Mary Anne, a forty-five-year-old, newly divorced and newly dating, professional mom went to her doctor complaining of what she thought was a urinary tract infection that would not seem to go away. She had suffered for weeks with vaginal dryness , burning and itching and painful urination (dysuria) . She chalked it up to stress.
First thing her doctor did was a urinalysis to see if there was any blood or leukocytes in her urine. The urinalysis was negative. Mary Anne’s doctor then inspected her vulva and vaginal tissues. She also did an internal examination. What she found surprised Mary Anne, but not her doctor. Mary Anne’s doctor found that Mary Anne’s vaginal tissues were pale, thin, and dry, and this accounted for the "urinary tract infection" like symptoms she was experiencing. Mary Anne was happy to know the root of the problem. She was even happier to know that there was an easy fix.
Mary Anne’s doctor recommended she try a personal moisturizer and recommended RepaGyn, an ovule that is inserted into the vagina once daily (preferably at bedtime) for two or three weeks and then twice weekly as required. RepaGyn’s all natural ingredients such as hyaluronic acid repairs vaginal tissues and vitamin E helps to keep the vaginal tissues moist.
Mary Anne was happy knowing she would begin to feel better in about 2-3 weeks, but was wondering why this occurred to her at this time. Like many women, Mary Anne had not been taught about vaginal health. Mary Anne’s doctor explained that estrogen is the hormone regulator in the vagina and not only helps to ward off infection, but also helps to maintain the moisture within the vagina. This moisture is what keeps a woman's vagina supple and elastic which is important for pain-free sex. The moistness of the tissues helps to prevent prolapse (falling down) of a bladder or uterus. Mary Anne had not had any new lovers since her divorce but was hoping to in the near future. She said that she would have been so embarrassed had she had sex with someone and it was painful because of the decrease in estrogen in her vaginal tissues.
The bottom line, Mary Anne and her doctor both agreed that there is a lot of work to be done to educate woman about vaginal health, bladder health, and sexual health. Self-diagnosis rarely works. If you are experiencing irritative bladder symptoms , vaginal dryness or painful sex , it is a good idea to speak to your doctor.