Dr. Melissa Dahir, DNP

Dr. Melissa DahirDr. Melissa Dahir is an award-winning family nurse practitioner, who is doctorate prepared and board certified in family practice. She has been the Midwest’s leading healthcare expert in sexual medicine and vulvar pain disorders since 2006. In 2012 the International Society for the Study of Women’s Sexual Health named her a Fellow which is a top distinction in this field. Her clinical specialties include evidence based treatments for vulvar pain disorders (vulvodynia), pelvic pain, sexual dysfunction in women of all ages and cancer survivors, vulvar skin conditions such as lichen sclerosus, and women transitioning through menopause. She also offers testosterone replacement therapy for men and women (transdermal, injectable, and implantable). She strongly believes that ongoing research is the key to advancing women’s sexual health. She is now a Co-Principal Investigator for the Dyvinia clinical trial, a study to evaluate the efficacy, safety, and optimal dose of Dysport compared to placebo in female patients with vulvodynia.

She uses research and expert knowledge to offer innovative treatments and the best possible outcomes for her patients. She studied evidence based medicine at Creighton University and she received her Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) in 2013. Creighton University gave Dr. Dahir two prestigious honors for her research on vaginal testosterone in women with breast cancer: The DNP Excellence Award from Sigma Theta Tau/Iota Tau Honor Society and the Dr. Winifred Pinch Research Award from Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society. Her research was published the following year “Breast Cancer, Aromatase Inhibitor Therapy, and Sexual Functioning: A Pilot Study on the Effects of Vaginal Testosterone Therapy,” in the Sexual Medicine journal. Dr. Dahir wrote the chapter “Women & Sexuality” in the book: Women’s Health: A Primary Clinical Guide (2019).

An avid contributor to global events and key opinion leader (KOL) in her field, Dr. Dahir has participated in Drug Advisory Board Meetings to help identify knowledge-practice gaps, engage in open discussions about barriers/unmet needs and share her expertise and experience with FDA approved medications for women’s sexual health.  In May 2017, she presented on Addyi (flibanserin), which is the first FDA approved drug for premenopausal women with Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder (HSDD) on behalf of the International Society for Sexual Medicine (ISSM) at the 23rd Congress of the World Association for Sexual Health in Prague. She has served as part of the distinguished faculty at the NPWH/ISSWSH Women’s Sexual Health Course,  a continuing education program that provides nurse practitioners with up-to-date evidence and expert consensus on female sexual medicine, evaluation, and therapeutic strategies.

Melissa gives back to her community and is actively involved in non-profit organizations such as “A Time to Heal,” a 12 week program for men and women undergoing treatment for cancer. She is on the Public Outreach Committee for the International Society for the Study of Women’s Sexual Health (ISSWSH). The committee of experts is responsible for providing education to the public about women’s sexuality and sexual health. They are also working to raise funds through private donors for patient funded initiatives and research. Dr. Dahir is also a supporter of local fashion designers through the Fashion Institute Guild; she was Vice President of Fundraising, past President for Event Chair for two galas, and past President for Fashion Institute Midwest. She is also involved with Sammy’s Superheroes and their Glow Gold Fundraiser to support pediatric cancer research. She lives with her family in Omaha, Nebraska.