November Focus: The Patty Brisben Foundation for Women’s Sexual Health


This month we’re going to get heavy. As I’ve learned, with great power comes great responsibility, and I take my responsibility very seriously. When I founded Pure Romance, I set out with the goal to empower, educate, and entertain. Taking education further and allowing my responsibility to take precedence, I started something about which I am extremely passionate.

In 2006, I founded the Patty Brisben Foundation for Women’s Sexual Health (PBF). To me, it was completely startling that there is a huge lack of training and research available to women and healthcare providers on women’s sexual dysfunction. Can you believe that the average healthcare provider receives around only 10 hours of training in human sexuality? I can’t either, but it’s the truth. And that’s where the PBF steps in.

We help fund research that allows the millions of women experiencing sexual health discomfort and disease to seek help and to seek a solution. It’s important to acknowledge that every adult woman is susceptible to any of the four conditions the PBF has focused on: Vulvovaginal Pain Disorders; sexual health issues related to perimenopause or menopause; intimacy-related sexual dysfunction after cancer therapy; and libido, desire, and pleasure.

Most recently, I co-wrote an e-book, Sexy Ever After: Intimacy Post-Cancer, based on findings from a study the PBF funded. In a study the largest of its kind to date, of young breast cancer survivors, 95% indicated that cancer had adversely affected their sexuality. Dr. Keri Peterson and I paired up to assist couples in the bedroom. They are often embarrassed to talk about it, so this helps both patients and doctors start an open conversation about post-cancer sexuality.

Throughout the month of November, I will be blogging about the remaining PBF pillars in honor of our PBF ¡Viva Violeta! Gala on Saturday, November 5. I get so excited for this fundraising event every single year. Not only do we raise money to fund further research, we also celebrate our successes with a fun and fabulous evening in downtown Cincinnati.

Please join me for a month of the topics nearest and dearest to my heart. With more attention, funding, and hope, I know we can help the lives of millions of women.

*Disclaimer: I am not a doctor. With the assistance from doctors on our Board combined with research, the blog posts this month have been created.

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