Conditions
Vaginal Dryness
It’s natural for a woman’s vagina to be moist, providing an essential self-cleansing mechanism. Moisture usually increases before sex, but just like many best laid plans, your vagina may not want to play the game. This can be due to a number of psychological factors, but women may find they experience dryness after the menopause. This is due to the fall in oestrogen levels, which makes the vagina thinner and dryer. Extra lubrication is also lost as the glands produce fewer secretions. Fortunately, lubricating gels are available to ease dryness during sex; and for post-menopausal women there are oestrogen creams that can be effective. A bit of time and patience in the bedroom can also help…
Comments and Questions
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Please note: Unfortunately Channel 4 cannot respond to individual inquiries. If you have any concerns, you can check out NHS Choices, but ultimately it is always best to check with a health professional.
am 61 years old and have vaginal dryness which is causing a lot of problems having sex with my husband.I had a full hyst when i was 42 and suffered ever since. I have tried all the creams over the counter with no relief only make me more sore. Please can you help me its making me so depressed.
Hi, I started on HRT at the age of 41 due to early menopause. I had a total hysterectomy and ovarys removed 2 years ago and my Hrt was changed following this I now have dryness and other problems. The doctor reluctantly put me on HRT cream as well as tablets but I still get problems with dryness during intercourse and I always get an area where the top layer of skin is rubbed off leaving me with a raw area that takes a week to heal even though I use loads of lubricant. All my Doctor say to me now is as I will be 50 this year I will have to stop the HRT. I use repleans as well but it does little to help. Can anyone help as sex is now non penetrative My husband is very understanding, but as we have only been married 4 years i feel its very unfair for both of us.
Hi i have the opposite problem to all the women above but could not locate any sections relaiting to my problem.I get overly moist below over moist is actually an understaitment i am constantly wet, this is constant throught the day and evening.I have to apply talc to dry myself up. Im 27 and been married for 8 years and have no children. We have a very regular sex life however i can get so wet i have to wipe myself during sex, is this normal?
My goodness I'm so pleased that I am not the only one with this problem. I have to wipe myself during sex, although quite normal unless aroused. I have looked on the internet to see if there is a remedy but to no avail.My partner is very understanding but it does effect stimulation for both of us.I hope that the EB Gp's can suggest something.
i am 27 and just had fisrt baby 7 months ago i had an episiotomy with no further complications. since then having sex is really uncomfortable due to feeling dry and exteremly tight, which of course makes me really tense and worsens the situation. i am used to using lubricants but have not previously had any trouble with my husband intering me. it is putting a real strain on our sex life as i try to avoid sex although i really want to get back on track please help.
Hi I am a 20 years old female. I have developed these little lumps in my virinal areas and I was wondering if you could tell me the cause and how i can get rid of them? thank you.
It might be that you have some problem with vaginal warts which are more bumpy than lumpy but can sometimes be large. Or you could have some inflammed hair follicles which can also feel lumpy. These might be on the vaginal lips or around the vaginal opening where there is pubic hair. You might have a sexually transmitted infection. Herpes normally is itchy and can be painful but you don't mention this. I think you need to go to a Genito Urinary Clinic ( GUM), it is confidential and they have all the facilities to diagnose these sort of problems. Better not to leave it too long to get the problem diagnosed and treated.
Hello, my problem has nothing to do with dryness, i dont even know whats wrong with me. i have slimy, watery type of thing coming out of my vagina all the time, and it'll always stain on my knickers. I have to put a tissue there now, just so it doesnt get there. Please can you tell me what it is? because I'm really confused, is something wrong with me? Please tell me how to get this sorted. Thank You
Hi, I am 62 years old and have had roblems with my vagina for the last year or so. I have soreness, itching and experience splitting when I have sexual intercourse. There are no problems when I urinate. I have been inserting HRT cream for the last few months but without success. I had the usual GP examination and was referred to Hospital for examination by a gynaecologist. He told that I have labial fusion and will need surgery for labial separation. I can't seem to find out much about this problem except in young girls where it is usually resolved by the application of creams. The problem itself is worrying enough but the apparent lack of information, including nothing on this website, is making it even more stressfull. Please can any one tell me about this problem in older women, the severity of the operation and the after effects.
Hi i am 41 i have had a dry vaginal & no sex dry since i have been 30. i had an hysteromy around the age of 32. my husabnd is very caring & loves me alot but we are lucky ot have sex once a month because i find it to much of a chore. i am embrassed because it is always dry & after very sore. When we have sex i enjoy it vey much but still very dry, i have been to doctors several times & they say my sex drive will come back but how long do i have to wait. it is now effecting our lifes. Please believe me my husband is very patience with me. can you help me with this matter or have you got any suggestion because i cant go on like this much longer. please please help me
Doctors should be assessing you for hormone replacement as women often need not only estrogen following a hysterectomy but also small amounts of testosterone and progesterone. I am curious as to why no hormone replacement has not been offered. Did you have your ovaries removed as well as your womb? If you ovaries were removed then you are not producing estrogen of your own, There are pharmacies especially in the USA that make individual compounds of hormone replacement for women. I would demand to have blood tests for levels of estrogen, including estrone and estrodial, testosterone ( it is normal for women to have this hormone but in lower amounts than men but it is still important for the libido)and progesterone and then these results should be used as a guide to figure out the right hormone prescription for you. My friend used an estrogen gel which was applied daily on the inner arm and I used natural progesterone which helped me a lot. Also many women use an estrogen cream in the vagina which can really alleviate dryness. Doctors inferring your sex drive will magically return after a hysterectomy is not scientific or medical advice just wishful thinking!! So demand to get assessed for hormone replacement. Contra-indications might be if you have had breast cancer or other femaale cancers but that might not rule out progesterone or testosterone supplementation which could still help with the dryness. Good luck and use as much lubricant as possible.
Hi,im 21 and have been experiencing vaginal dryness for the past year and a half, its impossible to have sex without lubricants, but even inserting tampons is painful. I have been to my doctor about this on several occasions but any treatent theyve recommended hasnt worked, I had the implanon removed around 2 years ago and they believed this may be a possible cause but dont seem to have any cure!. I havent had an examination and im worried maybe its something more serious.
I was wondering if you had had any blood tests done to determine levels of estrogen since the implanon had been taken out? It may be that your estrogen levels have not returned to normal. Have you regular periods? If your estrogen levels are not back to normal then your vagina would be dryer than it should be. I would demand blood tests from the doctor to see if your estrogen levels are normal and if you are ovulating. If you are not secreting normal hormone levels then it may be that you need some hormonal treatment or at least vaginal estrogen cream to help lubricate the vagina.
I'm 17 and Have alot of dry skin which can become very itchy and I have now start to get alot of spot around the same area, is there anything that can help as it is becoming quite painful.
Small infected hair follicles can cause little spots around the outside of the vagina or on the lips. Sometimes the glands at the base of the vagina can be blocked. I think you need to go to a GUM clinic, it is also possible the spots are herpes which can be itchy and sometimes have little blisters in the middle. Does this happen periodically? Once a month or every few months? Also there is the possibility of vaginal warts which are common in sexually active teenagers. The GUM clinics are very good and have experienced doctors and nurses who will examine the area and possibly do tests to determine what it is and they will advise on what treatment would be best. Don't hesitate to go the clinics they are confidential and have all the facilities at hand to help.
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