QI am a married 54-year-old post-menopausal woman. My libido has diminished significantly, and it takes me much longer to climax. My husband gets tired sooner and is unable to maintain an erection as long as he used to; this makes it even more difficult for me to climax. I have taken up an activity I did in my 20s when I was single: giving myself enemas. The enema-induced orgasms are fantastic. It’s not an obsessive habit. I’ll sometimes do it four times in one week and then go a month without one. Am I doing any harm to my body by doing frequent quart-size soapy enemas using a retention balloon nozzle and holding it as long as possible and then masturbating as I expel? Will a doctor be able to tell what I’ve been up to when it’s time for a colonoscopy? I would die if a doctor figured it out. —Frustrated Lady Earnestly Enquires Today
As for your fear of being discovered, FLEET, Torres says you should be able to rely on your doc’s professionalism. “I have not seen many colonoscopies, so I would not know a physician’s ability to determine a person’s level of enema activity,” says Torres. “But as a physician who prides herself in building trust with patients, I would never disclose my knowledge of sexual activities that may make my patient uncomfortable or embarrassed unless there is a concern for her health or it directly affects her care.”
“Women do not ‘lose’ their clitorises,” says Torres. “The majority of the clitoris is located inside the body, but women recognize the ‘clitoral glans’ as the clitoris. This may become smaller with age, making it seem as though the clitoris has disappeared. But let me be clear: the clitoris never goes away.”
“If a patient comes to me with changes in sexual function that concern her and she wants addressed,” Torres continues, “it is the same as if she came to me with ‘It hurts right here, doc.’ It is something that needs investigating. Having a hysterectomy often includes removing the ovaries, which is equivalent to inducing menopause. No ovaries = no estrogen = menopause. Even if you still have your ovaries, their function may be affected by a hysterectomy. This can affect the libido or it may have no effect whatsoever. Everyone is different. Also, after major surgery, particularly after a difficult and prolonged recovery, people may not enjoy sex the same way they used to for a variety of reasons. For this woman, pain may now be associated with the struggle to recover as opposed to what it used to be associated with: orgasm.”
