After menopause, when natural lubrication is no longer as effective as during fertile life, it is possible that after intimate intercourse or without any apparent cause, small lesions may appear in the vulva or vagina. Here’s what they can be.
The medical-scientific information contained in this article has been checked by our medical staff
You had an intimate relationship with your partner without any particular difficulties: entering menopause did not limit your meetings which – – take place with passion.
For some time, however, after intercourse you have noticed that the intimate burning tends to become persistent and last for some time, sometimes even for days. At first you blamed her fiery performance and poor natural lubrication , but now you’re worried because you’ve noticed tiny bloodstains on her panties.
You have noticed that those drops of blood come from small cuts, wounds in the intimate area that now worry you a lot: how did you get them? Are they a symptom of a disorder? Here is all the information.
Vulvar lesions and dryness are closely related
Vaginal dryness is a very common disorder in menopause when estrogen production ceases and therefore all tissues (including the skin) suffer from poor natural hydration.
Imagine how important hydration can be for a mucous membrane like the vagina, which is by definition a moist and lubricated environment .
When natural hydration is scarce, the tissues begin to suffer from this dryness, gradually exfoliating until they tear into many, tiny lesions that cause burning and sometimes even itching.
To make an unfortunate comparison one could say: a bit like your heels when you don’t do a pedicure for a while!
For this reason, vaginal dryness rarely appears as an isolated disorder because the vulvo-vaginal ecosystem is entirely involved .
In this sense the woman could warn:
- Burning, itching, whitish discharge
- Burning on urination, recurrent infections (such as cystitis) especially after intercourse
- Pain during and after sexual intercourse, bleeding.
As you imagine or perhaps as you know from direct experience, these are very unpleasant disturbances that can negatively affect daily life and especially on the life of a couple.
How big are vulvar lesions of this type?
Generally these are microlesions, which the gynecologist ( to whom it is essential that you go regularly ) can only identify with the help of a magnifying glass.
Therefore, you will not be able to identify them by yourself with the help of a mirror.
Precisely for this reason they can be a source of concern : the lesions are not seen, but they give a lot of pain and often bleed. The source of the bleeding cannot be identified and is therefore thought to come from within. The consequence is the immediate fear of a more serious pathology.
Where can these vulvar lesions occur?
If the origin of the vulvar lesions is Vulvo-Vaginal Atrophy , as is quite probable if you are in menopause and if you feel dryness and burning, it is possible that your lesions are not isolated in the vulvar area, that is in the outermost part of the ‘genital system .
The thinning of the tissues, which combined with dryness can give rise to these small lesions , affects both the vulva and the vagina (the innermost part), but also the bladder, urethra, uterus, corpora cavernosa and muscles , such as the pelvic floor, which lose strength, tone and elasticity .
Here these painful and itchy micro-lesions can occur at the vaginal and vulvar level, often also felt by the partner, but also urethral , and appear as a contributing cause of heartburn to urination and continence dysfunctions.
Sometimes the lesions can also occur in the perineal area (between the entrance to the vagina and the anus) and cause pain even during normal daily activities.
Healing from vulvar lesions: a visit is essential
When it comes to intimacy and intimate issues, the do-it-yourself route is often seen as an escape from the gynecological examination . Nothing could be more wrong, considering that do-it-yourself remedies are often not adequate.
In the case of vaginal lesions there should be no embarrassment because it is a frequent as well as partially physiological situation in menopausal women.
You do not have to fear, the specialist will be able to analyze your small losses or your injuries to understand the cause and evaluate with you the possibilities of intervening with an effective and specific path.
Link injuries and disorders to menopause
“Only 4% of women attribute vaginal dryness , pain in intercourse, burning to vaginal atrophy ; only 12% attribute them to hormonal changes and only 24% attribute them to menopause . As many as 63% think that the ailments will pass with age ”. These are the words of the gynecologist Alessandra Graziottin who well draws a panorama in which it is absolutely essential to talk to the specialist about one’s ailments, even minimal.
The consequence of this scenario is that few women ask for the help of their gynecologist for specific treatment .
Embarrassment will not help alleviate your ailments, while a little courage in facing the gynecological examination will. The relief is behind that door.
