Seriously, what can’t Botox do?! You’re probably very familiar with its popularity as a wrinkle-fighting powerhouse injectable. But it can also be used to prevent chronic migraines, stop excess sweating, and help with muscle spasms, and now it’s showing promise in the area of women’s sexual health. 

In our latest episode of the Wellness Essentials Podcast, episode 10: Changing the Narrative for the Future of Female Health, we talked to Dr. Javaid about some promising advancements in women’s health. Dr. Javaid is a board-certified OBGYN and the founder of HerMD, a revolutionary clinic that caters to making women feel comfortable going to the doctor. “You'll notice right when you walk in there are chandeliers, there's real furniture, there's real paint colors, it's a beautiful space. We have robes, we have socks, the rooms are beautiful, and we have temperature control, so you're not freezing. Lighting. I paid very close attention to the lighting. Nobody wants horrible lighting when you already feel exposed, and so those are the ways we made the entire experience different.”

But aside from giving women a much more comfortable experience at the OBGYN, Dr. Javaid was excited about the promise of using Botox to treat two painful conditions for women. The first is a condition called vaginismus, which is the involuntary contraction of the muscles around the vaginal opening, which can make having sex, getting an exam, or using tampons impossible. “It's a very, very painful, difficult condition to live with, and it wrecks lives. I inject the muscles around the vaginal opening, which paralyzes the muscles, just like when you get Botox in your face, and it allows women to use tampons, to have an exam, and most importantly, to have intercourse.” 

She added, “Just this morning, I found out one of my patients, who's a success story, she's now pregnant; she was never able to have intercourse, she had the procedure with us, and then I just found out this morning she's pregnant.” 

Another condition that is treated with Botox is called vestibulodynia. The vestibule is the tissue inside the labia minora, and vestibulodynia is chronic pain and discomfort in that area. Dr. Javaid can inject Botox right at that opening to help women with that pain. 

“And then there's a very rare condition that we see a lot of at Her MD, called persistent genital arousal disorder. It's like a nerve disorder, it causes immense pain, and it’s this feeling of continually feeling like you need to orgasm, but orgasm doesn't resolve it. It actually is very, very painful and very distressing. There are high levels of anxiety and depression with this condition, so just a few Botox units around the clitoris, and we can markedly help patients with that as well.” Dr. Javaid is currently collecting data on these cases and sharing it with providers nationwide so that women all over can find relief from some of these painful conditions. 

You don’t need to be living with pain. If you are experiencing any of these painful issues or any sort of gynecological or sexual health symptoms, know that you are not alone, and there is help and healing out there for you. If you want to find a knowledgeable provider, visit the International Society for the Study of Women's Sexual Health at ISSWSH.org to use the physician locator.