Vaginal dryness can affect women of every age and can be a silent problem, as women may feel embarrassed to talk about it with their friends or health care providers. Some may also feel that there’s nothing that can be done about it. They couldn’t be more wrong. It is important to stay feeling sexy and vibrant and enjoy lovemaking throughout the lifespan. Having a healthy and happy sex life has been shown to prolong life and a sense of well-being. The special connection that we share when enjoying love play with a partner releases Oxytocin – the hormone of love.
Understanding the causes of vaginal dryness
Understanding the causes of vaginal dryness, and more importantly, what you can do about it, will allow you to maintain confidence in yourself and your sexuality – no matter what stage of life you are in. Vaginal dryness is a common problem for women throughout their lifetime, and not only after the menopause, but also during pregnancy, medication, stress phases or caused by wrong intimate hygiene. It can, and often does, lead to discomfort “down there” and painful sex. It may feel as though your body has betrayed you as you experience pain where once you felt only the most wonderful pleasure.
It’s easy to see how a cycle of avoidance could begin leading to loss of one of the most basic elements of joy and self-expression. Experiencing pain during foreplay or sex can lead to anticipation of further pain, not pleasure and enjoyment with your lover. Tension as we know, increases painful stimuli and so rather than being the wonderful, enjoyable expression of love that you once knew, sex becomes something to avoid or simply tolerate.
The Closer study in the US found that 58% of women surveyed who had vaginal dryness reported that they avoided intimacy with their partner as a result. It’s not hard to see how this could lead to your lover feeling fearful that s/he is causing you pain or rejected and unloved, or both. When the delicate balance that keeps love play juicy and fun has been altered it can affect your sense of self, your relationship and your ability to enjoy lovemaking with freedom and spontaneity. Dryness of the vagina may be a temporary effect, or as a result of medical conditions and/or their treatment or medications – there are a host of different reasons why this can happen.
Solution for vaginal dryness
Either way, you don’t need to suffer alone or in silence. There are plenty of things that you can do!
The lubricant manufacturer pjur for example offers a great variety of personal lubricants, even for highly sensitive skin. Many doctors, sexual therapists and pharmacists recommend the pjur med lubricants, not only in the UK.
Breast care nurse Maggie Walsh says: “I am pleased to be able to recommend pjur med products to women suffering with vaginal dryness. The products are made with natural ingredients and are gentle and safe. It is good to be able to offer a simple solution that can improve their quality of life.”
The pjur med lubricants are available at Boots and Lloydspharmacy
