We’ve come a long way when it comes to tackling the taboo surrounding women’s health. While some people still experience a lingering sense of discomfort when discussing topics such as menstruation and menopause, there’s been a push to normalise these conversations and make it easier for women to be open about their health. And it’s making a difference – you only need to look at the debate surrounding menstrual leave and menopause-friendly workplace policies to see how these discussions can have a direct impact on women’s lives.

But there’s a lot more work to be done, especially when it comes to conditions that affect women’s sex lives. Intimate dryness, which includes dryness of both the vagina and vulva, is a big one. According to a new survey of UK women from the body care brand Naydaya, 82% of women have experienced this kind of dryness, despite one in four of us believing it’s something that only affects older women. In reality, it’s not only something that can affect adult women of all ages, it’s also something that can often be easily treated.  

That’s why, in partnership with a series of experts, Naydaya has now launched a campaign called End The Dry Spell to ensure more women are aware of how common this condition is. Anne Henderson, a consultant gynaecologist and British Menopause Society specialist, is one of those experts. Below, she talks Strong Women through some of the main things we should all know about intimate dryness, including what to do if you’re struggling with it. 

While vaginal dryness refers to dryness of the vaginal canal (which lies inside your body), vulva dryness describes dryness that affects the outside of your intimate area, including your labia, clitoris and vaginal opening. In this way, vaginal dryness is often associated with irritation, burning and pain during sex, as the skin along the vaginal wall is dry and thin.

But the vulva can also be affected too, causing additional symptoms. “As a result, skin around the vulva can feel sore, itchy, irritated and sometimes painful during intimacy,” Henderson says. 

Most people know of intimate dryness as a symptom experienced by women during and after menopause – but this is far from the only factor that can contribute to dryness down there.

That’s not to say that hormones aren’t a big cause of intimate dryness; in fact, Henderson says, it’s typically the primary cause – it’s just that the menopause isn’t the only time your hormones can mess with your vaginal moisture.

“It’s very rare that a woman would come to see a specialist with a healthy hormone make-up, without any other problem, and complain of vaginal dryness,” she explains. “There is usually a cause behind it, and in most cases, it’s a hormonal shift.”

“The most common shift is a change in oestrogen levels – usually a drop in those levels. The occasions when people usually see this is postnatally and then peri- and post-menopause.” 

Intimate dryness can also be caused by certain medications, including contraceptive pills and antidepressants, when breastfeeding, if you have thrush and during certain cancer treatments, such as chemotherapy. It can also be caused by a lack of arousal during sex or the use of perfumed soaps, washes or douches in and around your vagina. According to the NHS, certain health conditions, such as diabetes or Sjögren’s syndrome, can also play a role. 

If you want to get to the bottom of your intimate dryness, then seeking help from a medical professional is your best bet. A GP or practice nurse will be able to investigate the root cause of the dryness and provide advice and relevant treatment options; for example, if your dryness is being caused by thrush, they might prescribe you an anti-fungal treatment.

They’ll also be able to tell you whether your issue is temporary or permanent. Henderson explains: “If somebody’s got vulvar dryness because they’re in perimenopause or menopause, it’s a more permanent situation, so you need to take a different approach.

“In terms of a cure, you’re looking for something to replenish moisture superficially or replenish the root cause of the lack of moisture, which is going down the hormonal route. If your main route is lack of oestrogen, then replenishing oestrogen either locally, with a pessary or a cream, or systemically with HRT will do the job.” 

If your dryness is caused by something more temporary, then sticking to topical solutions to control your symptoms is the easiest thing to do. That might mean using water-based lubricants before sex and experimenting with non-perfumed vaginal moisturisers designed to be used for vaginal dryness to relieve itchiness and irritation. Experimenting with more foreplay can also help to increase lubrication during sex. 

Images: Getty