3 basic facts about vaginal dryness

Vaginal dryness is a common condition for a number of reasons, but it's rarely a hot topic.

 Vaginal dryness is most often caused by a decrease in estrogen levels. Estrogen is a hormone that helps keep the tissues of your vagina lubricated and healthy. Below are some basic facts of vaginal dryness.

1. The vagina changes during menopause

During the menopause, many women experience changes in the vagina including blood supply, support, elasticity, sensitivity, lubrication, and responsiveness. After the menopause, the pinkness, and juiciness of the vaginal tissue diminishes, and it can start to look more like the skin on the back of your hand. If there's no lubrication, your vagina will feel dry and stiff, and sex can feel a bit like rubbing with sandpaper.

2. Lots of factors impact vaginal dryness

Anything that basically affects the hormone levels can temporarily cause vaginal dryness, such as childbirth and breastfeeding. Anxiety and stress, the contraceptive pill or injection, some types of medication like antidepressants and antihistamines, chemotherapy and radiotherapy and of course, not being sufficiently aroused before sex can all add to vaginal dryness.

3. Painful sex

When it comes to being intimate, vaginal dryness can seriously impact your sex life. Penetration or even touching can feel uncomfortable and painful due to the dryness and thinning of the vaginal tissue. When sex starts to hurt, why would you want to do it? This, of course, has a huge impact on your sex life.

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