winter vagina

A vagina for all seasons/Could you be suffering from ‘winter vagina’?

A former NHS midwife has recently made headlines by claiming that cold weather causes what she has dubbed ‘winter vagina’ – basically she is saying when the temperature drops the vagina becomes ultra-parched and dry. Her theory is that spending a lot of time in arid air-conditioned rooms can lead to this kind of seasonal vaginal dryness.

If it has never even remotely crossed your mind that the health of your vagina is at the whim of the sun, rain, wind or cold you wouldn’t be the only one and many experts have been quick to point out vaginal dryness is caused primarily by low oestrogen levels, certain medications and some medical conditions. One woman online also joked that ‘winter vagina’ was a condition primarily caused by marriage. But joking aside, while the outside air is not going to contribute to or cause vaginal dryness the fact we may be drinking less water in the winter could potentially make us slightly more susceptible to becoming more dehydrated overall.

Weathering the dry spells

Whatever the weather, most women will experience vaginal dryness at some point in their lives. And it can cause irritation, a burning sensation and itchiness that make it difficult for you to go about your daily life. It can also get in the way of you enjoying sex as the lack of lubrication can lead to difficulty becoming aroused and/or reaching orgasm. It can also put you at increased risk of urinary tract infections (UTIs) like cystitis which can also be triggered by sex. Understandably all this can put a dampener on your sex drive and doesn’t exactly add to your quality of life. And although vaginal dryness is more common during the menopause it can occur at any age and in any season, but the important point is you don’t have to suffer with it.

Being chilled about it

If the whole notion of ‘winter vagina’ has helped raise awareness about what actually causes vaginal dryness hopefully what we can take away from it is that there is no reason why anyone should have to put up with it when it can be so easily remedied with a vaginal moisturiser. Whether it is a short term or long term problem, a long-lasting moisturiser like Regelle offers immediate relief, delivering continuous moisture to the surrounding tissue and these soothing effects last up to three days. If your dryness is related to the perimenopause or menopause, other options include hormone replacement therapy (HRT) or vaginal oestrogen (the hormone that naturally keeps the tissues of your vagina lubricated and healthy) – so discuss all options with your GP – but you can also continue using Regelle with HRT all year round, whatever the weather!
