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Menopause and Lubricants: How This Can Help Vaginal Dryness During Menopause

A woman grips her lower abdomen, suggesting physical discomfort or pain

Vaginal dryness is one of the most common symptoms of going through menopause¹, which can have a negative effect on your sex life. Thankfully, lubricants can help to relieve discomfort caused by vaginal dryness. Read our guide to learn more about it.

Menopause is a natural part of getting older and affects virtually all cisgender women. It can happen at different stages in a woman’s life and varies on independent circumstances, but it generally occurs between 45 and 55 years of age.² Marking the end of a woman’s reproductive years, it is caused by the loss of ovarian follicular function and a decline in circulating blood estrogen levels. Menopause can be a significant part of a woman’s life and can have an adverse effect on their sex life, including reduced levels of natural vaginal lubrication. Thankfully, one way that you can temporarily relieve vaginal dryness, a common symptom of menopause, is by using lubricants. Check it out below!

In this guide, we will cover:

Understanding Lubrication Needs During Menopause
Best Lubricant Options for Menopausal Symptoms
Maintaining Intimacy During Menopause

Understanding Lubrication Needs During Menopause

If you have vaginal dryness after menopause there is no need to worry. In fact, it’s completely normal. Due to the body not producing enough estrogen, between 40-57% of postmenopausal women have these symptoms.² Vaginal dryness can cause discomfort and pain in your vagina, which can be exacerbated by sex. This can also lead to decreased arousal and make you less likely to want to have sex. This is why using lubrication is crucial to help relieve the discomfort of vaginal dryness.

Hormonal Changes in Menopause

The phase before menopause is known as the perimenopause. During this transition time, the supply of eggs in the ovary diminishes and menstruation cycles become less regular. Additionally, your levels of estrogen and progesterone decrease.³ It is these level changes that cause many of the symptoms involved in menopause, including changes in your vagina.

Menopause Symptoms and Solutions

Menopause can manifest itself in many different ways, but many of the common symptoms include:

Changes in your period
Hot flashes, lasting between 30 seconds and ten minutes
A loss of bladder control
Difficulty sleeping
Increase in vaginal pain
Mood changes
Change in body weight
Aches and pains
Headaches
Bone loss
Heart palpitations⁴

The good news is that there are treatments available for menopause. While hormone replacement therapy was one of the most common treatments doctors engaged in, women with a low risk for stroke, heart disease, blood clots, and breast cancer can be candidates for menopausal hormone therapy.⁵ This can be administered in pill, cream, or skin patch form and can help to restore hormonal balance. Your doctor might also recommend changes in your diet or drug usage. As for discomfort during sex due to vaginal dryness, this can be eased with lubrication.

Best Lubricant Options for Menopausal Symptoms

Menopause can cause a lack of natural lubrication in your vagina due to a drop in estrogen levels. It can also lead you to feel less desire due to changes in your body and your weight levels. Hormonal changes and lubricants should be thought of together at this point, as one way to both ease the discomfort of vaginal dryness and to feel sexy again is by using them. K-Y® has a wide variety of options that you can use as menopausal dryness aids. Check out some great lubricants for menopause below.

Natural Lubricants

When it comes to natural lubricants for menopause, which allows you to enjoy sex comfortably and securely, you are in the right place, as K-Y® has great options for vaginal lubricants for menopause that can complement your natural lubrication. They include:

Safe Lubricants for Menopause

When looking to increase your lubrication, look no further than K-Y®’s wide range of products that are created with your body in mind. These include:

These products are not made with hormones, parabens, silicone, artificial colorants, and fragrances.

Water-Based vs Silicone Lubricants

When choosing which lubricant to use to relieve discomfort during sex as a result of vaginal dryness, it’s worth figuring out whether you want to use water-based or silicone-based lubricants. There are pros and cons to both.

For example, while water-based lubricants are popular because they are easy to clean up, easily compatible with latex and polyisoprene, and don’t stain, they are not as long-lasting as silicone lubes and may need to be reapplied during sex. They are also (ironically) not waterproof, which means it will wash away in the shower. If you are interested in water-based lubes, why not try K-Y® Liquid Water-Based Lubricant today?

On the other hand, silicone lubes are longer-lasting and more slippery than water-based lubes, but they can stain sheets. Additionally, it’s worth pointing out that silicone lubes are not compatible with silicone sex toys, so bear that in mind. If you want to try silicone lube, why not try K-Y® True Feel Silicone Based Lube today?

Maintaining Intimacy During Menopause

As menopause causes vaginal dryness and pain, as well as weight changes, it is natural to feel a reduction in intimacy between you and your partner or an unwillingness to engage in a normal sex life. This is totally normal and shouldn’t be a cause for stress. Instead, it’s about adapting to the new normal.

Tips for Maintaining Intimacy

If you are looking for ways to maintain intimacy, during and after menopause, then take a look at the following menopause intimacy tips:

Make adjustments in how you approach sex
Use lubricants to help ease vaginal dryness during menopause
Maintain an exercise regime to stay fit
Approach the changes of menopause positively
Schedule time for sex
Make sure to rest more
Eat well

It’s also worth bearing in mind that there is one key benefit to menopause. Once it is over, you can enjoy sexual intimacy without unintentional pregnancy!

Quality of Life and Personal Care Products

When going through menopause, your quality of life will naturally be affected. One important way to deal with the effects of menopause is through exercise, such as aerobic movements and regular walking.⁶ It’s recommended to engage in at least 150 minutes of moderate activity, or 75 minutes of vigorous activity a week to stay fit.

Additionally, the quality of your skin will likely be affected by menopause.⁷ This is why investing in a variety of skin products is a great idea in keeping yourself feeling fresh.

Building Support and Awareness

Menopause is a difficult part of any woman’s life, but the thing to remember about it is that you are not alone. As you go through this stage of your life, you will likely have friends who will also be affected by the same thing. This is why it might make sense to build a support group where you and your friends can lean on each other and share tips during this time. This way you can also build awareness for other women in your circle.

Resources:

National Institute of Health, 2019, Factors associated with developing vaginal dryness symptoms in women transitioning through menopause: a longitudinal study
National Institute of Health, 2023, Vaginal Atrophy
Johns Hopkins Medicine, Date Unknown, Introduction to Menopause
National Institute of Aging, 2021, What Is Menopause?
National Institute of Health, 2021, What are the treatments for other symptoms of menopause?
National Institute of Health, 2018, Strategies to improve menopausal quality of life: A systematic review
Science Direct, 2019, Revisiting the effects of menopause on the skin: Functional changes, clinical studies, in vitro models and therapeutic alternatives

Menopause and Lubricants: How This Can Help Vaginal Dryness During Menopause