Welcome to The Moth. I'm Kate Tellers, and this week we'll be exploring joy and pain.
A few days ago, we aired an episode of The Moth Radio Hour called Human Plus Nature,
where I shared some stories about humans, nature, and human nature.
But for this podcast, we're taking a different look at that topic,
as we explore the dark side of two of life's most natural joys.
Mute for a second, Dad.
Sex and laughter.
And what happens when something inside you prevents you from experiencing those natural highs?
First up, we've got Becky Feldman,
who told this story at an L.A. slam where the theme of the night was gratitude.
Here's Becky live at the Moth.
Okay, I'm going to get a little sexy.
Throughout my adult life, I have struggled with this condition called vestibulodynia.
And I'll just give you a quick refresher.
I basically have nerve pain in the entrance to my vagina or the vestibule.
So when I was in college, at the end of college, I started having sex.
And while I always could be stimulated clitorally,
intercourse itself was always excruciatingly painful.
I used to try and just like grin and bear it and just push through the...
pain but eventually my partner and I would have to stop and I would be so embarrassed and I would apologize profusely and I would always say like oh it's this medication that I'm taking it's the side effect of it and And emotionally,