Overview
Symptoms
This is a common issue that many women may have at some point. Symptoms include:
- Feeling sore or itchy in and around your vagina
- Sexual intercourse feels painful or there is some discomfort
- More frequent need to pass urine
- Urinary tract infections
Causes
Many women are likely to experience this at some point as there are different stages during a woman’s life that can cause dryness, such as menopause. Other reasons why this may be experienced include breastfeeding, antidepressants, contraceptive pills, cancer treatment, underlying conditions such as diabetes, or a hysterectomy.
There are non-medical causes too, such as not being aroused during sex or using certain cosmetic products.
Treatments
Non-medical changes
There are certain steps you can take to try to prevent or improve dryness before you seek medical attention. These include water-based lubricants before sex, foreplay before sex, vaginal moisturisers and the use of unperfumed cosmetic products.
Medical treatments
A GP or a urologist can help to determine whether the dryness is down to a medical issue. Furthermore, if there is any discharge or bleeding, then it is important to seek medical help.
The treatment a woman will receive will depend on the exact cause but it may be creams, gels or patches to deliver hormones if this is the cause. A consultation with one of our team will help to determine the best treatment for each individual patient.
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