At least half of women going through menopause will experience vaginal dryness and pain during intercourse.
Of those women, 75% said they experience “sandpaper sex” (painful intercourse) to the extent they couldn’t be intimate with their partner. This effects women’s self-esteem naturally, which impares intimacy. Suffering alone makes the situation 10 times worse.
TABOO:
Almost three-quarters of women in one survey had never discussed their symptoms with a healthcare provider.
The main reason for this reticence was the assumption that vaginal atrophy was simply a natural part of aging with which women needed to accept. This couldn’t be farther from the truth! Let’s break the taboo.
LETS BREAK THE TABOO:
Is vaginal atrophy affecting your sexual intimacy and or does it have negative consequences in your relationship? Does it effect your self-esteem? If so your doctor can help, but only if they know about it.
In the absence of intercourse symptoms, vaginal atrophy is often felt during a pelvic exam like a PAP for instance. You should know that vaginal atrophy may worsen over time without proactive management.
Don’t be shy, talk to your doctor.
Supplemental Research
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/19/well/treating-the-incredible-shrinking-vagina.html
https://www.menopause.org/docs/default-source/default-document-library/2020-gsm-ps.pdf
Menopause: The Journal of The North American Menopause Society Vol. 27, No. 9, pp. 976-992