Often, she said, women stop seeing their gynecologist once they’re past the age of needing contraception or services related to pregnancy. Unless they’re experiencing vaginal problems that really scare them, they tend to stick to once-a-year appointments (if that) with their internist, with whom they might not feel comfortable discussing their sex lives. Or, who might not point them in the right direction if they do work up the courage to ask about, say, “sandpaper sex” — Streicher’s term for intercourse that becomes painful when the vaginal walls begin to get thin and dry from menopause.
Column: Sex after menopause — Northwestern gynecologist’s new book is part anatomy lesson, part guide to the feminine hygiene aisle
