Mary presented to my clinical practice after a diagnosis of vaginal atrophy had been made by her doctor. She had heard me on the Sunday Night Sex Show on News Talk 980 CKNW talking about vaginal health issues and she had a question for me but was too embarrassed to call into the show about it. So she came to my clinical practice instead.
Mary’s diagnosis of vaginal atrophy or genitourinary syndrome of menopause (GSM) was made after her doctor had examined her vaginal tissues which appeared red and dry. Mary, at age 58, had been experiencing vaginal dryness, burning, itching and recurrent urinary tract infections.
A low dose localized estrogen therapy had been prescribed by her doctor and it had helped somewhat, but certainly not enough. She was uncomfortable using estrogen and didn’t want to increase the dose even though it is safe for use in the vagina at this low dose. She wondered if there was anything else she could do.
I advised Mary that many women experience these symptoms which gave her some comfort. I also told her about personal moisturizers for the vagina which are hormone-free and can be obtained without a prescription. I recommend RepaGyn an ovule that is inserted into the vagina once daily, preferably at bedtime, for at least two or three weeks, then twice per week as needed. The hyaluronic acid which is one of the ingredients helps to repair vaginal tissues and any slight tears and the Vitamin E will keep vaginal tissues soft and supple. The tea tree oil will give Mary a feeling of freshness.
I recommended that Mary use RepaGyn twice per week on opposite nights of when she took the low dose localized estrogen so they do not react with one another. Mary took my recommendations and after just one month found that her vaginal dryness had completely resolved! She was delighted. This case verified to me that sexual health is so important and it is even more important to ask questions even if they are about sensitive subjects like vaginal and/or sexual health.
