Painful Sex After Menopause & How Ladies Are Overcoming It

‍Menopause is dubbed “the change”. And boy, does that title deliver. A lot can change because of hormonal shifts in the body. If you’re dealing with menopause symptoms, you know the feeling.

Vaginal dryness is a very common symptom that 50-70% of postmenopausal women experience. Vaginal dryness may cause a lot of pain during and after intercourse. While this might feel like the end of your sex life -- it doesn’t have to be.

In this article, we’re discussing vaginal dryness, why it happens, and what you can do about it. We also consult first-hand product reviews, rated by fellow postmenopausal ladies who are overcoming this common issue.  

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What is vaginal dryness and why is it trying to ruin my sex life?

Menopause causes a steep decline in estrogen. Prior to menopause, vaginal tissues are accustomed to estrogen-driven secretions of clear vaginal fluid or mucus.  

This fluid helps keep everything downstairs elastic, moist, and running smoothly. When low levels of estrogen cause a decline in vaginal fluid, symptoms of vaginal dryness can occur.

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Think of vaginal dryness this way:

The tissue that lines the inside of your cheeks is a similar tissue that lines the vaginal walls. The tissue inside your cheek is naturally stretchy, and plump with natural moisture. But imagine if one day, the inside of your cheek became very dry. The cheek tissue would soon become irritated, sore, and doing simple things like eating, talking, or laughing might cause you pain.

The same thing happens with vaginal dryness.

Because of a lack of moisture (due to low estrogen) vaginal tissues may become dry, thin, and less elastic. So simple things like walking, running, riding a bike, or sexual intercourse can become painful.

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Why is postmenopausal sex so painful?

Often vaginal dryness is the first menopausal symptom that women notice as it starts to affect their most intimate moments. Two things are happening here:

1. The natural baseline of vaginal moisture is declining, causing vaginal tissues to become dry and less elastic which can cause pain during sex.
2. There is a lack of blood flow that’s reaching the vulva, clitoris, and vagina. This blood flow is what increases vaginal sensitivity during sex and stimulates natural arousal fluid.

Both vaginal tissue dryness and a lack of vaginal blood flow are common in postmenopausal women.

When this occurs, sex can become unenjoyable and can result in a lot of pain. Because of the lack of vaginal moisture, penetrative sex can cause a lot of friction. This can cause irritation, soreness, redness, and a lack of sexual enjoyment.

This can become so severe that some women will lightly bleed after sex. This is a result of small tissue tears caused by the inelasticity of vaginal tissue.

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So, what can be done about painful sex after menopause?

One thing is for sure, vaginal dryness is not “one you need to take for the team.” There are easy, fast, and discreet ways to treat this. A lot can be done to help soothe the symptoms of vaginal dryness so you can get back to enjoying your most intimate moments.

Here are a few suggestions that have helped countless postmenopausal women.

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#1 Blood flow enhancing creams

When it comes to arousal and natural arousal lubrication, blood flow is king. After menopause, natural vaginal blood flow decreases which can cause a decrease in natural arousal lubrication. Normally during intimacy, our vaginal lubrication takes care of itself because the vulva and vagina become full of blood which results in arousal fluid and increased sensitivity.

But a lack of vaginal blood flow can decrease the pleasures of sex. Stimulation might not feel as good as it used to because of this change. Blood flow enhancing creams use the power of topical vasodilators which increase blood flow to the vagina. This increases vaginal sensitivity and helps the user to create natural vaginal lubrication.

These are applied to the vulva 30 minutes prior to sexual activity.

Here at Strut Health, we offer a compounded prescription “O” Cream, prescribed by a licensed provider and filled by a U.S. licensed pharmacy, that may help enhance the sexual experience and support natural vaginal lubrication.* Our Strut “O” Cream utilizes blood flow enhancers sildenafil, pentoxifylline, and arginine to increase natural vaginal lubrication and sensitivity.

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‍A promising “O” cream review:

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#2 Personal lubricants

You can slip, slide and glide with a little help from personal lubricants. Men and women of all ages use lubricants during sex. There are countless types: some are warming, cooling, oil-based, water-based, some are designed “for her” or “for him”.

You can even try extra virgin coconut oil as a sexual lubricant -- it’s OB/GYN approved. Here are a few commercial sexual lubricants that have positive reviews online:

• Isabel Fay water-based personal lube for sensitive skin
• Aloe Cadabra natural personal lube
• AH!YES oil-based lube

A promising review of Isabel Fay lubricant:

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#3 Vaginal moisturizers

Prior to engaging in intimate moments, spend some time focusing on vaginal moisturizer use to help replenish moisture in vaginal tissue. This moisture can help with increasing tissue elasticity which may ease vaginal dryness symptoms.  

These moisturizers can be topical (applied to the vulva) or internal (inserted inside). In the same way we moisturize our bodies, after menopause, this type of moisturization becomes necessary too. You can moisturize topically with all-natural products like coconut oil, aloe vera, and olive oil. Here are some commercial non-hormonal vaginal moisturizers:

• AH!YES vaginal moisturizer
• Replens Moisturizer is a common choice and one application may help improve moisture for up to 3 days.  
• Carlson vitamin E vaginal suppositories are inserted into the vagina to help restore vaginal moisture and elasticity.  

A promising Replens moisturizer review:

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You can buy prescription blood flow enhancing “O” Cream online

Postmenopausal women who have reviewed our Strut "O" Cream raved that it helped them with their vaginal dryness symptoms. With the help of this topical vasodilator, they were able to enjoy intimate moments again.

Our blood flow enhancing “O” cream is healthcare provider formulated, prescription-strength, and designed to help women get their strut back.

‍If you want to try our “O” Cream, simply complete a questionnaire-based online provider's consultation. If our providers find this product is a good fit for you, we’ll ship your discreetly packaged prescription “O” Cream right to your doorstep.

*Compounded drug products are not approved or evaluated for safety, effectiveness, or quality by the FDA. Rx required.