Is anyone on this board still sexually active

Hi Melissa, 

Do Not stress too much about it as stress can be your down fall.

Lots of people continue with sex and actualy you should as it helps to keep 

the tissues of the vulva in good shape. make sure to use lots of lubricant without

perfumes etc.  I personally find coconut oil to be excellant, even though I do not have a partner now I keep hoping and keep my self as ready as possible.

I have had fusing but I am still 'open' and I have had this affliction for over

30 years.

Melissa, you can have sex. Just make sure you're not already sore or super itchy or cracked or swollen. Use a LOT of lubricant coconut oil is good. And don't let him rush things.

I'm 64. I've had LS since I was 22. I had two natural childbirths in my thirties. Ls can go into remission for years at a time. I had too much painful sex with a demanding husband in my twenties. But lots of great sex in my forties and late fifties. Long periods of celibacy between these eras may have helped me go the distance.

If you start to close, you use dilators, or before it gets to that stage, gentle stretching in the bath.

Some doctors say we should have lots of sex to keep from closing. These are MEN. Intercourse involves friction, which is irritating to flared LS and also to yeast (and for me the two go hand-in-hand). I've stretched open adhesions with my fingers in the bath, keeping my opening from getting really small.

Your husband needs to understand all this so he knows it's neither over, nor full steam ahead.

Thank you. My doctor is a male and told me to stay active. I don't have pain during sex but sometimes I am sore the next day. I am assuming this has been LS. The doctor says structurally I am good besides some fusing of my minora to majora but just some towards the back. I have dealt with yeast infections for years...was this really the LS? My symptoms are and always were itchy, pain and redness. Now I don't know in the future when this happens do I treat with yeast medication or my steroid?!? Sorry for the questions and repeating...still learning.

I was diagnosed a little over a year ago I felt the same way at first. I think it is important to not have sex if you are having a bad flair,but sex is very important to keep your relationship I have heard of so many women getting a divorce over this disease. I think you have to figure out your body and see how you react you will not close up frim sex but you shouldnt do anything if you are going to split it very important to use lube I always use run to the restroom beforehand and put some aloe Vera down there to make sure its not dry. My fusing I found was caused more by walking.I keep it under control by spraying witch hazel down there then patting dry every time I use the restroom then put aloe Vera witch keeos it moisturized so you dont fuse I also put vitamin E oil 45,000 iu at night it has really helped I hope this helps but make sure you communicate with him about whats going on and if you have a split that you can not have sex

Absolutely. My Gyno told me only 1% of ladies cannot have sex.

I believe I've had LS for about 30 years and up until half a year ago we didn't have problems cause of it except the odd time my clitoris was itchy/ sensitve.

Now, we have to work around my irritated clitorus, which is creating challenges and calls for creativity. But actual intercourse isn't a problem. May have had sensitivity once or twice.

This disease varies so much from one individual to another. I have a very understanding husband. We've done a lot of communicating on what might work, what does work etc. I tell him if something hurts too much and he respects it.

My LS got quite abit worse after I got my diagnosis. I believe because I flipped out emotionally. Try to keep calm and don't go online and look at pictures.

This site has helped me so so much. Sometimes what I read terrifies me but usually it's encouraging and enlightening.

Melissa, I haven't wanted to have sex for a while, as last time it was just too painful. 

I attribute that to a few things, firstly, my husband rushed me before I was "ready" No more spontaneous hot sex with this condition I'm afraid!! Secondly, I had not been using a dilator regularly, that's important, and so I am trying to remedy that. It is something that you need to do regularly to keep the opening of your Vagina from closing. Fun huh!!  

Also, like many women with Lichen Sclerosus I have a bridge of skin at the lower bottom entrance to my Vjay (a band), this needs to be carefully navigated over,  before the fun starts!  For me, this is the "roadblock" to sex, one slip up, catch, on this band of skin and it is agony, and so if you are the same, it is going to hurt.  Maneuvering oneself into different sexual positions should help I think, this is something I need to try myself. 

Thank you all so much!! I only got a diagnosis a few days ago and I am so beyond thankful for this board and you ladies!!!

Everyone at first goes into panic mode.Some cases stay mild and never spread or get worse.You must be reading all the horror stories on the net for the bad cases that most of us first read.If youve been given clobetasol just follow doctors orders and you should be ok.

hi you sound like me ! I was diagnosed 9 weeks ago . I didn't have any sores or blisters etc just itching !. When I understudy about the condition I thought I was going to close up over night !. I got it in my head that it was happening and kept asking my husband to have sex with me to check ! Looking back at the situation I had a slight raised patch on my skin down there for about 2 years which I just itched slightly ! No other problems . My Dr kept saying it was thrush and kept giving me antibiotics !. Which I hated taking !. Then 6 months ago I started itching really bad on my vulva it was so bad I could have ripped my skin open !. I wasn't having any luck with Dr so I decided to go to the local sexual clinic ! The Dr there was brill she knew straight away what it was ..I have been using the cream sparingly for 9 weeks and it really helps !. I also use aloe Vera fell for cooling the itch . But going back to your question , I don't have any narrowing and for 2 years felt uncomfortable a bit at times but didn't know what I was dealing with !. So some people have it years and never narrow . But what I do know is , is that stress really feeds it so if you arn't sore just relax and take it steady and all can stay well long term . You are treating it now that's the main thing !. My husband says it has never felt any different in all the 23 years we have been having sex ! So don't stress x

I am still and I am 63. You cannot give it up but try to take it slower before intercourse. It helps to have a patient partner too. It is not the end. When I was 1st diagnosed I thought my sex life was over. I was so depressed as I am married to a younger man. Now I hardly even think about it. I have/had it pretty badly but it is now under control. I pay a lot of attention to taking good care of myself the couple of days after I have had sex so I don't have lesions. I keep myself well lubricated and that seems to calm it down enough that any discomfort goes away. I hope this helps! Don't feel hopeless as I know what a shock it is but with time you learn how to manage.

The images you see on the internet are cases that are extreme and not necessarily the norm. View Dr. Goldstein's webinar found in New To LS posted on the front page of this group. 

You can most likely still have sex although it may likely take some time for you to come to grips with how LS might affect your sex, or (fingers crossed) not. In the meantime, the LS may get worse before it gets better as you try to figure out what is and isn't working for you. 

Stress, anxiety and sugar are cited by many with LS as common triggers, which means your recent diagnosis and the stress you are going to experience as you learn about lichen sclerosus could very well set you off on a flare. I had minimal symptoms (for 30 years) until I started treatment. I believe that it was reading up on the disease and my reaction to what I learned as well as the anger I had at my GP who ignored my symptoms that fed my flare ups. I also had other stress in my life that was messing me up. 

I suggest you invest in a quality lubricant. I prefer something without parabens and other ingredients that are known to be irritating. Lubrication was never a problem with me (and still isn't) however that extra vsicous layer seems to help reduce aggravation. 

I find that applying steroids immediate after sex, regardless of my maintenance schedule works to stop a post sex flare. In the early days, I would apply my steroid before sex as well when I started to have a reaction to a session. 

Talk with your partner about what is going on. Your activities may need to be approached differently especially while you figure out your situation and wait for things to stabilize (at least a few months, some on here say up to a year or two). Use it as a time to explore each other's bodies in new ways. 

I have an active and satisfying relationship with an understanding man and I hope you can too. 

This forum has a lot of good information that you won't get from your doctors.