Problems with any of the vaginal supporting organs, muscles or bones, can lead to problems with the vagina. Tearing or weakening the musculature supporting the vagina can lead to organs prolapsing into the vaginal canal. An enlarged bladder can put pressure on the vagina. A restriction of blood supply to the vagina can cause any number of problems. Endometriosis (swelling of the lining of tissue in the uterus) can lead to painful sex and periods. A rip in the rectum can lead to infections of the vagina.

Fortunately, the vagina is a very tough organ and heals quite well. It has to be as it is built to accommodate an entire baby coming out of it and recover afterwards. So, while all these problems can occur, they aren’t something you should be worrying about all the time.

Vaginal health problems can arise from childbirth, sex, trauma, disease, hormone imbalances, aging, and genetic or congenital defects.

• Childbirth – Typically, if major problems do happen, they happen as a result of childbirth. The vagina stretches to allow a baby out and something is damaged as a result. Not all childbirths result in Vaginal Health problems. Some factors that affect this are size of the baby, size of the vagina, and length of pregnancy. (link to childbirth injuries page)
• Sex – People having been having sex for thousands of years. It’s healthy and natural. However, injuries can occur as a result of rough sex. STDs can lead to many problems as well.
• Trauma – Anything forcibly inserted into the vagina or anus can cause damage. And any injuries to the surrounding area can cause problems as well.
• Disease – Other diseases besides STDs can impact vaginal health. Yeast infections and UTIs are common and need to be addressed when they occur.
• Hormone Imbalance – Hormone levels change greatly during adolescence, pregnancy, and menopause. Hormones cause a variety of things to happen in our bodies (healing, growth, menstruation, etc.) and too much or too little of any hormone can cause a number of problems.
• Drugs/smoking/alcohol – Smoking and excessive alcohol consumption can reduce sex drive and cause other unhealthy changes in the body. Drugs, even prescription drugs, can negatively impact vaginal health in the same or worse ways depending on the drug.
• Genetic and Congenital Conditions – These are less common and you either have them at birth or you don’t. They do affect some women negatively and oftentimes the conditions are treatable, though typically not curable.
• Aging – As we get older, our bodies naturally decay. This impacts vaginal health but can be addressed by the options listed below. (Insert link to article on vaginal laxity)
• It used to be that major problems were not correctable. Women had to learn to live with them when possible and often died as a result. Modern surgical technique has enabled even some of the most traumatic injuries to be corrected. Antibiotics can cure some diseases that would otherwise be fatal. Hormone therapy is available when needed. And much research has been done into more natural methods both to prevent problems and the correct them once they’ve happened.

Here are some of the methods we recommend that improve vaginal health:

• Exercise – Kegel exercises can strengthen the pelvic floor and help with numerous problems in the pelvic area. Also, a strong pelvic floor is typically less likely to be injured during childbirth or otherwise.
• Avoid rough sex or any forceful insertion into the vagina or anus otherwise serious injury can result. Use lubrication when needed to help prevent injury.
• Good nutrition – Nutrition is key to overall health. Digestion, skin quality, sexual function, and more are all linked to nutrition. Additionally, the vagina maintains a bacterial balance so it is possible that probiotic foods are very helpful for vaginal health.
• Cream/products – Lubrication is an important facet of vaginal health. Certain creams and products can help with this aspect. Prescription creams can be used for hormone treatment.
• Hormones – Sometimes when hormones are out of balance it makes sense to get some type of hormone treatment to get your hormones to the proper levels.
• Surgery – Some larger problems can only be addressed by surgery. This includes organ prolapse and larger tears. Incontinence is often best addressed surgically.
• Non-surgery therapy (Thermiva/O-shot/etc.) – Certain non-surgical therapies can bring a return of sexual function and pleasure. Thermiva uses radiofrequency to increase collagen production and blood flow to the vagina, and the O-shot uses platelet rich plasma to improve several facets of sexual function.