The Secret Ailment Women Don’t Reveal

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As usually happens when you get a group of people over 60 years of age together, the subject eventually turns to health issues. Not long ago, I was with a group of six other women. One of the women said she was having continuing “female” problems that were really starting to wear her down. With a little encouragement, she confessed that she has atrophic vaginitis. The fact that this ailment came up in the conversation made me flinch a little with a “too much information” kind of moment.

However, almost in unison, three other women in the group quickly chimed in that they have it too. That means more than ½ of that little group had the same ailment. I realized this must be more prevalent than I thought, so I decided to do a little digging into the facts, and was surprised at the information I learned. Once the topic was open for discussion, I was amazed how women were willing to talk about it. 

One source, the Medical News Today Knowledge Center states that 75% of postmenopausal women are afflicted with this, but Healthline.com  claims 40% of women have it. No matter which is correct, the bottom line is both of those numbers are much higher than I would expect. 

In the Boomer Babes online survey, 53% of women indicated they were still sexually active. Another 13% chose not to answer the question. However, 34% reported that they are not sexually active, which makes that percentage group more likely to suffer from atrophic vaginitis. 

For those who endure it, you know the symptoms- urinary tract infections, burning, itching, vaginal bleeding, and painful intercourse to name a few. The question you might first ask is “how did I get this?” Some Baby Boomer women may have practiced “free love” in the early part of their lives, but in chapter two of our lives, we hesitate to discuss our diminished sexuality and issues related to it. 

One woman I spoke with suffered symptoms, but never realized such a condition existed, until in the process of a routine PAP examination the pain and bleeding associated with it were unbearable. When she asked the doctor why it was so painful, he bluntly told her, “What do you expect? You have atrophic vaginitis.” Until that moment she had never heard that phrase. She asked the doctor to explain it, and he crudely told her, “You are not having enough sex.” She was humiliated. She quickly dressed, went to her car, and had a good cry. Are you surprised she did not return to that doctor? 

Several women had husbands who had suffered prostate issues. Because their spouses were no longer sexually active, they felt as their sexuality was “drying up” as well. If you are widowed or divorced without a sexual partner, you may also experience this ailment. Psychologically, it can be demoralizing. We are watching our years tick by, and feel as though we are becoming less womanly with each tick of time.

Surprisingly, it is almost a natural occurrence. As estrogen levels in the body decrease, the likelihood of developing atrophic vaginitis increases.  After menopause, when the ovaries stop making estrogens, vaginal secretions and thinning of the vaginal wall occur. For a woman who may have hysterectomy and used HRT (hormone replacement therapy) afterward, then stopped as she reached natural menopausal age, may experience the same thing.  

Once the vagina and labia begin this atrophic process, other factors can cause irritation and exacerbate the problem. Laundry soap, bath soap, lotions all can irritate. You may think a douche might give some relief only to find it makes your problem worse. 

The use of tampons and condoms can also aggravate symptoms. Tampons with the constant friction wearing at the thin walls, condoms, and the physical act of intercourse itself, can irritate, and even cause pain, tearing, and bleeding. 

Sometimes treatment for other ailments such as cancers, fibroids, endometriosis, and other reproductive issues can lead to atrophy because of decreased estrogen production. Younger, breastfeeding women may experience it somewhat because of the lower estrogen levels.

Before you begin any treatment for the symptoms, you should see a doctor to get a correct diagnosis. You may be experiencing all the symptoms, but not realize what’s happening. If you’re suffering urinary incontinence, you may think it’s a urinary tract infection, incorrectly treating it yourself, and making it worse.

Treatment of atrophic vaginitis aims at relieving symptoms of vaginal dryness and the related pain and discomfort. 

When it comes to sex, the old adage applies; “Use it or lose it.” You can slow the onset of atrophic vaginitis by maintaining sexual activity, either partnered or through masturbation, with the use of a water-soluble lubricant (not petroleum jelly or mineral oil). Other good health practices are keeping a healthy weight, avoiding stress, and maintaining physical activity. 

Medicinally, you may want to look into local estrogen therapy. Creams and tablet-type medication types of treatment are available that are inserted only into the vagina, and is not the same as taking full-on hormone replacement therapy.

What happens if it’s left untreated? There are some serious consequences, including reduced depth of the vagina, narrowing of the vaginal opening, frequent infections, and actual fusion of the labia. It makes me wince to even think about it. 

I hope that reading this makes you realize that you are not alone. Maybe you, like the woman at her doctor’s office, never heard of this before. How did we get to be this age without being able to put a name to our suffering? We have now revealed it. 

You may find it difficult to get little relief from the symptoms of this private ailment, but now you don’t need to suffer in silence. Talk to your doctor. Talk to your friends. Find out what helps, what doesn’t. Relief could be just around the corner. Our private secret need not be secret anymore.

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 Through compassion, you will find that all human beings are just like you. - Dalai Lama

Also see: National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000892.htm.