Grace Klaris

About Grace Klaris

Three Words to Describe Grace: Hungry, quick, thoughtful Expertise: qualitative research, global health, and where to get the best bite Education: BA in Human Biology from Stanford University Grace is a science writer for Materna Medical. She is a fourth-year medical student at the Warren Alpert Medical School (AMS) at Brown University and currently on a gap year to learn how to farm and pursue her interest in writing. Grace earned her bachelor’s degree in Human Biology at Stanford University, where she graduated Phi Beta Kappa. Before medical school, Grace was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship to study maternal health in Lucknow, India. She then returned to her hometown of New York City and spent two years working as the personal assistant to Dan Barber, chef and co-owner of Blue Hill and Blue Hill at Stone Barns. Outside of the hospital, Grace is a passionate writer. She is a co-editor and contributor to AMS’s student literary magazine, Plexus, and an unofficial disciple of Natalie Goldberg’s Writing Down the Bones. For Materna Medical, Grace specializes in writing articles that translate complex medical conditions into useful resources for patients. Next year, she plans to apply into general surgery with the goal of becoming a pediatric surgeon.

Vaginal Dilators: What’s the Scoop?

By |2023-06-02T08:43:58-07:00May 15, 2023|

Vaginal dilators can be a great option when it comes to your journey to wellness. By gradually stretching your pelvic floor muscles, dilators help relieve the symptoms of vaginismus pain with sex, insertion of tampons, pelvic exams, or any other kind of wanted penetration. Pain with sex or any vaginal penetration can be difficult, but there are options. Practices in relaxation and expansion of the vaginal and pelvic muscles may help ease the symptoms. Vaginal dilators can be beneficial in retraining ...

What is Dyspareunia?

By |2023-04-24T09:49:34-07:00April 10, 2023|

If you have ever experienced pain or discomfort with sex, it may have been distressing for you. Sexual pain can have a significant impact on a person’s health, confidence, relationships, work, and quality of life. We hope we hope the information in this blog post provides you with some insights into dyspareunia and helps you have the confidence to take control of your sexual health in order to live your healthiest, happiest life. We know medical terminology can be intimidating, ...

Does Vaginismus Last Forever?

By |2023-04-24T09:53:53-07:00April 3, 2023|

Painful sex is unfortunately quite common, even if it isn’t regularly discussed.  The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists estimate that, at some point in their lives, 3 in 4 women will experience painful sex1.  One cause is a genito-pelvic pain/penetration disorder called vaginismus.  Vaginismus is characterized by the uncontrolled tightening of the muscles at the opening of the vagina when trying to insert something (think: penis, tampon, finger, or medical instrument).  These muscles are generally under our control, but ...

Vaginismus Overview

By |2023-04-24T09:59:17-07:00March 27, 2023|

Do you dread going to the gynecologist because of traumatic pap smears? Does painful sex prevent you from achieving healthy intimacy with your partner? Do you find it impossible to insert a tampon? Or maybe you’ve been told you have an “overactive” or “tight” pelvic floor.  If any of this resonates, you may be suffering from a condition called vaginismus, and you are not alone.  Vaginismus is a common condition and can affect women of all ages, including trans women ...

Drop It To The Floor: Pelvic Floor 101

By |2023-03-02T15:42:21-08:00February 21, 2023|

When it comes to muscles, we all know the heavy hitters. Most people can point to their biceps, abs, and hamstrings, and probably even demonstrate a few exercises that target each one. But how many times have you heard someone talk about strengthening their coccygeus (kok-sij-ee-uhs)? Do you remember ever learning about your levator ani muscles in school? Probably not. Although these muscles are present in people of all genders, those with female anatomy are more likely to suffer from ...

How to Relax Your Pelvic Floor

By |2023-02-27T19:49:15-08:00February 21, 2023|

If anyone’s ever told you, “Just relax!” in response to stress, you know how, well, stressful those instructions can be. Indeed, figuring out how to “relax” when we are in a tense state can feel impossible, unless explicit instructions are given. Now, imagine you are told to relax muscles you didn’t even know existed. This is the reality for approximately 1 in 3 women in the US who will experience some form of pelvic floor dysfunction (PFD) in their lifetime. ...

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