It’s common to experience vaginal pain, especially during penetrative sex, after menopause. Vaginal lubricants, moisturizers, or hormone therapy may help. Speak with your doctor for their advice.

Most pain after menopause can be traced to one issue: A slowdown in your production of estrogen.

This hormone is responsible for lubricating the skin in and around your vagina, making your tissues more flexible, and maintaining your vagina’s pH balance. (This helps keep infections at bay.)

You can, however, treat vaginal pain and dryness that occurs after menopause.

As your body slows its estrogen production, your vagina makes less natural lubrication and moisture. Your tissues become thinner and more fragile.

Penetrative sex may cause tearing and irritation as a result. Pain after menopause may also be the result of vaginal tightness during sex. With less estrogen, your vagina may shorten and narrow at the opening.

If you experience pain, burning, soreness, or discomfort in your vagina or vulva from sex after menopause, you’re not alone. Painful sex, a condition known as dyspareunia, is common after menopause.

Dry, thin vaginal tissue and the resulting inflammation and irritation is a condition called vaginal atrophy or atrophic vaginitis. Other symptoms may include:

Without treatment, you may experience tearing and bleeding after sex. You may also be less inclined to have sex because of vaginal discomfort and pain.

Vaginal atrophy may also lead to chronic vaginal infections, like yeast infections and bladder infections, after menopause. These may also lead to vaginal discomfort.

Vaginal pain after menopause is often easily treated.

Your doctor will want to pinpoint the underlying cause of any pain or discomfort. This will help ensure you‘re receiving the proper treatment. Some of these treatments include:

  • Vaginal moisturizer: You can use over-the-counter (OTC) vaginal moisturizers during sex or at other times to increase your vagina‘s moisture level. During sex, moisturizers may help reduce friction.
  • Water-based lubricants: Lube may help reduce friction during sex, which can make sex less painful.
  • Estrogen: Supplementing estrogen may help increase your vagina‘s flexibility and lubrication. A low dose estrogen supplement may help ease minor symptoms. You can apply some estrogen products topically to your vagina. Hormone therapy provides larger doses of the hormone.

Hormonal changes aren‘t the only reason for vaginal pain after menopause. Other causes may include:

  • Vulvodynia: Vulvodynia is a condition that causes chronic pain in your vulva, the outer part of the female genitals. It‘s unclear in most cases what causes it.
  • Vaginismus: This involuntary muscle spasm clamps off the opening to your vagina. Penetrative sex may be difficult, and penetration is often painful. A number of underlying conditions, including trauma and injury, may cause these contractions.
  • Urinary tract conditions: Other urinary issues may cause vaginal pain. These include bladder infections, bladder inflammation or irritation, and urethritis.
  • Sensitivity to condoms: Some people with an allergy to latex experience pain, discomfort, and itching if their partner uses a latex condom during sex.

You don‘t have to live with vaginal pain after menopause. Most of the underlying causes of this pain, including lower levels of estrogen, are treatable and can be corrected with your doctor‘s help.

Despite this, many people don’t discuss it with their doctors or clinicians. But if you don‘t discuss this issue, you won‘t have the opportunity to receive help and treatment.

Tips for talking with your doctor

  • Speak about your quality of life: It may be easier to broach the subject of sex by talking about related issues first. Start with the symptoms. For example, are you having difficulty sleeping through the night because of itchiness or burning? Is exercise more difficult because of the discomfort? Then, as you feel more comfortable, explain other issues you’re experiencing.
  • Be honest: Your doctor can‘t treat what they don‘t know about. These issues are deeply personal, but remember that what you discuss with your doctor is private. They’ve likely helped other people many times with similar issues.
  • Ask questions: During your visit, your doctor will ask about your health and activities. You should ask questions back. For example, you can ask about OTC treatments that might help. You can also ask about sex practices that may be more comfortable.
  • Talk about lifestyle factors: Some issues may not be menopause-related. Lifestyle factors like irritating products — soaps, detergents, perfumes, or cleaning products — may upset your vagina‘s pH balance and cause pain and vaginal burning. Wearing tight pants or exercise clothes for too long may also cause issues.

After menopause, vaginal pain is typically the result of changes to your vagina caused by lower estrogen levels. Penetrative sex may be more painful as a result, especially if you don’t use lubrication.

Typically, vaginal pain after menopause is treatable. OTC lubrication or moisturizers may help during sex.

In some cases, you may need a prescription from your doctor for estrogen supplements or creams. These treatments may help boost your estrogen levels and restore your vagina‘s natural moisture and flexibility.

If you‘re experiencing vaginal pain after menopause, talk with your doctor, who will be able to help you find the right treatment. They’ve likely treated others with similar concerns before.

Connect with us!