FabOverFifty previously collaborated with AMAG Pharmaceuticals as part of its PAINFULLY AWKWARD CONVERSATIONS campaign. Make sure to learn more about Cheryl’s important mission here and here.
I read that members of the cast of Curb Your Enthusiasm improvised their dialog based on a bare outline for the popular sitcom starring Cheryl Hines and Larry David. But when I recently asked Cheryl if she’d ad lib a funny line that women could use to open up a conversation about painful sex, she was stumped. No surprise there. Painful sex isn’t an especially funny subject, even for a comedian.
Why in the world would I be talking to Cheryl about painful sex in the first place?
Well, Emmy nominated actress Cheryl has partnered with AMAG Pharmaceuticals to start the conversation about the subject, which can be mighty uncomfortable for many women. Through a series of lighthearted vignettes, Cheryl and a few of her friends want to empower you to begin your own discussion with your pals, partners and healthcare providers.
“I think It’s hard for women to talk about painful sex because they’re unsure if other women are experiencing it,” Cheryl told me. “It’s easier to talk about something when you feel pretty sure other women are going through the same thing. I was drawn to AMAG’s PAINFULLY AWKWARD CONVERSATIONS campaign so we could help make it easier to approach one another.”
When Cheryl was thinking of getting involved with the AMAG campaign, she talked to her friends, and “across the board they told me I have to do it,” she said. “It was eye opening for me. Painful sex is a women’s health issue and we shouldn’t be shy about it. I want to open the door for women to bring up with their healthcare providers since there are things they can do about it.
“Men today freely talk about erectile dysfunction because treatment is available,” Cheryl explained. “The same thing should be happening with painful sex. If you’re in a private setting, and you’re talking with your friends about guys, fitness, or just having some mimosas, throw the subject out there and ask if it’s just you or if they’re feeling the same way.”
Side note: I was happy to hear that Cheryl is shooting another season of Curb Your Enthusiasm. “I directed an episode, which was very exciting,” she told me. She expects it will air this year, “perhaps in the fall.”