You are probably prepared for the typical ailments that come with the colder months, like colds and flu, but ladies, are you prepared to deal with “winter vagina?”
Yep, there really is such a thing as “winter vagina,” and according to the experts, it can negatively impact your sex life!
We all know as the temperature drops, and the heating gets switched on that it can play havoc with your skin. Dry skin and chapped lips become more of a problem, leaving us reaching for the hand cream and lip balm.
But could that “drought” affect other parts of the body, including — you guessed it — your private parts?
Mary Burke, a former National Health Service midwife in the UK and senior clinical nurse at the London Bridge Plastic Surgery & Aesthetic Clinic, told the Sun that women may well suffer more with vaginal dryness during the winter months.
“Dry autumn and winter air depletes moisture from our bodies, leaving our skin dehydrated and cracked and our sinuses parched,” she said.
“And while it’s an issue few will want to discuss openly, our vaginas can enter ‘drought mode’ during this time, too.”
“When we spend a lot of time in air-conditioned rooms, or with the heating on, we’re living in air which carries very little moisture. And the dryness we experience can often extend to every inch of our bodies — including our most private regions.”
But other experts disagree. Dr. Jen Gunter has denied ideas that weather changes can affect a lady’s private parts — debunking the idea that “summer vaginas” are a thing.
She said vaginal dryness has nothing to do with the temperature outside, rather it’s caused by low estrogen levels, some medications, and thrush.
“Vaginas function quite well in all seasons,” Gunter said.
“The vagina maintains a steady temperature because it is inside your body and human body temperature only rises with the outside temperature when someone is suffering from heatstroke.”
The debate about “seasonal” changes aside, vaginal dryness – or female sexual dysfunction – is a seriously debilitating condition that can affect women of all ages.
It can be embarrassing, and it can make sex unbearably painful.
Symptoms include:
- discomfort, irritating, or a burning sensation
- discomfort during sex
- going off sex
- difficulty getting aroused and reaching orgasm
- the surface of your vagina looking pale and thin
- narrowing or shortening of the vagina
- needing to urinate more than usual
- repeated urinary tract infections
While it’s a very common problem, it’s most likely to affect women who are going through or have already experienced menopause.
Other factors including certain medications, diabetes, breastfeeding, or childbirth can also increase a woman’s likelihood of experiencing vaginal dryness.
And in some cases, low levels of the female sex hormone estrogen can be the cause.
The NHS recommends using a lubricant or vaginal moisturizer to try to ease symptoms, and treatments like vaginal estrogen and hormone replacement therapy can help.
