Why Vaginal Health Deserves More Attention: Understanding the Impact on Your Wellbeing

As we approach International Women’s Day on March 8th, it’s a perfect opportunity to shine a light on an often-overlooked aspect of women’s health: vaginal health.

For most people, this is a sensitive and personal area of health, and for this reason, I find it is less frequently given priority during a consultation as compared to other health concerns such as digestion, skin or fatigue. Yet vaginal health issues can have a significant impact on quality of life, with uncomfortable and lingering symptoms.

The impact of vaginal health on sexual wellbeing and intimate relationships is also a huge factor to consider.

Similar to the gut, the vagina has its own community of bacteria working behind the scenes to keep things in balance. When this ecosystem is optimal certain Lactobacillus species dominate the bacterial population to create a protective acidic environment.

These bacteria help to prevent harmful bacteria and yeast from thriving. Hormonal fluctuations, antibiotics, or stress can disrupt this balance, making the vagina more vulnerable to infections like bacterial vaginosis or thrush, in addition to urinary tract infections (UTIs).

Oestrogen, the hormone that helps keep vaginal tissues soft, plump, and lubricated, naturally rises and falls throughout a women’s menstrual cycle and during their lifetime. During menopause or postpartum periods, declining estrogen levels can lead to vaginal dryness, thinning tissues, and increased sensitivity.

Naturopathic approaches to vaginal health consider the impact of hormonal fluctuations, lifestyle and medications on this delicate ecosystem and work to reduce uncomfortable symptoms and build resilience to infection and bacterial/yeast imbalances.