Vaginal Changes


With age, the vaginal walls become less elastic, less rigid and will be considerably thinner. If this happens, the vagina will become shorter. The normal vaginal secretions will be rare, and if one will do appear, its consistency is watery now. The tissues of the vagina will decrease as well and the vagina will be drier. A dry vagina has increased risk of infections. Symptoms of vaginal infections are usually smelly discharges caused by yeast or bacteria. These discharges are thin, grayish-white, and have a certain fishy smell. Menopause causing hormonal imbalance adds more to the risk.

Vaginal prolapse can also happen. This means the whole vagina can drop out of its position. This sometimes causes incontinence. The symptom could be swelling on the opening of the vagina. The back wall can also have bulges. There are also cases that a woman wont have any external symptom at all. This is more dangerous because if the problem is not surfacing, then immediate treatment may not be possible. Vaginal prolapse can be treated non-surgically, although surgery may be required in severe cases. Non-surgical method involves inserting a pessary into the vagina to support it and its surrounding organs.
The Effects

Due to changing appearance and function of the vagina, a woman would change psychologically and socially too. Since the vagina will be dry, the sexual response will be highly affected. Sexual intercourse will become uncomfortable to an aging woman. And because the walls are thinner and drier, the vagina will be irritated during an intercourse. Also, it would its lose sensitivity as it ages.

* key note.... vagina starts aging a little bit before a woman turns 40 and it proceeds to the process above.. from around 45-50*