Dr. Mayoni shares her thoughts on why it is so important for women to get access to the information and advice they need…
“A little while ago I spent the afternoon in a consultation with a patient who suffered significant birth trauma both physically and mentally almost ten years ago. It had taken her this long to get any medical help beyond some pelvic floor exercises after her child was born. Since then her sex life has been virtually non-existent, painful and gives no pleasure at all. She wets herself every time she coughs. When I examined her vulva, I mentioned to her that it all looked healthy and normal. She couldn’t believe it and literally wept. She had convinced herself over the years that her genitals must be different to every other woman.
The truth is that we all look totally different down ‘there’… Photographer Laura Dodsworth is helping to broach this taboo subject with the publication of her book Womanhood: The Bare Reality, in which she has photographed 100 women and talked with them about their intimate experiences. The project also forms the basis for a Channel 4 documentary to be broadcast in February: 100 Vaginas.
For many women, our perception of our vaginas is totally based on a non-reality. We very rarely, if ever, see a “normal” vulva other than our own, unless we happen to be a midwife or other medical professional! So our usual only point of reference is pornography. My patient’s experience of fear, bewilderment and inability to access proper advice is typical.
And sadly, this is not an isolated experience for me. I have had many conversations with women who feel totally disempowered and lost when it comes to their sexual health. I felt I had to do something, so about eight months ago I decided to put together an event. I wanted to raise our awareness of female sexual health, tackle some taboos, talk about the pelvic floor, the techno-vagina, the ‘normal vulva’… and offer some sensible solutions.
I’m so delighted and very proud to say that the event is happening this Wednesday 20th February! We will be hosting a swanky dinner at Annabel’s in Mayfair with some amazing speakers to talk all things sex, female empowerment and how to have a great shag, basically! I really hope this event will help to spread the word about the progress being made in treatments for female sexual health.
This is a culmination of a lot of hard work, and I’d like to thank Dr. Michael Krychman, Sarah Wolujewicz (a physiotherapist specialising in bladder, bowel and sex problems at The Havelock Clinic) and Michelle Zelli (human potentialist, speaker, writer and coach) for being on our fab panel of speakers.
And thanks also go to Lucy Dartford and the team at LDPR for all their hard work too, and Epilium London and Viveve Medical for sponsoring the event and making it all possible.
I literally cannot wait for the event – and to let you all know how it goes!”
If you’re suffering in silence with any of the symptoms of incontinence, poor sexual function or vaginal laxity, please do get in touch with us here at The Clinic. We can arrange a confidential, no obligation consultation with Dr. Mayoni to talk through all the options and which might be best suited for you.
