Understanding Painful sex
after menopause
Painful sex due to menopause is a symptom of a chronic condition called vulvar and vaginal atrophy (VVA).
![VVA is a common condition that affects up to about half of all post-menopausal women in the US.](../wp-content/themes/intrarosa2/images/infographic-people.png)
VVA is a common condition that affects up to half of all post-menopausal women in the US. Symptoms of VVA include dryness, irritation, painful urination, and painful sex.
How VVA Affects the Vaginal Area
After menopause, hormonal changes can lead to a variety of physical changes to the vagina, such as the loss of vaginal tissue, lubrication, and flexibility.
![Before menopause, there is good blood flow to the vaginal tissue, the vaginal lining is thick and moist, and the vaginal walls are flexible. After menopause, there is less blood flow to the vaginal tissue, the vaginal lining thins and becomes dry, the vaginal flexibility decreases, and the vagina becomes narrower and shorter.](../wp-content/themes/intrarosa2/images/painfulsex-infographic.png)
![Before menopause, there is good blood flow to the vaginal tissue, the vaginal lining is thick and moist, and the vaginal walls are flexible.](../wp-content/themes/intrarosa2/images/painfulsex-infographic_mobile_before.png)
![After menopause, there is less blood flow to the vaginal tissue, the vaginal lining thins and becomes dry, the vaginal flexibility decreases, and the vagina becomes narrower and shorter.](../wp-content/themes/intrarosa2/images/painfulsex-infographic_mobile_after.png)
Hot flashes and night sweats are common symptoms of menopause that are widely known and treated. But symptoms like vaginal dryness and painful sex often go undiscussed and untreated.
Your healthcare provider may call painful sex dyspareunia (pronounced dis-pu-ROO-ne-uh), which is the medical term for this condition.
For a while, I was suffering in silence. I had been experiencing painful sex to the point I stopped sex almost completely.
– Norine K.
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