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Thinning Vaginal Walls
Why It's Happening:
Vaginal walls may become thinner and less elastic early in menopause due to lowered estrogen levels, which cause fewer cells to line the vaginal walls. "The stretchy wrinkles that previously allowed the walls to expand for expulsion of babies (and entrance of the penis that helped contribute to the making of these babies) smooth out and disappear," writes Judith Reichman, M.D., author of I'm Too Young to Get Old: Health Care for Women After Forty (Times Books, 1997).
What You Can Do:
Two of the most effective (and ecstatic) methods that help support healthy vaginal walls are regular masturbation and intercourse. Besides keeping vaginal walls lubricated and toned, masturbation and intercourse also help contribute to overall vaginal health.
Prescription estrogen creams may also help prevent irritation of thinned vaginal walls. "Estrogen can be supplied 'on target' with estrogen creams that are inserted into the vagina," writes Reichman, who also practices and teaches at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and UCLA in Los Angeles. She adds that "systemic estrogen replacement therapy (as either pills or patches) should provide estrogen levels that are adequate to maintain healthy vaginal wall thickness."
See These Related Resources:
Advice from pharmacist Lisa Chavis, R.Ph.
Masturbation techniques from midlife relationships expert Dr. Betty
Talk about it in the Menopause forum
Sexual Problems bulletin board, Menopause-Online.com
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