A sea change is taking place in the medical profession: Many female doctors, who once practiced gynecology and obstetrics, are dropping the obstetrical part of their practices to concentrate on the feminine sexual health of their aging patients.
This is a significant development for women in perimenopause or menopause, who now are opening up more about the dramatic physical–and mental–changes they’re experiencing, and turning to their doctors for advice and help.
Dr. Alyssa Dweck is one of these doctors. Based in Mt. Kisco, New York, she has been in practice for over 20 years and is associated with Northern Westchester Hospital. She also is an assistant clinical professor at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York, and has an appointment with Mass General in Boston.
FabOverFifty was pleased to sit down with Dr. Dweck to discuss this exciting news for our community. She’s “thrilled” about the attention being focused on feminine sexual health.
WE ARE, TOO!
WHAT PROMPTED YOU TO STOP PRACTICING OBSTETRICS TO FOCUS ON WOMEN’S SEXUAL HEALTH?
I decided to stop delivering babies about a year ago. I noticed that my practice was aging as I aged, so I see a different demographic now than I did when everyone was becoming pregnant and delivering babies. Now I’m focused on women in their post childbearing years, and I decided to get specialty training in the field of female sexual health. I took a two-year intensive course in female sexual health from Dr. Michael Krychman and Dr. Susan Lee, experts in the field. It’s such an important field for women, and it’s about time the taboo of this subject has been lifted a bit. I now teach SEXMeD with Dr. Krychman.
WHAT IS CAUSING THIS BREAKTHROUGH FOR WOMEN?
Part of it is thanks to people like you, in the media, who are bringing up women’s medical issues. There is nothing pornographic talking about female sexual function, and many female gynecologists are getting questions about this now that it’s in the media. Women can learn about sexual health in the privacy of their own homes. Some of this interest also comes from age and wisdom. It’s a maturity thing, It’s a good thing. It’s a great thing!
I wrote a book in 2012 called V Is For Vagina, with Robin Westen. Producers were afraid to feature it on the morning news because they were freaking out that we used the word ‘vagina.’ Women were afraid to bring up problems and questions, but we’ve come a long way to bring this subject to the forefront. We’re getting ready to put out a second edition.