{"id":28423,"date":"2022-12-27T10:04:25","date_gmt":"2022-12-27T17:04:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/?p=28423"},"modified":"2026-04-02T15:15:14","modified_gmt":"2026-04-02T21:15:14","slug":"making-womens-sexual-health-a-priority","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/making-womens-sexual-health-a-priority\/","title":{"rendered":"Making women&#8217;s sexual health a priority at all life stages"},"content":{"rendered":"<div style=\"margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;\" class=\"sharethis-inline-share-buttons\" ><\/div><div id=\"PublicWrapper\" class=\"sfPublicWrapper CUWrapper\">\n<div id=\"CUMain\" class=\"cuPublicWrapper CUMainWrapper u-RP\">\n<div class=\"container t-CUMainContainer\" role=\"main\">\n<div class=\"row reorder t-CUMobileCols\">\n<div class=\"col-12 col-lg-9 u-CU-col-lg-push-3 t-CUWideCol\">\n<article class=\"fullView t-articleFullView\">\n<div class=\"detailsFull\">\n<p>A few years back, Jessica Pettigrew, a certified nurse midwife, started to ask patients in her OB\/GYN clinic a new question: Do you have any sexual concerns you\u2019d like to address?<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_28424\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-28424\" style=\"width: 400px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-28424\" src=\"https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/12\/30094847\/tiny-Coons-Afghahi-Pettigre-e1578072693901.webp\" alt=\"three women who helped make women's sexual health a priority at CU school of medicine.\" width=\"400\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/12\/30094847\/tiny-Coons-Afghahi-Pettigre-e1578072693901.webp 400w, https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/12\/30094847\/tiny-Coons-Afghahi-Pettigre-e1578072693901-300x225.webp 300w, https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/12\/30094847\/tiny-Coons-Afghahi-Pettigre-e1578072693901-150x113.webp 150w, https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/12\/30094847\/tiny-Coons-Afghahi-Pettigre-e1578072693901-200x150.webp 200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-28424\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">From left, Dr. Helen L. Coons, Dr. Anoshe Afghahi, and certified nurse midwife Jessica Pettigrew. The three providers worked collaboratively across departments for a year to bring their vision to life. In July 2019, the Women\u2019s Sexual Health Consultation Service began providing services. Photo courtesy of CU School of Medicine.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>\u201cWhen I asked about sexual concerns before the end of the visit, patients would say \u2018no.\u2019 I\u2019d leave the room to let them dress, and when I\u2019d come back, they\u2019d tell me about it,\u201d said Pettigrew, who is senior instructor at University of Colorado School of Medicine and co-director of its <a id=\"\" href=\"https:\/\/obgyn.coloradowomenshealth.com\/services\/clinics\/womens-sexual-health-services\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Women\u2019s Sexual Health Consultation Service.<\/a><\/p>\n<h2><strong>Making women&#8217;s sexual health a priority<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>As Pettigrew saw this happen time and again, it become clear that women were not getting the sexual health services they needed. Women of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/top-6-things-women-in-their-20s-should-consider\/\">all ages and life stages needed reliable information<\/a> about sexual health and the opportunity to receive treatment when needed.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMany issues affect women\u2019s sexual health and satisfaction, including biopsychosocial factors and relational issues,\u201d said Dr. Helen L. Coons, clinical director of Women&#8217;s Behavioral Health and Wellness in the Department of Psychiatry at the CU School of Medicine, and co-director of the Women\u2019s Sexual Health Consultation Service. \u201cWomen need a service that brings medical care, cognitive behavioral therapy and sex therapy together, and that\u2019s what the Women\u2019s Sexual Health Consultation Service does.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/provider\/anosheh-afghahi-md-mph-medical-oncology\/\">Dr. Anoshe Afghahi<\/a>, assistant professor of Medicine-Medical Oncology at the school of medicine, saw the same unmet need, especially for women who were in treatment for cancer or recovering after treatment. The three providers worked collaboratively across departments to bring their vision to life and in 2019, the Women\u2019s Sexual Health Consultation Service began providing services.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Meeting an unmet need<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Sexual health is an important part of health and well-being and often an important part of close and sustaining relationships. But education and treatment to support healthy sexuality is difficult for many women to find. The little help that is available is often for young, heterosexual women with no illnesses or disabilities. That leaves a lot of the population behind.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_28425\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-28425\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-28425 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/12\/30094850\/tiny-getty-ENT-women-doc-an-e1578072709470.webp\" alt=\"doctor fills facial glands on patient as women's sexual health is important at any stage.\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" srcset=\"https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/12\/30094850\/tiny-getty-ENT-women-doc-an-e1578072709470.webp 300w, https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/12\/30094850\/tiny-getty-ENT-women-doc-an-e1578072709470-150x100.webp 150w, https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/12\/30094850\/tiny-getty-ENT-women-doc-an-e1578072709470-200x133.webp 200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-28425\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Women&#8217;s sexual health is important at any age or stage. Source: Getty Images.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>\u201cAll women should have the opportunity to address sexual health concerns as part of their health care,\u201d said <a href=\"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/provider\/saketh-guntupalli-md\/\">Dr. Saketh R. Guntupalli<\/a>, associate professor and director of the Division of Gynecologic Oncology. \u201cEspecially for women with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/with-sex-and-cancer-finding-the-good-after-the-bad\/\">cancer or other illness that affects their sexual lives<\/a>, a service like this improves the quality of their care.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Unproven therapies are filling the vacuum of sexual health services for women. For example, a number of \u201ctestosterone clinics\u201d have popped up in Denver, claiming to help women address sexual problems with the use of testosterone pellets. This treatment is not FDA approved and can even be harmful. \u201cWomen need a source of reliable information and sound treatments rather than unproven or dangerous therapies. We sometimes have to manage the fallout from these \u2018treatments\u2019 and then address the issues with approved, safe and evidence-based approaches,\u201d Pettigrew said.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>How the service works<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>The Women\u2019s Sexual Health Consultation Service is primarily offered one day each month at the CU Advanced Reproductive Medicine office in the Stapleton neighborhood of Denver. Services are also offered at the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/locations\/uchealth-ob-gyn-anschutz\/\">OB-GYN clinic at the Anschutz Outpatient Pavilion<\/a> and the Department of Psychiatry\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/obgyn.coloradowomenshealth.com\/services\/clinics\/womens-sexual-health-services\">Women\u2019s Behavioral Health and Wellness Outpatient Program<\/a>.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_9765\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-9765\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-9765 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2017\/03\/03020131\/bodyimage.jpgphotoshop-e1578072735405.webp\" alt=\"Women in pink shirts hold their hands up in excitement. Women's sexual health is important after cancer.\" width=\"300\" height=\"202\" srcset=\"https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2017\/03\/03020131\/bodyimage.jpgphotoshop-e1578072735405.webp 300w, https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2017\/03\/03020131\/bodyimage.jpgphotoshop-e1578072735405-150x101.webp 150w, https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2017\/03\/03020131\/bodyimage.jpgphotoshop-e1578072735405-200x135.webp 200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-9765\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">All women should have the opportunity to address sexual health concerns as part of their health care. This is especially true for women with cancer or other illness that affects their sexual lives. Source: Getty Images.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The service addresses a range of concerns like difficulty with orgasm, changes due to aging, or medical conditions that have made sexual relationships difficult. The evidence shows that for sexual health, it is best to treat physical, psychological and relational concerns together. The service is interdisciplinary; medical and psychological clinicians work together in an integrated setting to provide a range of services including sexual education, medical treatment of gynecological conditions, medications, physical therapy, and sex therapy for individuals or couples.<\/p>\n<p>The service is run jointly by the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.ucdenver.edu\/academics\/colleges\/medicalschool\/departments\/obgyn\/Pages\/OBGYN.aspx\">Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology<\/a> and the Department of Psychiatry. The Sexual Health Consultation Service team also works in partnership with other departments that serve women who may have a need for the service.<\/p>\n<p>College of Nursing students from the nurse practitioner program have worked with the Women\u2019s Sexual Health Consultation Service as part of their education. Given the sensitive nature of the service, Pettigrew wondered if patients would object, but none of them did. \u201cThey were open to the next generation learning about this and seeing the value in sexual health care,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Having the conversation and making referrals <\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Having a conversation with women about sexual health is a simple, low-tech way to improve women\u2019s health care. Women often don\u2019t know that sexual health is something that matters for their health and may not initiate a conversation with their doctor, so it\u2019s important for clinicians to take the lead.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cJust having the conversation can be therapeutic and really improve women\u2019s lives, relationships and well-being,\u201d Pettigrew said. \u201cWhen a woman living with chronic illness or a cancer survivor is asked about this part of their life and health, it\u2019s validating for them to know they are not alone and their sexual health is, in fact, important.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Clinicians who are not used to having this conversation may feel awkward at first, but there are some simple questions to open up the discussion:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Do you have any sexual concerns you would like to discuss?<\/li>\n<li>Many women with this condition (or medication) notice some changes in their sexual function or sexual desire. Have you noticed any changes?<\/li>\n<li>Many women recovering from cancer treatment struggle with their sexual relationships or sexuality. Have these issues come up for you?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>When clinicians frame women&#8217;s sexual health problems as common and normal, they create space for a conversation that can improve both the experience and outcomes of care. Clinicians can refer women to the service by having them contact 303.724.8089.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A few years back, Jessica Pettigrew, a certified nurse midwife, started to ask patients in her OB\/GYN clinic a new question: Do you have any sexual concerns you\u2019d like to address? \u201cWhen I asked about sexual concerns before the end of the visit, patients would say \u2018no.\u2019 I\u2019d leave the room to let them dress, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":22,"featured_media":13392,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[5,8],"tags":[4750,335,655,32,455,4349,212,23],"class_list":["post-28423","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-innovative-care","category-news","tag-access-to-care","tag-anschutz-medical-campus","tag-breast-cancer","tag-gynecology","tag-university-of-colorado-school-of-medicine","tag-wellness","tag-womens-care","tag-womens-health"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.4 (Yoast SEO v27.4) - 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