{"id":291,"date":"2026-02-27T13:58:21","date_gmt":"2026-02-27T13:58:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.silverlocks.org\/en\/symptoms-of-vaginal-atrophy-in-menopause\/"},"modified":"2026-03-04T19:26:42","modified_gmt":"2026-03-04T19:26:42","slug":"vaginal-dryness-menopause","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.silverlocks.org\/en\/vaginal-dryness-menopause\/","title":{"rendered":"Vaginal Dryness and Atrophy in Menopause: Symptoms and Care Options"},"content":{"rendered":"

Vaginal dryness or painful sex is one of those menopause topics<\/a> most women don\u2019t talk about out loud \u2013 yet these are classic symptoms of vaginal atrophy in menopause, and they\u2019re more common than you\u2019ve been led to believe.<\/p>\n

It can feel awkward, too intimate, or like something you\u2019re just supposed to accept as \u201cpart of getting older\u201d. In reality, this is a very common medical issue with a name, clear causes and \u2013 the good news \u2013 treatments that actually help.<\/p>\n

Doctors often call it vulvovaginal atrophy, or use the newer term genitourinary syndrome of menopause (GSM). Those phrases sound scary and clinical, but they\u2019re really just labels for what happens when low hormones change the skin and tissues around your vulva, vagina and bladder. It\u2019s not your fault, you\u2019re not alone, and you definitely don\u2019t have to suffer in silence.<\/p>\n

What is vulvovaginal atrophy \/ GSM?<\/h2>\n

As you move through perimenopause and into menopause<\/a>, your ovaries make much less oestrogen. That hormone doesn\u2019t just affect periods and moods \u2013 it also keeps the tissues in and around your vagina plump, stretchy and well-lubricated. When oestrogen levels drop and stay low, those tissues start to change.<\/p>\n

The lining of the vagina becomes thinner and more delicate, there\u2019s less natural moisture, and blood flow and collagen in the area reduce. The balance of bacteria and the pH in the vagina can shift too, which can make the tissue more easily irritated. Put simply: the whole area can feel drier, tighter and more sensitive than it used to.<\/p>\n

Because these hormone changes can affect both the genital area and the lower urinary tract, many specialists now talk about \u201cgenitourinary syndrome of menopause (GSM)\u201d instead of just \u201cvaginal atrophy\u201d. It\u2019s the same underlying issue \u2013 low oestrogen \u2013 but the newer term acknowledges the bladder and urinary symptoms that often come along for the ride.<\/p>\n

Vaginal dryness and symptoms of vaginal atrophy in menopause<\/h2>\n

For most women, these changes sneak up slowly. It\u2019s easy to explain them away as stress, tight jeans or just getting older. Over time, though, a pattern appears. You might notice things like:<\/p>\n