Sister doctors host women's TV show on healthy sexuality

Jennifer Berman, MD, and Laura Berman, PhD, who have also authored a book on female sexuality, advise physicians to speak to their patients about sex-related issues.

By Damon Adams, amednews staff. Feb. 10, 2003.

Talking about sex for the Berman sisters was as normal a part of their adolescence as homework and crushes on boys.

Jennifer Berman was four years older, so sister Laura asked her a lot of questions. And their parents weren't shy about discussing sexual issues with the two girls.

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Now, discussing sex is a vital part of the Berman sisters' careers.

Jennifer Berman, MD, is a urologist. Laura Berman, PhD, is a sex therapist.

The sisters have practiced together in Boston and Los Angeles, heading sexual health centers in both places. They've authored a book on female sexuality. And they host a TV show, "Berman & Berman: For Women Only," on Discovery Health Channel.

Their book, For Women Only: A Revolutionary Guide to Overcoming Sexual Dysfunction and Reclaiming Your Sex Life, is what lifted the two sisters from private practice to the TV spotlight.

The sisters keep mum on their personal sex lives.

"As a result of that book, we got approached by a lot of media entities about doing something to heighten public awareness about women's problems and address women's issues," Dr. Jennifer said.

The two have appeared on "Oprah" and on "Good Morning America."

Among their admirers was Discovery Health Channel.

In the beginning, the sisters faced some criticism for conducting academic research one minute and appearing on "Oprah" the next.

"There was a lot of resentment of, 'Who are these young whippersnappers getting all of this attention,' " Dr. Laura said. "We just kept trudging along."

The sisters didn't want to give up their practice, but they saw hosting a show as a way to extend their practice beyond the walls of their clinic. They started taping in March 2002, and episodes began airing the following month.

Their TV show isn't for people with Victorian sensitivities.

Taped in a Burbank, Calif., television studio, the program deals with topics such as sexual satisfaction, lackluster bedroom performance, hysterectomies, sex after breast cancer and troubles with thongs.

The two sisters sit on a sofa before their audience, listening to women share stories about their sex problems and their health. They dish out advice, speaking freely, like friends at a slumber party.

"There's sort of a coffee club feel to it," said Dr. Laura, who is married and has one son.

The sisters have a team of producers and editors helping cull ideas from news and current events.

Dr. Jennifer said she doesn't worry about coming up short on topics.

"It's not just about sex. It's women's health and issues they face," she said.

As candid as the sisters are in their chats, there are a few boundaries.

"I can't talk about her personal sexual life," said Dr. Jennifer, 37, who is married, has one child and is expecting her second child Feb. 15.

When Dr. Jennifer crosses the line, delving into her sister's sexual activities, Dr. Laura, 33, said: "I start going, 'la, la, la,' so they'll stop taping."

And the two play off their different personal styles.

"She's much more touchy, introspective and spiritual. I'm much more extroverted, outgoing, direct," Dr. Jennifer said.

Dr. Laura said that's a fair assessment, adding, "She'll approach things from a much more concrete perspective and I'll approach things more philosophically, and it works."

The Drs. Berman said physicians should not be reluctant to speak with patients about sexual issues and how those issues relate to health.

"If you don't ask, patients won't tell," Dr. Laura said. "A lot of doctors shy away from this one. Most doctors haven't had a lot of training in sexuality. They, like everybody else, are human and awkward in talking to someone about their sex life."

Dr. Jennifer had an interest in medicine early on, when, as a child, she went on hospital rounds with her father, a surgeon.

She later earned her medical degree from Boston University School of Medicine, choosing urology as her specialty.

"It was wide open and in need of women. It was clear that women had urological problems, too," said Dr. Jennifer, whose training focused on female urology and female sexual dysfunction.

Dr. Laura got a master's degree in clinical social work, then earned a doctorate in health education and therapy from New York University. She specialized in human sexuality.

Dr. Jennifer was doing a fellowship in Boston when she asked her sister to partner with her as a therapist. Her idea was to have a mind-body approach. Together, they headed the Women's Sexual Health Clinic at Boston University School of Medicine.

In 2000, Dr. Jennifer left and went to Los Angeles for a fellowship. Soon, her sister joined her and the two launched the Female Sexual Medicine Center at the UCLA Medical Center.

Dr. Laura has moved to Chicago to open another clinic. Once a month, she will fly back to California to tape the show with her sister, who still runs the Los Angeles clinic.

Meanwhile, the sisters run a Web site, Network for Excellence in Women's Sexual Health, providing information for women seeking help with sexual function problems.

Long after they first started talking about sex in their room as adolescents, the sisters seem satisfied sharing what they know as women and as doctors.

"We work very closely together," Dr. Jennifer said.

Added Dr. Laura: "It's a good yin and yang thing."