MonaLisa TouchⓇ: A Nonhormonal Solution for Painful Sex After Menopause

If you’re going through menopause, you may be enjoying sex less than you used to. It’s a common problem caused by the hormonal shifts of menopause when lower levels of estrogen can make your vaginal tissues thin, dry, and less pliant. As a result, intercourse can become uncomfortable or painful and may even cause soreness and bleeding.

Not surprisingly, these problems can lead to a loss of interest in sex.

Unfortunately, 17-45% of postmenopausal women say they find sex painful, according to the North American Menopause Society. This condition -- painful sex -- is known as dyspareunia.

Some women can alleviate their symptoms with vaginal lubricants or medications that contain estrogen. However, these treatments may not work for you, or you may not want to use estrogen, either because of personal preference or your health history.

If you’re experiencing uncomfortable intercourse, but would rather avoid estrogen, you may want to consider a laser treatment known as MonaLisa Touch. This laser system offers a nonhormonal option for reducing the discomforts of painful sex after menopause.

Here at Women’s Healthcare of Princeton, we’ve used MonaLisa Touch to help many menopausal women start enjoying sex again.

A rejuvenated vagina

MonaLisa Touch uses a process known as laser vaginal rejuvenation to help reduce or eliminate the pain, irritation, burning, and itching that can result from penetration and intercourse.

Using a process known as fractional CO2 technology, MonaLisa Touch laser treatment revitalizes vaginal tissues by stimulating the production of collagen and other substances in vaginal walls. This allows vaginal walls to become better lubricated and more flexible.

By restoring balance to vaginal tissues, MonaLisa Touch laser treatment directly addresses the underlying conditions that cause painful intercourse.

A simple approach

MonaLisa Touch offers a less invasive treatment than surgery for painful intercourse. It is a relatively simple procedure that requires no anesthesia.

If you decide to have MonaLisa Touch laser treatment, here’s what you can expect:

The treatment takes only five minutes and is performed right in our office. You recline comfortably, just like you would for a regular pelvic exam. Your doctor places a numbing cream into your vagina and then inserts a thin laser instrument that painlessly creates tiny holes in your vaginal walls.

Your body responds to laser therapy by increasing blood flow to your vagina and growing stronger, thicker, more flexible vaginal tissue with an increased ability to become lubricated.

Three quick treatments

Typically, women who have MonaLisa Touch laser therapy receive three treatments spaced approximately six weeks apart.  

Although you may have some vaginal discomfort for a few days after your treatment, most women are back to their normal routine in several days and can start to have intercourse again three or four days later.

Treatments are successful for nearly 90% of women experiencing hormone-related vaginal dryness and sexual pain, and improvements in vaginal tissue last up to one year.

Laser vaginal rejuvenation treatment can also be the choice for women who are experiencing painful intercourse due to childbirth, cancer treatment, or other health conditions.

We’re proud to be one of the first medical practices in the United States to offer MonaLisa Touch laser therapy. To find out if you can benefit from this innovative treatment, call our office in Princeton, New Jersey, to schedule an appointment or click the “book online” button.