If you have recently been diagnosed with Fibroids, you may be wondering if having sex will ever be the same. It’s also possible that problems with sex was one of your symptoms that led you to your diagnosis. Having fibroids may not have been the news you were hoping for but the good news is, sex and fibroids can co-exist especially within an open and communicative relationship. Fibroids are also treatable, and you can talk to your Viva Eve specialist about fibroids and your sex life.
How do fibroids impact my sex life?
Once you understand the common symptoms of fibroids, it becomes clear why so many women lose their sex drive or their sexual confidence because of fibroids. Common fibroid symptoms like severe menstrual cramps, an enlarged uterus, weight gain, and pain during sex can directly interfere with someone’s sex life. Fibroids can also make the timing of having sex difficult if you are experiencing irregular periods or heavy bleeding during your menstural cycle.
When it comes to fibroids and sex drive, the loss of interest in sex can be indirectly correlated with fibroids. For example, an enlarged or bloated uterus or weight gain can hurt a woman’s self confidence and affect her ability to feel sexy in bed; because of this she may have sex less frequently, be more likely to withdraw from her partner, or less likely to pursue new sexual partners.
What’s important to remember when it comes to fibroids and your sex life, is that communicating with your partner about what you’re experiencing can help both of you navigate feelings of insecurity and give you the opportunity to develop a plan to make you feel more comfortable in bed.
If you don’t have a consistent sexual partner then talking to a supportive friend, a therapist, or even your Viva Eve specialist can help you gain clarity on what you need to do to move forward. It’s also important to remember that sex and fibroids can co-exist, but they don’t have to. We offer various treatment options that can help manage fibroid symptoms. Oftentimes, just receiving a diagnosis can offer many people comfort because they now know how to move forward.
Fibroids and sex drive can also be directly coorelated. The most obvious example is the symptom of pain during sex (also referred to as dyspareunia). If you feel you are starting to relate sex with vaginal or uterine pain or if you experience bleeding after penetration, then you may want to pursue treatment soon as this can often effect emotional health in addition to your physical discomfort.
Depending on where the fibroids are located, you could be feeling pain during deep penetrative sex against the cervix, at the entrance of the vagina, or you could feel pressure on the uterus. Pain during sex, caused by fibroids, will be unique to your experience and where the fibroids have developed. While we still recommend reaching out to your fibroid specialist, you can in the meantime tell your partner that certain kinds of sex are not pleasurable to you at the moment and remind them that sex and fibroids requires a little more work.
Depending on where the fibroids are located, you and your partner could try a new position that isn’t painful during intercourse. If you only experince pain during penetration, talk to your partner about other forms of sex that are pleasurable to you while you figure out which fibroid treatment option is best.
There are also other forms of intimacy that don’t include intercourse that you can explore with your partner—you may even find something you enjoy so much that you keep going back to it even after your fibroid treatment.
What about fibroids and sex drive?
While we don’t know the exact cause of fibroids, we know they are related to hormones. People with fibroids have higher amounts of estrogen which can decrease libido.
You should talk to your fibroids specialist to see if there are options to help manage your estrogen levels as well as your symptoms. Sometimes natural alternatives such as a better diet and increased exercise have shown to be helpful for fibroids and sex drive.
As mentioned before, decreased sex drive can also be caused not just from a hormonal imbalance, but from an emotional one. Fibroids can take a toll on mental health and self-confidence. Your ability to feel sexy might be taken away by irregular or heavy menstrual bleeding, severe bloating, or weight gain.
All of these symptoms can result in depression, a very real part of dealing with fibroids. The relationship between sex and fibroids is a difficult one and if you don’t have a consistent sexual partner it may be difficult to communicate your experiences during sex.
Sex and fibroids are far from an ideal match but if you are experiencing decreased libido caused by fibroids then being honest with your partner is still one of the best ways to have a healthy sex life. Tell them what you’re comfortable with and explore new ways of intimacy. Decreased sex drive from fibroids is normal and both you and your partner may feel better after talking about what you’re experiencing.
Which treatment option is best for keeping pleasure?
In a study from National Library of Medicine that compared sexual pleasure after fibroid treatment, it was found that generally, the more intact we can keep the uterus the more likely you are to return to the sex life you had before. Of course, keeping the uterus is not always the best option for all and sometimes removing the uterus (a hysterectomy) is the wisest decision for those who are otherwise at risk or experience persisting and severe pain.
The study was also limited in its trials and expressed that some have found great relief after more invasive treatments for uterine fibroids and therefore increased orgasmic ability. This is why we emphasize the importance of communicating with your Viva Eve specialist so that we can arrive to the best option for your personal needs.
It is still important to know that at Viva Eve, we explore many options with you when it comes to fibroid treatment. One of our minimally invasive treatments, UFE (Uterine Fibroid Embolization), leaves the uterus completely intact and is a procedure that cuts off blood supply to fibroids and causes them to shrink. This is a highly effective treatment that is minimally invasive and has a faster recovery time.
Hormone treatments, such as birth control pills, also have the ability to shrink fibroids without undergoing a medical procedure. While hormonal treatments have been known to affect libido, your uterus is left untouched and is still capable of pleasure as well as conception. It is also worth noting that each person responds differently to hormonal treatments and talking with your firboid specialist will help you figure out if hormonal treatments are right for you.
When seeking out a procedure and talking with your Viva Eve specialist about fibroids and your sex life, express your priorities and tell us about your concerns. Ultimately, we want to help you improve your quality of life (yes, even your sex life!) while alleviating symptoms.
So, can fibroids and sex co-exist?
In summary—yes! Sex and fibroids can co-exist but they don’t have to. We have treatment options that can remove or manage fibroids. There are natural remedies that can manage fibroids symptoms. Viva Eve also has lauded fibroids specialists who are ready to help so that you don’t have to keep managing fibroids and your sex life at the same time. If you are ready to reclaim your sex life and move on from fibroids then schedule your visit with Viva Eve today.