ROYAL OAK, Mich. – A doctor from Royal Oak spoke with Local 4 about a specific medical condition that many women are too embarrassed to bring up, but they should know they’re not alone.
Dr. Kenneth Peters, the chief of urology at Corewell Health’s Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak, said there are many topics patients are sometimes embarrassed to discuss. That can include erectile disfunction for men or fecal incontinence for women.
He brought up “persistent genital arousal disorder” as one such condition for women.
“There’s one thing in particular in woman, I would say, (that) is so unusual and impactful for patients that they almost tell nobody about, but it’s more common than you would think,” Peters said. “It’s a weird thing that’s called persistent genital arousal disorder.
“What this is, is like, the sense that you’re on the verge of an orgasm 24/7, or get spontaneous ones, and it’s a very painful thing, and these are miserable patients, and they’re often coming in with the complain of pelvic pain.
“We see lots of women and men with chronic pelvic pain, and there are lots of triggers to that pain. Some are neuromuscular, some are bladder or bowel. What I’ve learned is that, similar to other conversations, often it’s best if we bring it up. I try to characterize somebody’s pain. I’ll say, ‘Does it hurt when you sit, lie, stand? Is it worse with exercise, stress?’ All these different things, and then I’ll add, ‘Do you ever have any sensation of, like, clitoral stimulation or a sense of unwanted orgasm?’
“Literally, I’ve had women break out in tears. I mean, it’s something they have just suffered with, and it’s something they’ve spoken to nobody about. They truly think they’re the only person. It’s like, way more common than you’d think it’d be. I think it’s finally been getting a lot of attention out there.”
Click here to watch Local 4′s full “Dying of Embarrassment” feature.