Women's Sexual Health Archive

Three-quarters of women experience painful sex at some point, and up to six in 10 report painful sex during the transition to menopause and beyond. Childbirth, menopause, and a condition called hypertonic pelvic floor contribute play a role in many cases of painful sex, though other health problems and treatments can contribute as well. Treatment options include lubricants, vaginal moisturizers, vaginal estrogen, and pelvic floor physical therapy.

Discussing sexually transmitted infections (STIs) at the start of a new relationship can protect both partners' health. Many STIs don't cause symptoms. Couples can test for STIs together or separately and share results before becoming intimate.

Vaginal probiotics contain live microorganisms and come in oral and suppository forms. Some ads claim these products can prevent or treat infections. But the vagina regulates its own bacterial mix, so vaginal probiotics aren't necessary.

Women with unusual pelvic or vaginal symptoms should report them to their gynecologist. These symptoms include vaginal odor, itching, or burning; menstrual changes; pelvic pain or discomfort; or new bleeding.

My doctor prescribed a low-dose vaginal estrogen cream, applied twice a week, for atrophic vaginitis. I've heard this dose is so low that it carries no health risk. Do you agree?

This common problem is often ignored or misunderstood.

Roughly half of women over age 50 have pelvic organ prolapse, a condition in which the uterus, bladder, small intestine, or rectum bulges into the vaginal wall or drops down through the vagina. But unlike with other common health conditions, many women don't talk about it — even with their doctors. For some, this may stem from embarrassment, but in other instances, it's because they think it's just something they need to deal with as they age.

"Women will say to me, 'I thought this was normal because I had kids.' But it's not normal. Not everyone who has had a vaginal delivery or is over 65 has urinary incontinence or pelvic organ prolapse," says Dr. Emily Von Bargen, a Harvard Medical School instructor in Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Biology. Pelvic organ prolapse is treatable, and it's not something women have to live with, says Von Bargen.