Is BV different in postmenopausal women?
BV in postmenopausal women often coexists with vaginal atrophy (atrophic vaginitis). Vaginal atrophy causes a reduced resistance to infection, including bacterial vaginosis (BV), aerobic vaginitis (AV), and yeast.
In a reproductive-aged woman (age 15-45), the vaginal lining skin is about 40 layers of cells. Its surface layer sheds daily. This process is called vaginal cell exfoliation, like dandruff shedding from the scalp. The normal skin cell shedding peels away the surface cells along with bacteria attached to the cells. As a result, it renews the skin surface and reduces the chance of bacterial infection.
In a woman after menopause, the vaginal lining skin is atrophied. Its thickness is reduced to 1-2 layers. The cell exfoliation stops. Attached bacteria are not removed. As a result, these bacteria can cause persistent infection. Therefore, BV occurred after menopause is difficult to clear.
In addition to age, other factors may also cause vaginal atrophy or tissue sensitivity. These include:
- breastfeeding
- oral birth control pills
- hormonal IUD
- hysterectomy
- cancer therapy
- lichen sclerosus
- autoimmune diseases like Sjogren's syndrome, lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, and Guillain-Barré syndrome.
- polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)
- endometriosis
- medications like antidepressant, antihypertensive, and/or antiallergic that cause dryness
Clear BV in women with vaginal atrophy or sensitivity
The best method to clear this type of BV is to restore the atrophied vaginal lining skin.
The prescription drug for this purpose is the estrogen cream. Because estrogen has a cancer risk, hormone-free natural products are used as alternatives. These include NeuEve Gold, Silver, and Silk suppositories and cream.
These products have the same ingredients but with different concentrations to accommodate women of different ages and health conditions.
Choose a right product
If you are premenopausal (<45) without any health conditions like on birth control pill, IUD, breastfeeding or have had hysterectomy or cancer therapy or a condition listed above, you can choose NeuEve BV Clear to clear BV. You can follow instructions in this this article: How do I use the BV Clear to clear BV?
If you are premenopausal (<45) but you are on birth control pill, IUD, breastfeeding or have had hysterectomy or cancer therapy, or a condition listed above, you can choose NeuEve Gold (no or mild painful sex), Silver (moderate painful sex), or Silk (severe painful sex).
If you are perimenopause (45-50) with mild painful sex or no painful sex, you can choose NeuEve Gold.
If you are 50-55 or with moderate painful sex, you can choose NeuEve Silver.
If you are 55-60 or with severe painful sex, you can choose NeuEve Silk.
If you are 60-70 and with severe painful sex, you can choose NeuEve Cream and Silk.
If you are are highly sensitive to the NeuEve Silk or Cream or you are over 70, your atrophy may be very severe. You can try "Sensitive Silk" and/or “Sensitive Cream” designed for sensitive women and women over 70.
How to clear BV with atrophy-relieving products?
NeuEve BV Clear has only one purpose – clearing BV. The primary purpose of NeuEve Gold, Silver, Silk and Cream is to reverse vaginal atrophy. It achieves this by delivering nutrients to the atrophied vaginal lining skin.
When the thickness of vaginal lining skin is restored, cell exfoliation starts. Attached bacteria are removed by cell shedding. BV clears.
For reversing vaginal atrophy without BV, the process takes time. Double dose will not double the speed of atrophy recovery. Therefore, a long-term commitment is required. Double dose is not recommended.
On the other hand, clearing BV-associated vagianl atrophy is different. It is beneficial to clear BV as quickly as you can. BV symptoms can be cleared long before vaginal atrophy is recovered. Therefore, we recommend double dose for BV Clearance.
Suggested application dosage for clearing BV:
Gold (4/pack), use 1 every 3 days. Heal by 12 days.
Silver (6/pack), use 1 every other day. Heal by 12 days.
Silk (8/pack), use 1 every other day. Heal by 16 days.
Cream (or sensitive cream), apply 2-3 times per day until odor diminishes.
If BV is not cleared by the end of each healing period, you may move up a phase for more effective BV clearance.
Warning: You must move up the phases stepwise. Skipping a phase or use the high level product upfront may cause intolerance (burning and irritation).
Maintenance to stop BV from coming back
After BV is cleared, you can use the same product for maintenance to stop BV from coming back. You will use the recommended application frequency on the box.
Disclaimer: This article is for information purposes only. It is about natural products, nutrients, and/or alternative methods for managing discomforts associated with vaginal dysbiosis (imbalance of microbiome, not a true infection or disease). It is not medical advice for the treatment of any diseases.