(Music) The "V" (Laughter) Oh good.
Vagina Va-j-j.
(Laughter) My grandmother - she had 2 names
for it: pocketbook and candy girl!
Candy girl?
I like that one.
I've never heard that one, that's new to me.
Any nicknames?
Um nooo.
Even what your honey calls it maybe?
I call it Va-j-j.
Va-j-j.
I can't tell you what he calls it.
(Laughter) Everything that's wrong in my
life right now, I blame on menopause - everything.
The weight gain.
Yes yes.
Fuzzy hair.
Or hair loss.
If I keep losing hair I'm gonna look like
a shaved chinchilla pretty soon.
It's ridiculous with the hair.
I'm like what's going on here?
Brain fog.
Ohhhhh my god.
My new phrase is "thingy."
Honey, could you go in the room and get that
thingy for me?
Guess what?
Whenever you forget what you're saying it comes back to thingy.
So, today we are truly keeping it real.
Can you tell?
Because there are so many misconceptions
about menopause and the vagina.
In fact, we're kicking off a 5-part series called "Take Back
the Bedroom."
And, we're just gonna call it Vagina 101.
There I said it.
Helping us out are 2 experts, Sexual Medicine and
Board Certified Gynecologist, and our resident sexuality
expert for the show, Dr. Michael Krychman.
And, joining him this morning is Dr. Alyssa Dweck, an
author and Board Certified Obstetrician and Gynecologist.
Good morning to both of you.
Hi.
So, vagina - it's like it's a - you heard those women talk about
it, the nicknames they've given it.
You know, I applaud them.
I gotta tell both of you - I
applaud them for talking about something that happens to all of
us.
Yet, it's still taboo doctor!
Right, and it absolutely should not be taboo.
The good news is that this is becoming
more a regular conversation that we're having in the doctor's
office, and there's nothing secret in the gynecologist's
office.
We've heard it all.
We're used to hearing unusual situations and circumstances and
we are ready to talk about it.
And, Dr. Krychman, do you feel women are coming out and talking
about it or are still a little hesitant there?
Well.
I think they're still a little hesitant.
I think that, you know, with the menopause, most women associate
that with hot flashes, and sweating, and problems sleeping.
But, when it comes to the vagina, just as you did right -
you said vagina (whispering).
We really shouldn't be whispered.
It should be screamed.
Every woman's having one - right?
And every woman's gonna thru
menopause at some point.
Right.
Maybe not now, maybe not today for you.
But it's gonna happen.
But at some point.
So I think it's really important to break
the conspiracy of silence, and start talking about it because
dryness, not only affects vaginal health but it also can
affect relationships, intimacies, sex and what have
you.
So, I think it's really important to start talking about
it.
So, let's talk about it.
Menopause, Dr. Krychman, the vagina, the vulva.
What's going on when menopause hits?
Well, when a woman goes thru menopause
we see a lowered estrogen, the primary hormone for women that
maintains the health of the tissues of the skin and that
helps it maintain its elasticity, its stretchability.
But, when you go thru menopause this falls and then you can get
dryness - you can get pain, irritation, redness, even
chafing.
Even wearing clothes can be really irritating.
Women with severe dryness feel their
vagina all the time.
Absolutely.
So, I think it's really important that this irritation -
there's safe effective things that can be done to help women.
And doctor, the age varies, right?
Right, well the average age of menopause, when you
haven't had your period for a full years, is 52.
OK.
However, there's a transition for about
10 years prior to that time where women may start having
symptoms that are perimenopausal, such as hot
flashes, night sweats, the vaginal dryness that we're
speaking of.
But, I think it's so important to let everybody
know that menopause is not a disease.
It's a natural phase that we're all going to go thru
and there are ways to manage symptoms so that you feel
amazing.
And, the vaginal atrophy, as it's called, dryness
- it's very painful, like you said doctor.
What can women do to help alleviate that and still
have great sex with their husbands.
Well, I think it's important to recognize that even
that word "dryness" and "atrophy," it sounds like this
shriveled up old thing.
Like a prune.
And, nobody really wants to be associated.
It's not your grandmother's menopause.
You know, a 51 year old woman is
active, vibrant.
She is running a corporation, and sex is really
important.
And, you know, there's products like Lubrigyn
that are safe, effective, they have great ingredients like
Hyaluronic Acid and Elastin, that really help hydrate, keep
the tissue supple.
They help cleanse.
The Lubrigyn Cleansing Lotion is something that you can
use on a daily basis to help stay fresh and stay moisturized
so you're not experiencing these troublesome symptoms.
And, when your patients have used it
doctor, do you feel they have a better outcome?
Absolutely.
I recommend Lubrigyn all the time,
especially to my patients who are going thru perimenopause and
menopause, but those who suffer with symptoms of dryness or
irritation on a regular basis.
It feels great and it has a really nice fragrance, that's
very mild and subtle, but I think that it's important that
we start to transition to really taking care of our intimate
skin.
It's very important, just like we do with our face.
Right, and a woman's gonna spend 40% of
her life in the menopause - 40%, that's a huge amount of time.
Are you kidding?
40% of my life I'm going to be - ha ha ha ha.
Going to be active and vibrant and enjoy intimacy with your
partner.
I think it's really important.
It is.
To let women know that there's things that
they can do.
It's also liberating.
I think that's a new way to think about menopause.
It's a liberating time and we should embrace that.
For more information on Lubrigyn, where
can we go?
Lubrigynusa.com.
Thank you so much.
Appreciate your time.
Thanks for having us.
And, of course if you'd like more information on this
discussion, you can go to our website, and that's
thebalancingact.com.
(Music)