This little-known condition affects most women in menopause — and no one talks about it

After being diagnosed with breast cancer at age 37, I was relieved to know that I didn’t need chemotherapy. Targeted hormone therapy program It is designed to kill estrogen in the body, drive menopause and lower the risk of cancer recurrence.

In a way it was a miracle. I was alive But other times it was a nightmare.Just a week into hormone therapy, I was feeling erratic, hot flashes, and insomnia. Perhaps the worst side effects of menopause were extreme vaginal atrophy — a.k.a. thinning, dryness, and inflammation of the vaginal walls — intercourse felt like sitting on a saguaro cactus.

Unfortunately, I am one of many women who have limited options when it comes to treating vaginal atrophy. Although 50% of postmenopausal women experience similar symptoms, doctors frequently prescribe estrogen-containing creams. , rings, and pills are not comfortable for everyone.Now this research is confusing about estrogen-enhancing products and increased cancer risk in postmenopausal cancer survivors. Research Shows Estrogen-enriched products are safe.However, many survivors, like myself, are wary of using estrogen-based products for fear of relapse. vaginal rejuvenation Treatments are available, but most of them are expensive and dangerous. The efficacy of these new treatments is still unknown, but women with the means to invest are starting to invest in these self-pay procedures. Full disclosure: I had an expensive vaginal laser treatment. It was kind of helpful.

Until concrete research and medical advice on the safety of estrogen-enriched products becomes widely available, many women will have to calculate their own risks. or lower the chances of getting cancer.In medical research, as in heart disease research and exercise science research, there is a gender disparity. Exclusion Women in clinical trials. In my case, there is not enough research on the topic to conclusively determine the best course of action regarding estrogen-enhancing products to treat my condition.

This raises the question: Why are there no safe, easy and affordable solutions for vaginal atrophy? There have been treatments for erectile dysfunction since 1998, when the FDA first approved Viagra. . Erectile dysfunction is essentially the male equivalent condition. Most major insurance companies, including Medicare, now cover the cost of Viagra or its generics, making the drug widely available.

of Nationwide Women’s Health Research We found that BIPOC women tended to experience menopause and peri-menopause earlier than Caucasian women and to have more severe symptoms such as vaginal atrophy. But their story is not told. Frankly, women’s health issues, especially those affecting postmenopausal women, remain a low priority for medical research. You might think things would change after #MeToo, but the world still seems to revolve around phalluses.

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I never thought I would go through menopause at 37. Honestly, I’m ashamed that I knew so little about it. I don’t remember her mother going through menopause. The truth is that many women don’t feel comfortable discussing the physical, emotional, mental, and sexual symptoms they’ve been experiencing with anyone, including their doctors. Given the culture’s unrealistic beauty standards that our young people are obsessed with, it’s disconcerting to be considered old and over the hill. , like celebrities, seems to be slightly declining. Naomi Watts, stacey london,Furthermore Michelle Obama— talked openly about menopause.

Treatment for vaginal atrophy is not covered by insurance, unless it may cause cancer. In 2015, “The New Female ViagraIt hit the market after being rejected twice by the FDA. Claims to target women’s brain chemistry to increase libido in women. However, these non-hormonal drugs do not directly treat the symptoms of vaginal atrophy and are only approved for premenopausal women.

I knew breast cancer affected my breasts – and it did. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for my vagina. It is unacceptable to me that the consequences of being treated for my life-threatening illness would also affect my sexual health.

Breast cancer is not something every woman faces, but menopause is. By 2030, more than 47 million women are expected to go through menopause each year. (It is unclear whether that statistic accounts for the millions of cancer survivors worldwide who have been forced into premature menopause during chemotherapy and hormone treatments.) We live in a society where there is “drugs.” I believe we can find a safe and easy way to treat it.