Painful Sex After Menopause

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Michael Smith, MD
Tens of millions of women in the US are going through menopause and if you're one of them you know that it's a time of life, when many things about your body are changing.

Michael Smith, MD
Some of these changes can even result in pain during sexual intercourse, causing women who would like to be intimate, to avoid it or simply tolerate it.

Michael Smith, MD
One reason you may be having discomfort, is vaginal dryness due to the loss of the hormone, estrogen, that happens with menopause.

Michael Smith, MD
Another is thinning of the skin, in and around the vaginal opening, causing pain during sex.

Michael Smith, MD
But the good news is that painful sex, what your doctor may call, dyspareunia, is a very treatable condition. There's absolutely no reason, to assume that it's just part of life after menopause.

Michael Smith, MD
First, let me assure you that painful sex after menopause, is a very common problem. Something your doctor has helped many women with.

Michael Smith, MD
You absolutely should not feel embarrassed to talk about it and in fact, there are several options you can discuss with your doctor. There are prescription and non-prescription treatments.

Michael Smith, MD
Prescription medicines include estrogen replacement, particularly, topical estrogen. These are estrogen creams and tablets, that are inserted into the vagina,

Michael Smith, MD
to help increase lubrication and thicken the cells, in and around the vaginal opening. This helps decrease painful sex that can come from the lack of estrogen, that occurs during menopause.

Michael Smith, MD
Or, some women don’t like to use vaginal estrogen, and another option is non-estrogen pills. They also relieve painful sex, and there are dilators,

Michael Smith, MD
which your doctor can give you, that slowly stretch the vaginal opening, and relieve sexual discomfort from tightness.

Michael Smith, MD
For over the counter options, you should consider lubricants to help with vaginal dryness. It might feel a little uncomfortable

Michael Smith, MD
buying them at your local drug store, but they can absolutely help provide relief, and you can even buy them online.

Michael Smith, MD
Another thing to consider, is talking to your partner. Make sure he understands that foreplay is more important than ever, and it may take longer for you to reach orgasm.

Michael Smith, MD
Communication and patients are an important part of getting back to a healthy sex life, so if you're experiencing painful sex after menopause,

Michael Smith, MD
or avoiding it altogether, you don’t have to. Talk to your doctor about your options. Even with menopause, you can have the rewards of a good and pleasurable sex life.