Feminine Wellness: Understanding Your Body, Your Options, and Your Care

Conversations about women’s sexual health are often avoided or minimized, even though many people quietly deal with concerns like dryness, pain, low arousal or urinary leakage. Cultural expectations, stigma and lack of open discussion can make these topics feel uncomfortable. But they’re real, common and absolutely worth talking about with a trusted provider.

Pregnancy, childbirth, aging and hormonal changes can create shifts in vaginal tissue, pelvic floor strength and sexual function. These changes can show up as stress urinary incontinence (leaking when sneezing, laughing or running), vaginal dryness, discomfort during intercourse, or changes in the appearance of the vulva. For many women, these symptoms affect confidence, intimacy and daily comfort.

Studies show that at least 50% of adult women experience stress incontinence, and vaginal dryness or pain with intercourse affects women across all age groups, not just those in menopause. These symptoms are medical - never moral or personal - and they deserve proper care.

Why Stress Urinary Incontinence Happens

Stress incontinence occurs when the pelvic floor muscles and urethral support weaken, allowing urine to leak during activities that increase abdominal pressure. Several factors can contribute:

• Childbirth: Vaginal births, rapid deliveries or forceps-assisted births can stretch or injure pelvic floor muscles. Symptoms can appear shortly after birth or years later.

• Aging: Tissue elasticity naturally decreases with age, increasing the risk of leakage even without prior pregnancies.

• Excess body weight: Extra abdominal pressure can weaken pelvic support structures.

• Pelvic surgery: Procedures like hysterectomy can affect pelvic floor integrity.

• High-impact exercise: Repeated jumping or running can strain the pelvic floor over time.

These concerns are medical conditions not personal failures and the first step toward relief is simply naming them.

How to Start the Conversation

If you’re unsure how to bring this up with a provider, you’re not alone. Try starting with simple, clear statements like:

• “I’m having pain with intercourse.”

• “I have leakage when I sneeze or run.”

• “I’m noticing vaginal dryness or irritation.”

These are common, valid symptoms that deserve attention and care.

Treatment Options

Treatment depends on your symptoms, timeline and goals. Options range from non-surgical approaches to surgical interventions for more complex cases.

Non-surgical treatments may include:

• Energy-based therapies to strengthen tissue

• PRP (Platelet-Rich Plasma) for intimate wellness

• Pelvic floor strengthening

• Hydration and lubrication support

• Hormonal therapies (when appropriate)

These treatments often work best in a series and are tailored to your anatomy, hormonal status and comfort level. It’s important to pursue treatment for your own reasons, never because of pressure from a partner or outside influences. If there are changes you’d like to address - physical, functional or emotional - learning what’s possible is an empowering first step.

What Feminine Wellness Treatments Can Help With

When performed by a qualified medical provider, feminine wellness treatments may:

• Reduce or stop stress urinary incontinence

• Improve natural lubrication

• Increase comfort during intercourse

• Enhance arousal or orgasmic response

• Support pelvic floor strength

• Reduce discomfort from tissue laxity or friction

• Improve confidence and daily comfort

These goals are personal and should always be guided by your needs.

A Supportive, Shame-Free Approach

At Inclusive Aesthetics, care is grounded in respect, education and privacy. We believe every woman deserves a safe place to discuss intimate wellness without shame or judgment. If you ever feel unheard or dismissed, you have every right to seek a provider who listens closely and supports your concerns.

Empowerment starts with information. When you understand your body and the options available, you can make choices that help you feel more comfortable, confident and connected in your own skin.

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