Vaginal Dryness

Symptoms of vaginal dryness

You may have vaginal dryness if you:

have unusual vaginal discharge, spotting or bleeding
feel sore or itchy in and around your vagina
feel pain or discomfort, including during sex
need to pee more often than usual
keep getting urinary tract infections (UTIs)

Causes of vaginal dryness

You can get vaginal dryness if you:

experience menopause
are pregnant or breastfeeding
take certain medicines such as hormonal contraceptives or antidepressants
have your womb removed (a hysterectomy), especially if your ovaries were also removed
have cancer treatments, such as chemotherapy, radiotherapy, hormonal therapy or surgery

These things can cause a change in your hormone levels. This change can affect how much vaginal discharge or fluid you have.

You can also have vaginal dryness if you:

are not aroused during sex
use perfumed soaps, washes or douches in and around your vagina
have an underlying condition, such as diabetes or Sj?gren's syndrome

How to treat vaginal dryness yourself

You can try these things to treat vaginal dryness before you see a GP. You can get most of them without a prescription.

Do

use water-based lubricants before sex - put these in and around your vagina, on your partner's penis, on your partner's fingers, or on a sex toy if you're using one
use vaginal moisturisers for vaginal dryness - you can put these inside your vagina to keep it moist
use unperfumed soaps and washes around your vagina
try different types of foreplay to find what makes you feel more aroused during sex

Don't

do not use perfumed soaps, washes and any douches in and around your vagina
do not use creams, lotions or moisturisers that are not for your vagina as it can cause more irritation or an infection

See a GP if:

you've had vaginal dryness for a few weeks and things you've tried yourself are not working
vaginal dryness is affecting your daily life
you have unusual discharge from your vagina
you have bleeding after sex, in between your periods or after experiencing menopause

Treatment for vaginal dryness from a GP

If you're getting vaginal dryness because of changes in your hormone levels, you may be prescribed creams, gels, patches or medicines to increase a hormone called oestrogen. This is called hormone replacement therapy (HRT).

These are not recommended for everybody. Talk to your doctor about whether hormonal treatments are suitable for you.

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