Answer
Your doctor is really the best place to start. “Your doctor may be focused on the primary aspects of your disorder and probably will not ask every time he sees you about how your arthritis is affecting your sex life,” Dr. Belmont says. “So don’t be afraid to speak up and say, ‘Well, by the way, doctor . . .’ You shouldn’t be bashful. The doctor’s office is not a place to stand on ceremony.”

Raise your sexual question as a primary concern when you visit the doctor. Lead the discussion when your physician says, “OK, how’s it going?” You can say, “My biggest concern is I don’t have the desire I used to have.”

“We may not always have the answers,” says Dr. Belmont, “but we can refer you to an appropriate source for help – a gynecologist, sex therapist, a counselor, or an orthopaedist if it’s a question of joints.”