UTERUSES AND VAGINAS!

“I can’t stand how grim everyone is about aging----osteoporosis, liver spots, vaginal dryness---oh, please!” Valerie Harper, Today I am a Ma’am

Let’s face it. If you’re an older women, you’ve got at least a vagina and maybe a uterus. These precious body parts deserve our attention just like any other body part. I’ll start this discussion with our friend the vagina (mom used to refer to it as, “down there”).

When women enter menopause, one of the most common complaints is vaginal dryness during sex which can make intercourse feel scratchy or painful. Fortunately, medical science has come to the rescue. Talk to your gyno regarding prescriptions, lubricants, hormone creams which can thicken and nourish the vaginal tissues. You may also want to try a non-hormonal lubricant.

Okay, now that that’s out of the way --- let’s get even more personal. Did you know that regular toning of your vaginal muscles increases circulation to this area of your body and helps keep vaginal tissues moist and healthy. You don’t have to go to the gym for this one (although you can do them there also). Exercise your vaginal muscles by doing Kegel exercises. Squeeze your vaginal muscles (these are the same ones you use to stop the flow of urine) and hold them for 10 seconds and relax. Repeat several times per day. I do them whenever I’m stopped at a traffic light or on line at the supermarket. No one knows my secret! As you’re doing these discreet exercises, try not to contract your thighs, buttocks or abdominals at the same time and visualize “down there” as healthy, pink, moist and resilient.

And now on to your uterus! If you’ve still got one, you may be one of the 40% of U.S. women who have uterine fibroids. Some fibroids go away of their own accord., while others stay and cause problems. Although there are dietary and hormonal reasons why so many women have these growths, the baseline ‘energetic’ causes of fibroids may have to do with blockage and stagnation of the energy of the pelvis. In her widely acclaimed newsletter called “Health Wisdom for Women”, Dr. Christiane Northrup suggests that “the illnesses that originate in this area of the body are activated by prolonged stress from fear of losing control over our physical environments....Fibroids represent creative energy that hasn’t been birthed. We are at risk for fibroids when we direct our energy into any dead-end relationship...a job, a marriage, a family or virtually any situation that is less than fulfilling...”

If you’ve had a hysterectomy or are anticipating one, remember that a hysterectomy doesn’t necessarily diminish your sexuality. Most women who have hysterectomies report more sexual activity and greater pleasure after the operation that before it. The probable reason--the symptoms that usually lead to hysterectomy, including pain and heavy bleeding, keep women from enjoying sex fully before the operation.

So, have a good time paying attention to those parts “down there” and get on with living!