Vaginal Dryness

The symptoms of vaginal dryness aren’t as obvious as you’d think and they can be easily mistaken with other problems.

You may have vaginal dryness if you feel sore or itchy in and around your vagina, feel pain or discomfort during sex, need to pee more often than usual and you keep getting urinary tract infections (UTIs).

If you’re not sure whether your symptoms are caused by vaginal dryness or not, you should speak to your GP so they can diagnose the problem.

This also applies if you have any unusual discharge or bleeding from your vagina, or if you have bleeding after sex or in between your periods.

There are plenty of quick and easy treatments specially formulated to relieve vaginal dryness, like vaginal moisturisers and pessaries from brands such as Vagisil and Regelle.

You can also try using a water based lubricant before sex and switching to unperfumed soaps and washes around your vagina.

Do not use creams or lotions to treat vaginal dryness unless they’re specifically designed for your vagina.

Any woman can suffer with vaginal dryness, but it’s more likely if you have a change in your hormone levels caused by menopause, breastfeeding, contraceptive pills, antidepressants, hysterectomy or cancer treatments.

You can also have vaginal dryness if you are not aroused during sex, use perfumed soaps, washes or douches in and around your vagina, or if you have an underlying condition such as diabetes or Sjögren's syndrome.