Do Ask, Do Tell

Menopause is so out of the closet, women discuss hot flashes and mood swings over five o’clock cocktails with nary a blush. But as a new survey shows, some menopausal symptoms still remain taboo.

Nearly 25 percent of the menopausal and postmenopausal women questioned by researchers as part of an initiative known as REVEAL (REvealing Vaginal Effects At mid-Life) admitted to experiencing vaginal dryness and pain, especially during intercourse, yet only about half of them worked up the nerve to broach the subject with their doctors or other health care provider. The number one reason they kept it to themselves? You guessed it – nearly 50 percent were simply too embarrassed to share and 23 percent felt it wasn’t an appropriate topic to discuss, even with a health care professional.

Vaginal dryness, medically referred to as dyspareunia, occurs when the thin film of lubrication that continually coats the vaginal wall disappears due to age-related hormone loss. It leads to itching, burning and bleeding and it’s often exacerbated by the shrinking and thinning of vaginal tissue, especially around the vaginal opening and the lower third of the vagina. While it’s not something that seems to stop women from having sex altogether -- 72 percent of the women surveyed who experienced dryness engaged in sex at least once a month, and an impressive 34 percent engaged in sex at least once weekly – many reported pain and bleeding during intercourse and said they had less sex because of it.

For more information, see www.Revealsurvey.com