Southern California Hospital Makes Women’s Sexual Health a Priority, Naming World-Renown Expert in Sexual Health and Survivorship Medicine as New Program Director

Newport Beach, Calif. (Vocus) September 20, 2007

As part of its long-term commitment to the growth and development of specialized, patient-centered care programs and services, Hoag Hospital named Dr. Michael Krychman, one of the world’s leading experts in sexual health and survivorship medicine, the medical director of its new Sexual Health and Survivorship Medicine program.

Known both nationally and internationally for his research and work in the field of female sexual health and cancer survivorship, Dr. Krychman co-founded The Sexual Medicine and Rehabilitation Program at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York City. He is a board-certified OB/GYN and a licensed clinical sexologist, with a master’s degree in public health and human sexuality.

Dr. Krychman’s expertise reaches beyond geographical borders to include research and writing for various medical journals, including co-authoring chapters for “Cancer, Sexuality and Sexual Expression” in Female Dysfunction, 1st edition. He has also served on a variety of editorial review and advisory boards overseeing a diverse range of topics related to gynecologic oncology, sexual health, female dysfunction and survivorship medicine. He recently published “100 Questions & Answers for Women Living with Cancer: A Practical Guide to Female Cancer Survivorship.”

A Shift In Women’s Health Care

“The term ‘sexual dysfunction’ has gained notoriety due to popular male-enhancing, performance drugs such as Viagra,” said Vivian Dickerson, M.D., FACOG, and Hoag’s Medical Director of Women’s Health Programs & Care. “However, what is not recognized, nor fully supported by the mainstream medical community is the phenomenon of female sexual dysfunction and the impact it has on a woman’s health, intimate relationships and general well-being.”

According to Dickerson, the importance of sexual health, and the medical and relationship issues that result in sexual dysfunction are being taken a little more seriously within the women’s health care industry. However, “it is still a long way from being recognized as a ‘subspecialty’ or even considered a valid medical condition.”

“Women’s sexual concerns are also often ignored or treated as psychological, social or emotional complaints by their health care providers. Hoag’s program takes full advantage of Dr. Krychman’s clinical expertise in sexual health and survivorship medicine to treat the complex layers of a woman’s sexuality as well as provide follow-up care for chronic and long-term dysfunction,” stated Dickerson.

Sexual Health and Survivorship Medicine

Hoag Hospital’s Sexual Health and Survivorship Medicine program incorporates two, highly specialized areas of focus for women of all ages and sexual orientation. These include:

Sexual Health, which focuses on enhancing sexual health and intimacy for women with disorders of sexual function as a result of pain, illness, hormonal changes, medications, stress and cancer and its treatments.

And, Survivorship Medicine, which focuses on long-term, quality-of-life concerns and sexual health issues for women living with a chronic medical illness, a history of cancer or those who are at risk for developing cancer.

Sexual Health

Sexual dysfunction affects nearly half of all post-pubertal women in the U.S. as well as the vast majority of peri- and post-menopausal women. Women often experience symptoms that can greatly reduce their desire for intimacy as well as impair their quality of life. For instance, such chronic illnesses as hypertension, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and neurological disorders may impact a woman’s sexual function.

Additionally, many drug classes used to treat these conditions can affect the sexual response cycle and cause sexual dysfunction. Hormones also play a significant role in regulating sexual function. Loss of estrogen and androgen affects both the central nervous system and the sensory organs that determine the quality of sexual response, therefore, peri- and post-menopausal women often experience sexual problems, especially dysparenia and vaginal atrophy.

Sexual dysfunction is also a common consequence of cancer therapy that may persist after treatment is completed. It is reported that 90% of female cancer survivors have some form of long-lasting sexual complaint. Chemotherapy and radiation (especially to the pelvic area) can result in a sudden loss of estrogen production in the ovaries causing a woman to experience symptoms of menopause including vaginal dryness, vaginal atrophy and dysparenia. Hormonal manipulation, specifically anti-estrogens and aromatase inhibitors, can also exacerbate menopausal symptoms.

Moreover, women undergoing a radical hysterectomy, cystectomy, abdominal-perineal resection and vulvectomy to remove cancer in the reproductive organs will also experience menopause and the symptoms previously discussed. These operative procedures can also change the structural anatomy and compromise the neurovascular integrity to organ systems that are critical to sexual responsiveness.

Survivorship Medicine

In addition to treating female sexual dysfunction, Hoag’s Sexual Health and Survivorship Medicine program also delivers specialized care to women living with chronic medical illnesses, such as Multiple Sclerosis, heart disease, diabetes and many others, as well as to women who may have been recently diagnosed with any type of cancer; women who have received chemotherapy, surgery or radiation; or, women, who may be preparing to undergo these types of cancer-related procedures. The program is designed to restore a woman’s sexual health and function, optimize levels of intimacy, improve overall health and well being, and, help reduce risks for cancer reoccurrence.

About Dr. Krychman

Prior to serving as Co-Founder and -Director of Sexual Medicine at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, Dr. Krychman held positions as Associate Professor at Cornell Medical School in New York City, and before that was on staff at Temple University Hospital and Episcopal Hospital in Philadelphia.

Dr. Krychman holds licenses from three states including California, Pennsylvania and New York. His clinical interests are diverse, ranging from chemotherapy-induced chemical dysparenia to management of sexual dysfunction in cancer and non-cancer patients. His special interests include sexual pain disorders, loss of libido, chronic medical illness and its impact on female sexual function, as well as breast cancer sexuality.

Fluent in French and English, Dr. Krychman obtained his doctorate in medicine and masters in surgery from McGill University School of Medicine in Montreal, where he was named a “Great Distinction Medical Scholar.”

About Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian

Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian (http://www.hoaghospital.org) is a 498-bed, not-for-profit, acute care hospital located in Newport Beach, Calif. Fully accredited by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations and designated as a Magnet hospital by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), Hoag offers a comprehensive mix of health care services, including Centers of Excellence in cancer, heart and vascular, neurosciences, orthopedics and women’s health. Recent studies released by HealthGrades place Hoag among the top 5% of hospitals in the nation for both Clinical Excellence and Patient Safety. National Research Corporation has endorsed Hoag as Orange County’s most preferred hospital for the past 10 consecutive years. And for an unprecedented 11 years, residents of Orange County have chosen Hoag as the county’s best hospital in a local newspaper survey.

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