Can stress affect your vagina?

In short, it’s all about taking care of your genitals in a way that nurtures and encourages a balance of healthy bacteria and its environment. The mix of microbes, genes and environment are known as a microbiome.¹ We’ve all heard of ‘good bacteria’ to support other areas of the body – and intimate areas are no different. The species of bacteria most commonly found in a healthy vulva’s microenvironment is Lactobacillus – a crucial part to the vagina’s defence system.²

However, there are so many other factors that contribute to your vaginal balance, and like a fingerprint, everyone has a unique microbiome.³ Especially with so many hormonal, hereditary, and lifestyle influences, such as the menstrual cycle, contraceptives, pregnancy, diet, ethnicity, and stress.¹

As individual as your eye colour, every vagina responds differently to these external factors, from particular period products irritating your labia (the folds that surround the opening of the vagina) to certain foods triggering an imbalance in your pH (naturally between 3.8 and 5). Stress might be just another of these factors to keep in mind when your vagina isn’t quite feeling its best.

When you’re feeling stressed, your body releases a hormone called cortisol. Emerging evidence shows that in turn, increased cortisol levels may lead to a decrease in Lactobacillus.⁴ As an important bacterium for a happy vagina’s ecosystem, this can result in something known as ‘vaginal dysbiosis’, which is essentially the term for an imbalanced microbiome.⁵

As Lactobacillus helps to protect against germs, your vagina might be sensitive to infections such as bacterial vaginosis (BV), thrush, and sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Much of the research in this area has been done on animals, so more human studies are needed to explore the role of stress in affecting vaginal health. However, although we might not understand how this happens, many experts believe stress does impact vaginal health.

Stress can cause vaginal dryness too. In fact, 17% of women aged 18-50 experience it. Dryness is sometimes down to a psychological reaction, as your body can go into ‘fight or flight’ mode. This mental distraction and increased blood pressure can hinder your arousal during intimacy. Certain soaps, washing powders, and even certain medications can also dry out the vagina’s natural moisture.⁶

Handpicked content: Healthy vagina tips

Did you know nearly 75% of us admit to feeling overwhelmed by stress?⁹ And with stress affecting our cortisol levels, this possibly affects the vaginal microbiome balance.⁴ There are a few things that you can do to support your wellbeing and control your stress levels, which might also help with your vulva too:

There are so many common reasons for vaginal dryness, such as menopause, breastfeeding or certain medications.¹¹ What’s more, it’s totally normal.

If you notice dryness regularly, you might want to chat to your GP to help get to the root cause. If you’re just looking for occasional support with lubrication, there are water-based lubricants which can help.

It’s important to look after your mental wellbeing just as much as your physical health, as research shows how so much of it is linked. By looking after yourself and getting support through stressful times, you might just be taking care of your vaginal health too.

This article is for information purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Please speak to your doctor if you are experiencing any issues with your vaginal health.