Why Might Sex Be Painful During Menopause?

Changes in the vagina due to a decrease in estrogen can make sex painful during menopause, according to Patricia Geraghty, NP. Watch this video to find out why you should never ignore painful sex during and after menopause.

Transcript

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Painful sex, painful intercourse during and after menopause comes from the changes that occur in the vagina with the decrease in

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oestrogen. The tissue becomes thin, it can become pale, it becomes

00:14

dry, it loses its ability to be elastic and stretchy. And it's a big deal. We kind of think, oh I can get past that, intimacy is

00:24

an important part of a relationship and so we sort of talk to ourselves, I can ignore it like we can get past this, it's just not that big

00:30

of a deal. But unfortunately the brain is smart and it learns anyways and so pain with intercourse really does need to be treated. It

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needs to be attended to because we have libido changes with menopause anyways. And if something is hurting without even realizing it,

00:52

you're going to be less interested in that very important part of your relationship.