Anne Truong MDMen's Sexual Health Doctor

Why Intimacy Feels Like "Sandpaper" After 50 #Menopause #WomensHealth

14 Jun 2026 · 1 min

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0:45

In this brief educational monologue, Dr. Anne Truong explains that women over 50 experience a decline in estrogen and other hormones, which reduces natural lubrication of the vaginal opening and the clitoris. The lack of moisture makes the vulvar tissue more sensitive, often feeling raw or "like sandpaper" during sexual activity, especially penetration. This can lead to micro‑tears, bleeding, and discomfort. Dr. Truong highlights that these changes are a direct result of hormonal shifts in menopause and underscores the importance of recognizing the symptom, using lubricants, and seeking medical advice if pain or bleeding occurs.

Chapters

What I'm trying to say is that for your woman after 50, her hormone drop, and to affect the lubrication around the opening of her vagina, and also the lubrication around her clitoris. So it doesn't lubricate as well. And for a woman, if it doesn't lubricate well, it's not moisturized, the opening of the vagina actually becomes sensitive and sometimes will even tear. So the opening, because it's not lubricated, feels raw. It feels like sandpaper for her when she has sexual activity, especially during penetration. It feels like sandpaper, it feels raw, and sometimes it may even bleed around the opening of the vagina with penetration.