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weir: when it comes to vaginal dryness, women have options
5 minute read
shirley weir is the founder of menopause chicks. illustration: brice hall
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every week, healthing.ca’s menopause expert shirley weir answers questions from women about perimenopause, menopause, post-menopause, and everything in between.
dear shirley,
i have been experiencing vaginal dryness for over a year and my doctor prescribed hemorrhoid cream. needless to say, it’s not working. can you help?
dear marianna,
i am so glad you wrote. vaginal dryness is common and you have easy, viable options — and that doesn’t include suffering or hemorrhoid cream.
vaginal dryness occurs in post menopause (12 months period-free) after estrogen — the hormone responsible for keeping our eyes, mouth, joints and vaginas lubricated — declines.
vaginal dryness can occur at other times in our life too — one of the biggest culprits is the birth control pill, which changes our hormone balance. other reasons include postpartum, anyone undergoing cancer treatments, certain medications or other health conditions.
the bad news is that vaginal dryness, if left untreated, is the one midlife experience that will not get better with time. this is really important because many women have been conditioned to think menopause experiences are something we have to “get through,” without realizing there are longer-term implications if action is not taken.
the good news is women have a menu of options for preventing and treating vaginal dryness. the other good news is that prioritizing vaginal health improves a woman’s overall quality of life — now and into the future.
optimal vaginal health ensures we can sit, walk, dance and move our bodies comfortably. it means we can have sex comfortably. physical movement is key for aging women as it supports our brain health. and, a healthy vagina also helps prevent urinary tract infections (utis) and incontinence.
what can you do to prevent and treat vaginal dryness?
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have sex. a “use it or lose it” approach to vaginal health is not a myth. sexual activity (with or without a partner) and regular orgasms keeps blood flow and energy directed to our pelvic region and that helps to produce natural vaginal lubrication. this may sound like more of a preventative approach, as women who are already experiencing dryness often find sex uncomfortable or painful.
practice regular pelvic floor exercise. see a pelvic floor physiotherapist at least once per year. our pelvic health must be a priority as it is responsible for our bladder health, bowel health, sexual health and more. it’s important for all women to exercise their pelvic floor correctly and consistently, and this requires the guidance of a professional.
moisturize. as part of a regular routine, you can prevent and treat vaginal dryness by moisturizing your vagina — just like you moisturize your hands, face, feet and elbows. a vaginal moisturizer is not the same thing as a lubricant or coconut oil. while lubricants should be used for pleasure and fun, a vaginal moisturizer works to restore natural moisture to the cells of the vagina wall.
there are two equally successful ways to restore natural moisture to the vagina. one is localized estrogen therapy. this is a physician-prescribed form of hormone therapy — often in the form of a cream, suppository or ring — applied directly to the vagina to deliver estrogen back to the body.
another effective way of preventing or reversing vaginal dryness is by moisturizing with hyaluronic acid. hyaluronic acid has been a popular ingredient in beauty and skincare products since 2003. in 2013, research showed it is effective for vaginal dryness too. this is because hyaluronic acid is a naturally occurring compound made by our own bodies, but it starts to decline around age 40.
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this is good news for women who don’t want prescription hormone therapy, or who were on hormone therapy and stopped.
last year, members of the menopause chicks community asked me to research new options for treating vaginal dryness as they were frustrated by the lack of vaginal health education, the lack of conversation with their health care professional (less than 4% of women who experience vaginal dryness receive treatment) and too many women were assuming vaginal dryness was something they had to tolerate.
other members were frustrated by the lack of over-the-counter options as they were spending money on products that had great marketing, but contained primarily water, wax, glycerin, additives and preservatives. we know water is drying, glycerin is derived from sugar — which can cause yeast — and discharge from wax has sent some women straight to their doctors believing something terrible to happening to them.
we took our members’ concerns to an integrative pharmacy and co-developed a hyaluronic acid vaginal moisturizer that only contains hyaluronic acid and vitamin e which thousands of women are now reporting effective.
laser therapy is an option too. every woman is at a different age and stage. some women have been living with vaginal dryness for years — even decades. my message to them is that it is never too late to address this important area of our health. laser therapy — at home or via treatments in a qualified doctor’s office — is also an effective option.
it is unfortunate your doctor was not informed of these vaginal health options, but now that you are, you can choose the solution that is best for you. vaginal health is so important. we want women to sit, walk, dance, practice her favourite sport and have sex comfortably into her 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s and beyond. maintaining healthy cells in the vagina wall helps with all of these things.
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looking for more information on this important women’s health topic? join me & dr. lori brotto for omgyes! conversations about women’s sexual desire & pleasure in midlife! july 23
do you have a question about perimenopause, menopause or beyond? post it in our private online community or write to me shirley@menopausechicks.com
shirley weir is the founder of menopause chicks, an online facebook community that advocates for women in perimenopause, menopause & beyond! she is also the author of mokita: how to navigate perimenopause with confidence & ease. @menopausechicks
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