Cupid didn't factor in a dry vagina when planning Valentine's Day...

But you might need to. It's the perfect Valentine's Day. You arrive at work to find a dozen roses and a card that reads like soft porn. Dinner is at a romantic venue, and the champagne you splurged on is working its magic on your libido. At home you slip into the lingerie you ordered weeks ago. You're finally ready to consummate the evening and...you're dry. You do it, but it hurts. With all the planning for a perfect Valentine's Day, you didn't factor in vaginal dryness. Welcome to middle age. Almost 20% of women aged 18-50 years experience vaginal dryness, and this number jumps to a shocking 85% for menopausal women. Why does it happen? 1)Declining hormone levels, 2) declining hormone levels, and 3) declining hormone levels. Other causes include medications, breastfeeding, and diseases that cause overall dryness, to name a few. The big problem is that most women don't realize how common this problem is and what can be done about it. Hormone replacement and discontinuing any medication causing dryness can improve the situation, but a relatively simple (and usually effective) option is using a lubricant. It can be hard to convince your partner the reason you're not lubricated isn't because you're not turned on. You can have a great libido (being turned on) but have poor arousal (the body's response to being turned on). It's not your fault your body doesn't always do what it's supposed to, but the inability to adequately lubricate often leads to guilt. Back to Valentine's Day -- what started out as what should have been a night of hot sex turned out to be two unhappy people with backs facing each other. You love your partner and want to have sex with him/her, but if sex hurts it's extremely difficult to get motivated to do it. You can improve pain related to vaginal dryness and avoid your partner wondering why you're dry by using lube -- and not being embarrassed to use it. Fun fact: up to 70% of women use lube and report it makes sex more pleasurable. Less friction means less tearing and less irritation and potentially fewer infections. And while some women use lube for dryness, many use it simply because it feels good. Happy Valentine's Day!