The Pelvic Floor Project
Embarrassing symptoms deserve better conversations.
Whether you're dealing with bladder leaks, prolapse, pelvic pain, painful sex, erectile dysfunction, constipation, pregnancy, postpartum recovery, or simply wondering if what you're experiencing is normal—you're not alone.
Hosted by pelvic floor physiotherapist Melissa Dessaulles, this podcast helps you understand how your body works and why symptoms happen. Through conversations with leading researchers, physicians, surgeons, sex therapists, midwives, psychologists, and other experts, we translate the latest evidence into practical information you can actually use.
No myths. No shame. No confusing medical jargon.
Just honest conversations that connect the dots—so you can feel informed, confident, and empowered to make decisions about your health.
The Pelvic Floor Project
47. Pain with intercourse: Looking beyond the pelvic floor muscles with Dr. Lori Brotto
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In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Lori Brotto a Professor in the UBC Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, and a Registered Psychologist as well as PHD student, Natalie Brown who is currently conducting research related to treatment of vaginismus to discuss:
- The relationship between our emotional brain and physical body
- The pelvic floor’s involvement when vaginal penetration is painful
- Common themes with discomfort and lack of enjoyment with intercourse
- The role that context including culture, spirituality, beliefs, history, stress play in vulvovaginal pain
- Messages and advice women are commonly given
- The role of medications and hormones
- Pelvic health physiotherapy approach
- Dr. Brotto’s research on mindfulness-based interventions for women with sexual dysfunction and those who experience chronic genital pain
- Current research being conducted using erotica as a form of treatment for vaginismus
Dr. Lori Brotto is a Professor in the UBC Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, and a Registered Psychologist in Vancouver, Canada. She has been the Executive Director of the Women's Health Research Institute of BC located at BC Women’s Hospital since 2016. Dr. Brotto holds a Canada Research Chair in Women's Sexual Health. She is the director of the UBC Sexual Health Laboratory where research primarily focuses on developing and testing psychological and mindfulness-based interventions for women with sexual dysfunction and those who experience chronic genital pain. Dr. Brotto is an Associate Editor for the Archives of Sexual Behavior, has >200 peer-reviewed publications, and is frequently featured in the media on topics related to sexuality. Her book, Better Sex Through Mindfulness: How Women Can Cultivate Desire (2018) is a knowledge translation product aimed at sharing the science of sexual desire with a broad audience, and the accompanying Workbook will be published by Greystone in October 2022. She is a strong advocate for empowering women to take on leadership roles.
Natalie is a PhD student in the UBC Clinical Psychology program, working under the supervision of Drs. Lori Brotto and Alan Kingstone. She completed her BA in Psychology at Queen’s University in 2017, and her MA in Clinical Psychology at UBC in 2020. Natalie's research examines the use of virtual reality erotica as a clinical tool in the treatment of Genito-pelvic Pain and Penetration Disorder (GPPPD), with a focus on Vaginismus. Overall, her research program aims to improve our understanding of sexual difficulties and develop evidence-based interventions for individuals with distressing sexual concerns
Links mentioned in episode:
Netflix special series : Principles of Pleasure
UBC Faculty of Medicine Sexual Health Research Lab
Details to participate in Natalie’s research on vaginismus
Book: Better Sex Through Mindfulness: How Women Can Cultivate Desire