Tag: menopausal

Have you ever started a new birth control, and then noticed that things started feeling a little…off? Turns out, you aren’t the only one! More women are noticing vaginal dryness as a result of their birth control regimen. Don’t worry though, there are plenty of things you can do to start feeling better.

How is vaginal dryness is linked to birth control?

Although vaginal dryness is most commonly associated with menopausal women (like the two-thirds of women over 60 who list dryness as one of their top sexual health problems!), it can actually happen to women of all ages. Typical symptoms of dryness are discomfort, itching or burning, and pain during sex.

Our recent news cycle has teemed with reports from the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference (AAIC18), an annual gathering of scientists and researchers from around the globe sharing their latest findings. I follow this news closely because of selfish worry I may develop dementia following the loss of both parents to this devastating brain disease.

My middle-aged siblings and I are children of dementia.

In a new paper published in the journal Psychological Science titled, "The Long Reach of One’s Spouse: Spouses’ Personality Influences Occupational Success" authors Brittany Solomon and Joshua Jackson used a study of 4,500 married Australian couples and measured them with a common personality test known as the Big Five. This test looks at five personality traits, including: extraversion (how outgoing and sociable a person is), agreeableness (how honest and sympathetic someone is, versus suspicious and unfriendly), conscientiousness (how well someone can plan and be productive, rather than be disorganized and impulsive), neuroticism (how anxiety-prone someone is) and openness (how naturally curious and open to change a person is).