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Coconut Oil for Vaginal Dryness

Q. I’m a newly-wed, and I have severe vaginal dryness all the time. Everything there is so dry that it itches constantly and it really hurts when my husband tries to touch me to “get things started.”
I tried using a moisturizer (Cetaphil) and it helps temporarily but the relief is short-lived. Could extra-virgin olive oil help me?

A. First, check in with your gynecologist to make sure there is no infection causing the symptoms. Oil may be helpful, but only if you and your husband are not using latex barrier contraceptives. If you are, look for a water-based lubricant that would not destroy latex.
Olive oil is not the only option. We heard recently from a reader in Great Britain:

“My girlfriend and I have used pharmaceutical-grade coconut oil as a sexual lubricant for five years. It is inexpensive, pure, tasteless, odorless and glides beautifully. It also has fantastic antibacterial properties that discourage yeast infections and soothe delicate skin.”

For more details and a variety of other approaches to ease vaginal dryness we are sending you our Guide to Menopause.

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About the Author
Terry Graedon, PhD, is a medical anthropologist and co-host of The People’s Pharmacy radio show, co-author of The People’s Pharmacy syndicated newspaper columns and numerous books, and co-founder of The People’s Pharmacy website. Terry taught in the Duke University School of Nursing and was an adjunct assistant professor in the Department of Anthropology. She is a Fellow of the Society of Applied Anthropology. Terry is one of the country's leading authorities on the science behind folk remedies..
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