable condition. And if you’re hoping to get pregnant, it’s even more important to be honest with your doctor.

Here are eight embarrassing problems you shouldn’t keep from your OB/GYN or fertility doctor and why you need to share them.

1. You Experience Painful Intercourse

Sex shouldn’t be painful. Occasional discomfort can be normal. However, if you regularly experience pain, tell your doctor.

Painful sex can be caused by a number of conditions, many that may affect fertility. Endometriosis, fibroids, pelvic adhesions, and pelvic inflammatory disease, for example, can cause pain during sex and also cause infertility.

Painful sex itself can also make it difficult to conceive.

Some women will experience painful intercourse especially around the time of ovulation – which is just when they need to have sex to get pregnant. Others have pain due to vaginal dryness, which not only can make sex uncomfortable but also harm your odds of getting pregnant.

If sex hurts, tell your doctor.

2. You Have Excessive Facial or Body Hair Growth

If you deal with unusual hair growth, you probably wax or use some other form of hair removal. Your doctor may never see it when you come for appointments, and you might never think it’s important to mention. But you should.

Excessive facial or body hair growth – known as hirsutism – is a possible symptom of hormonal imbalance. Specifically, it signals that there may be a problem with your androgen levels.

Most commonly, polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) is the culprit. Other possible causes include non-classical adrenal hyperplasia (NCAH), HAIR-AN Syndrome (which stands for hyperandrogenism, insulin resistance, acanthosis nigricans), Cushing’s Syndrome, and ovarian or adrenal tumors.

All of these conditions can cause infertility. Many can also affect your overall health.

You can keep waxing – but do tell your doctor about the hair growth.

3. You Experience Painful Bowel Movements

Bowel movements can be uncomfortable, but they shouldn’t be painful.

There are a number of conditions that can cause pain during a bowel movement. Endometriosis can cause pain when defecating and sometimes also when urinating. The symptoms typically worsen around your period.

Endometriosis can also cause infertility.

Another common cause of painful bowel movements is IBS, or Irritable Bowel Syndrome. IBS alone won’t impact your fertility. However, IBS and endometriosis can occur together. IBS patients are more likely than the general population to later be diagnosed with endometriosis.

Endometriosis is difficult to diagnose, so it’s especially important you share this symptom with your gynecologist if you’re experiencing it, even if you already have another diagnosis (like IBS) to explain your pain.

4. You Experience Vaginal Dryness — or “Don’t Get Wet” — During Sex

Usually, when a woman is sexually aroused, glands near the vagina secrete a fluid. These arousal fluids make sex more comfortable and also provide healthier environment for sperm.

If a woman experiences vaginal dryness, she or her partner may assume it’s due to a lack of sexual arousal. If they proceed with having sex anyway, she may experience painful sex.

Because the woman may feel shame or embarrassment for not “getting wet” as expected, she may never tell her doctor or realize this can actually be a medical issue.

However, vaginal dryness is nothing to be ashamed of… and it may have little to do with a lack of sexual excitement.

Vaginal dryness can be caused by a hormonal imbalance, a vaginal infection or irritation, or as a side effect of a medication.

Vaginal dryness is also a possible side effect of Clomid. You can use a fertility friendly lubricant to make sex more comfortable. But don’t leave it at that. You also should tell your doctor.

If it’s a medication side effect, there may be other options that won’t cause dryness. If it’s a hormonal imbalance, that’s an important symptom your doctor should know about.

Depending on the cause for the dryness, your doctor may prescribe estrogen suppositories. Vaginal dryness can also be treated with over the counter creams and lubricants.

5. You Had a Sexually Transmitted Infection in the Past

If you had a sexually transmitted infection (an STD or STI) in the past, and it was successfully treated with antibiotics, you may think it’s not important to tell your doctor. But you really should, especially if you’re planning or currently trying to get pregnant.

While antibiotics can treat the infection, STDs can often cause scaring of the reproductive organs. The antibiotics won’t remove or heal the adhesions left behind.

Blocked fallopian tubes and hydrosalpinx (which is a specific kind of blocked fallopian tube) can cause infertility. You may experience no other symptoms besides an inability to conceive, so don’t assume that a lack of pain or lack of pelvic discomfort means everything is okay.

6. You Have Unusual Vaginal Odor

Body odors are generally attributed to poor hygiene. We have soaps and deodorants for those kinds of problems. But if you notice a strange or particularly pungent vaginal odor, don’t just cover it up with douching or feminine deodorants. For two reasons.

First of all, abnormal vaginal odor can signal an infection. Bacterial vaginosis can lead to foul vaginal odors. During pregnancy, bacterial vaginosis can increase your risk of preterm birth.

Bacterial vaginosis can also make you more susceptible to contracting a sexually transmitted infection.

Untreated bacterial vaginosis is associated with pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), and PID can cause infertility.

These are all good reasons to put the feminine hygiene product down and, instead, pick up the phone to make an appointment with your gynecologist.

The other important reason not to use douche products for vaginal odors are that they can cause irritation and infection themselves. Douching washes away the healthy vaginal mucus that naturally keeps the vagina clean and free of bad bacteria.

If you’re unsure whether your vaginal odors are normal or the kind that signal an infection, ask your doctor. Don’t be embarrassed to ask – you’re not the first to wonder.

7. You’re Not Feeling Interested in Sex

“I don’t feel like having sex,” sounds like something you might say to a psychologist, not your gynecologist. But a lack of sexual desire can be a sign of a medical issue.

Sexual desire is rooted in the biochemistry of our bodies. When you’re approaching ovulation – your most fertile time – hormones connected to sexual desire increase.

This is nature’s way of making sure humans have sex at the best time for making babies.

If you’re not experiencing this boost in sexual desire, it could signal a hormonal imbalance. You should tell your gynecologist.

8. You Are Practicing Unsafe Sex

Telling your doctor that you’re having unprotected sex may feel like a confession. You know you shouldn’t be doing it but your doctor isn’t there to judge but help you, and needs to know if you’re having unprotected sex, especially if your doctor is under the impression that you’re in a monogamous relationship.

Sexually transmitted infections can come from just one unprotected encounter, and people of all social and economic classes get them.

They are also a common cause of preventable infertility. The longer they are left untreated, the more damage they can cause to your reproductive system.

Most worrying, many STDs are silent in women. In other words, there are no or very few noticeable symptoms.

If you’ve had unprotected sex – or are worried your partner is having unprotected sex –ask your doctor to be tested for STDs. You don’t have to come out with all the details. You can just request testing, and leave it at that.

Ultimately, don’t let fear stop you from getting medical help.

Source: infertility