Rivki Chudnoff, MSPT is instructing her course,Sex and Religion: Treating Conservative Religious Patients on March 10, 2024. At her private practice Hamakom Physical Therapy in Bogota, NJ she focuses on women’s health and pelvic health rehabilitation for women and children where she uses a biopsychosocial approach to guide her patients through the many challenges that they encounter along their journey to healing. Rivki has written extensively on women’s health issues and has presented on pelvic health internationally to sex educators, at community events, and at marriage retreats.

We were taught growing up that it was not polite to discuss sex, politics, or religion in the workplace…and then we became pelvic health providers.

Well, there goes sex.

Rivki Chudnoff, MSPT is instructing her new course, Cultural Sensitivity: Treating Conservative Religious Patients, which debuts on May 7, 2023. Save 10% off registration with discount code NEWCOURSE10. We look forward to seeing you in class! This course is designed to provide guidance and skills for engaging patients from religiously conservative backgrounds in a culturally sensitive manner and will gain a foundational understanding of the various traditions, customs, laws, and values associated with Muslim, Jewish, Hindu, and Christian faiths as they pertain to sexuality and pelvic health.

CASE STUDY: Sarah is a 23-year-old woman who presents to your office for an evaluation. Upon scheduling, she did not wish to disclose to your office manager what kind of pelvic health issue she wants to be seen for.

Upon patient interview, Sarah reveals that she has been married for 8 months and all attempts at intercourse have been unbearably painful. She reports a 14/10 on a pain scale and that she has vocally cried out in pain with any attempts at penetration. She is feeling hopeless that this will ever get better, and is concerned that something is wrong with her and that her vagina is “too small” for intercourse. Sarah admits that she has never examined her own vaginal opening or seen it in a mirror because it “grosses her out”.