Vaginal dryness happens when the tissues on the wall of your vagina are dry which can lead to irritation and painful sex - but it's really not that uncommon and there are things you can do to help!
17% of people aged 18-50 experience vaginal dryness and over 50% over over 50s experience a dry vagina - basically if you have a vagina, you're going to experience this at some point in your life.
So what can you do to help combat this annoying (and often painful) symptom?
Water-Based Lube
Gentle, moisturising water-based lube (safe with condoms) like Cliterally Lube makes sex better regardless of how wet you are, but is particularly helpful for those who have a D.A.P.
It's important to make sure you're using lube that is free from glycerin, parabens & petroleum or it could irritate your already sore vagina.
Gina
Gina, pronounced va(gina) is a HRT pill that you can take post-menopause to relieve vaginal dryness.
HRT (hormone replacement therapy) is a treatment to relieve the symptoms of menopause by replacing your the hormones you have lost from going through this stage in your life.
Switching Contraceptive Pills
A common side effect on the progestogen-only pill is vaginal dryness and it;'s not something you have to live with. There are other pill options you can ask your GP about until you find the right one for your body. The Lowdown has a great resource for this called the 'contraception recommender'.
Try Non-Penetrative Sex
I'm guessing if you're reading this you're wanting to have penetrative sex - whether that be with a penis, toy or fingers. But some of the best sex doesn't involve penetration at all. Until you are feeling better why not try things like mutual masturbation? Much more likely to orgasm too!
Keep reminding yourself you are not broken and there are things you can do to make sure you're having pain-free sex - it shouldn't be the norm!
All information and statistics have been pulled from a super interesting evening with The Lowdown & their in-house GPs.
