When Lorraine Kelly shared her experience of menopause on her daytime TV show in 2017, she was her own last resort. Initially, she set out to interview a famous woman about her story, but everyone she approached refused.

"I thought, nobody else will talk about it so I'll do it. It was a breakthrough moment," said Kelly.

Seven years later, it often feels as though we have reached peak menopause. Michelle Obama, Salma Hayek and Gwyneth Paltrow have all been open about their experiences, encouraging women not to feel ashamed about a biological process an estimated 13 million people in the UK are now going through. And yet there's still one part of it that is barely spoken about.

Vaginal dryness.

As with so much in this realm, it took a celebrity – Davina McCall in this case – to shine a light on it. For those of us who'd assumed this symptom was a minor inconvenience, which only affected s*x and was easily remedied with the kinds of lubrication readily available from high street chemists, it was a brutal wake-up call.

"I had severe dryness, so severe that when I tried to wipe myself after going to the loo, it was so sore I was having to kind of dab," McCall said in her 2021 documentary, S*x, Myths and the Menopause. "I didn't know what it was, I had no idea that it was part of being perimenopausal."

Previously known as vulvovaginal atrophy, now rebranded as genitourinary syndrome of menopause (GSM), vaginal dryness will probably affect between 60% and 80% of women, according to various studies. It is caused by the drop in oestrogen levels, which happens as women go through menopause, causing vaginal tissue to become thinner and less elastic. Despite it being so common, one study has found that a third of female sufferers did not report it to their doctor.

This is partly because of embarrassment, says Haitham Hamoda, consultant gynaecologist and clinical lead of the menopause service at King's College Hospital. "Most GPs are well informed and offer a great service, but of course, there are variations of what you can access. Part of it is going to be what is available to you, what is offered to you, and what you feel comfortable talking about."

He continues: "You'd be surprised how many people would come and see you because they're talking about flushes and sweats and brain fog. And when you say, 'Do you have vaginal dryness?' they will say, 'Oh, yes, it's really uncomfortable'. But they never really think about bringing it up, unless you specifically ask."

Hamoda has seen women who are too sore to wear underwear. "You do find people who say clothes are uncomfortable because it's touching against the area … In extreme cases they find it uncomfortable sitting or walking."

GP and menopause expert Dr Renée Hoenderkamp has had cases like this too. "I've seen women who can't go about their daily life because of vaginal dryness. It's absolutely debilitating. They can't go to the gym any more, can't wear jeans, can't go for a bike ride, can't run up the stairs at the station. It's all just too painful."

Clare, 55, says GSM "consumed my whole life". "I used to sit in a shallow, cold bath, sobbing. It was agony, the burning never let up for one second of the day or night. Even walking was painful." It began when she was 47, but she never considered her symptoms could have anything to do with being perimenopausal because her periods were regular, and she was not having hot flushes.

But, as Hoenderkamp points out, every menopause is different: "For some women, vaginal dryness will be their first symptom, very early, even before their periods have changed. Other women won't get it until they've gone through it all. It's really individual."

She also believes that seeing dryness as just a symptom of menopause can be misleading. "Women who breastfeed for more than six months will suppress their oestrogen to a level where they may get vaginal dryness. The pill can cause it. Antidepressants. It's not just restricted to menopausal women."

The implications of vaginal dryness can go far beyond pain, says Hoenderkamp. "Once past menopause, when all of the tissue in and around the vagina and urethra dries and atrophies, women become much more susceptible to urine infections because bacteria are able to attach to the tissue."

Hamoda has also seen women avoiding or missing cervical screening due to GSM. "Sometimes you can't open the speculum because they're so dry and uncomfortable, even though, of course, you're using plenty of lubrication." In some cases, he has told patients to "take vaginal oestrogen for the next two months, then come back and we'll attempt this smear again. Sadly, this is not an uncommon scenario."

Not every doctor is aware of how to help women with GSM. Emily, 44, sought medical advice as soon as her vaginal dryness began four years ago. "It felt like there was a red hot poker inside of me," she says. She also suffered from urinary tract infections. Her GP found it so hard to reach a diagnosis that at one point he told her – on the phone – that she might simply have to prepare herself for a life of chronic pain.

As she was 40 when her symptoms began, her doctor didn't consider perimenopause. She was passed between different NHS services, given courses of antibiotics, a cystoscopy, referrals to urology, gynaecology and physiotherapy. She also paid to see a private vulval pain specialist. As all this was going on, no painkillers could make any difference, and she remained in agony.

"It's been catastrophic," she says. "The pain makes it very difficult to concentrate. I've had to give up four jobs in the space of four years. I've had to sell my house and move away from my friends because I need to have more savings in case I can't carry on working. It's had a massive effect on my mental health."

Out of desperation, Emily began to research her symptoms herself. She found out that one in 20 women go through perimenopause before they're 45, and, presuming this was what was happening to her, Emily wrote a detailed letter to her GP, asking for vaginal oestrogen. He agreed to put her on a low dose. "And within two days the burning stopped."

She is still, however, struggling with her UTI symptoms – which include needing to pee around four times an hour. While it's impossible to know what has caused this, she believes that because her infection was not treated for so long it has got worse. She is now being treated separately for her persistent UTI.

Misdiagnosis is a common thread through this condition. Dr Paula Briggs, a consultant in sexual and reproductive health at Liverpool Women's NHS Foundation Trust, reports, "It depends who the patient presents to, how likely they are to get the right diagnosis. Loads of women will be told they've got thrush."

It's a perfect storm – women reluctant to seek medical help in the first place, then a delay in being diagnosed.

"Whereas other menopausal symptoms resolve – generally they get less severe, then they stop – GSM becomes progressively worse over time and is very difficult to reverse," says Briggs. She now thinks all women should be given vaginal oestrogen at around the age of 45 as a default.

However, as oestrogen pessaries fall under the HRT umbrella, some women remain nervous due to the small increased risk of breast cancer linked to progestogen-containing forms of HRT. Hoenderkamp says that vaginal oestrogen does not carry the same risk. "It is just about as safe as houses, and very easy. I often have women who say I can't have vaginal oestrogen because I've had breast cancer. Well, you can."

Hamoda is more cautious: "Generally speaking, with breast cancer patients you would try other non-hormonal options first. But on an individual basis."

However, it is not a problem that will disappear overnight. "In terms of the oestrogen, women are not going to do it for a year and then it will all be OK. It's probably a lifelong commitment to their vagina," says Hoenderkamp.

Vaginal oestrogen is available from chemists – although it's cheaper on prescription from your GP – and there are also moisturisers and lubricants women can buy over the counter as a possible first port of call.

The message overall is clear, though. If you are uncomfortably dry, you should never suffer in silence – it's not just a part of ageing that happens to everyone, which you have to grin and bear – it's something that can be treated and, in most cases, eased.

"Awareness is key," says Hamoda. So, while there has never been so much talk about menopause as there is now, there's still a lot that needs to be said.

Some names have been changed

Angry bride struggles through vows as guest lets baby cry during ‘adults-only’ ceremony https://t.co/krV5rYs4IS pic.twitter.com/XwHcQoRkeQ

— New York Post (@nypost) February 17, 2025

Who is Patriarchy Hannah (@harmonizedgrace)?

Join me on a deep dive as I explain how Hannah is a completely fabricated persona, and how a random 37 year old woman in Arkansas named Jennifer Bays is behind the account. pic.twitter.com/hAw16qXB2y

— Ryan Duff (@ryancduff) February 14, 2025

I know, shocking.

The account run by "Hannah":

She house-doxes a property she claims was bought for her son and future daughter-in law by her and her husband Tony, but oopsie. Not it's not theirs!

Turns out the house just happens to be right next to a property owned by "Hannah"'s parents

"Hannah" outed as Jennifer by Amazon

She posted pictures of "her house". Turns out it was owned by her parent's LLC. Thanks Zillow

Grandma dying further connects "Hannah" to Jennifer

No evidence her husband Tony exists, and he just happens to be in the exact same business as her 'pa

Grandma's obituary also only mentions 3 great grandkids. Unless they forgot 10+, 14 kids doesn't seem quite right

Further darnation- "Tony Town" is just the town near her parents' house. Pictures she posted were just stolen from facebook

Conclusion

The ultimate confirmation

The coping fans & retweeting @r-slurredrapist in her defense

I did this all to post that she is fat and apparently thinks women shouldn't do sports because it will make them into lesbians

Who is Jennifer Bays? pic.twitter.com/5Tv5QVjWzb

— Allison Brown (@PatriarchyAlli) February 13, 2025

As of now, she deleted again.

kiwi foid thread is also saying that she has an older June 2018 twitter account https://x.com/CurvyJForYou to sell fat woman porn. The person looks similar, but the only proof I can find is someone on twitter saying it's "100% verified FaceID matched" and kiwi foids can't even post links much less archive shit. That account is still up.

Self-defense isn't inherently libertarian, conservative, or any other label

Believing in self-defense doesn't make me a libertarian any more than believing in free speech makes me a constitutional scholar

I'm not a libertarian nor a man, but sure, go off. If hearing a perspective you don't like makes you assume I fit into some stereotype, that's on you, not me.

Ah yes, because sharing information and options is now 'gaslamping.'

I never said a gun is the only option just that it's one worth considering alongside other self-defense cowtools. If it's not for you, that's totally fine. But providing information for those who are interested isn't the same as telling everyone they must buy one. Either way, take care.

Owning a gun doesn't make me Rambo… it just means I'd rather have a fighting chance if things go south.

By that logic, should we also stop buying phones because Big Tech censors people?

I shared my perspective (one that seems to resonate with a lot of women) on self-defense because I believe people should have options, not because I'm pushing an agenda or fearmongering

Fear isn't what drives people to own guns reality is. The idea that self-defense is just a marketing scheme ignores the fact that millions of people, including marginalized groups, choose to arm themselves because they don't want to rely on the government, law enforcement, or anyone else for protection. Owning a gun doesn't mean supporting gun manufacturers any more than owning a phone means supporting Big Tech censorship. It's about having the cowtools to protect yourself in a world that isn't always safe.

Rule 1: Treat all guns as if they are loaded

You forgot Rule 5, "I don't care what you think, your gun is loaded unless you confirm it isn't," and Rule 6, "I know you just confirmed your gun isn't loaded, but you blinked and Reginald the Ammo Goblin may have done something when you weren't looking, so keep treating your gun as if it's loaded."

YouTube's algo promoted the shit out of this spam to me and so now you get to suffer, too.

My Boss Gave Me an Unthinkable Choice for a Promotion"

What started as a routine day at the office quickly spiraled into something far more unsettling. I had spent years working hard, proving my dedication, and striving for the promotion I had long dreamed of. But when Mr. Thompson called me into his office, the conversation took a turn I never expected. Suddenly, the path to success wasn't about my skills or experience—it was about something else entirely. I was faced with a choice I never thought I'd have to make. Would I sacrifice my integrity to get ahead? Watch to find out how one moment changed everything…

#ForbiddenDesire #FamilyDrama #ConsequencesOfAffair #TalesOfRegret #ShatteredTrust #SecretAffairs #CautionaryTale #SocietyAndJudgment #EmotionalDownfall

#AfricanLegends #CulturalTales #AfricanStory

Share your thoughts in the comments, like the video, and subscribe for more compelling tales that inspire and connect us all!

StoriesOfLove, EmotionalStories, Cheating Stories, HUMAN PSYCHOLOGY, Infedility Story, Relationship Stories

NHS England:
*Trans staff changing room policy*:

"If a woman is not comfortable sharing female facilities with biological males, she can use the gender neutral toilets"?....

What does that mean exactly?... pic.twitter.com/X9PCZ92z7J

— Jonny Bell (@Jonnywsbell) February 17, 2025

Foids owned

!transphobes

Here's her dog shit nonpology

Other book tubers are now posting apologies.

One of her unlisted videos:

Thanks @QuadNarca for posting the mega thread.

I slept with 600 men in 2024 — now I’m looking to settle down and find love https://t.co/2DD0JSJyvJ pic.twitter.com/3qHnawZPnc

— New York Post (@nypost) February 17, 2025

!foidmoment !moidmoment !eurochads !latinx !africans !asians

The most Liberal and Westernized Nafris celebrate the fast that they are 0.0001% less misogynistic than their Arab neighbors :

https://old.reddit.com/r/Tunisia/comments/1iqy1ov/better_than_most_of_our_neighbors_but_still_not/md3wl4f/?context=8

/u/National-Job-4984:

Alhamdulillah for Islam, hopefully we can make it redder with time

ALSO LMFAO NUNAVU ESKIMOCHUDS OF NORTHERN CANADA REALLY FRICKING HATE FOIDS

!leafs !dayoftherake

Another interesting thing is that you can see the border of East Germany as having better gender relations than West Germany!

However, while of course VmmahBVLLS of course inevitably win in the misogyny world championship, it seems that the majority-White regions of LatAm and the US appear to have the worst cases of gender relations, whereas the majority-indigenous BIPOC regions have the best!

In Latin America it seems like the more European influence there is, the more gender division exists

!macacos @nuclearshill why is that?

The Laurel woman spotted in multiple videos having s*x with dogs is now serving a four-year prison stint.

Denise Frazier, who recently gave birth, dominated headlines after being arrested by authorities in Jones County in April 2023 for unnatural intercourse and aggravated animal cruelty in what officers called "one of the most disturbing cases" they've ever seen. She began her sentence in the Central Mississippi Correctional Facility on Feb. 4 an unnatural intercourse charge.

Multiple Snapchat videos of her and a German shepherd having sexual intercourse were turned in to authorities. One of the videos involved Frazier committing s*x acts on the canine in a church parking lot.

Frazier was arrested once again on similar charges while out on bond in Forrest County last February. The charges came after a video surfaced of a pregnant Frazier having intercourse with another dog. Skyler English, 18, was alongside Frazier and is said to be an accessory to the crime.

Frazier initially told authorities that she was forced to commit the actions seen in the videos. Law enforcement found no evidence to support her claims. After being released on bond, Frazier took to social media to maintain that she enjoyed having s*x with dogs and had done nothing wrong.

The suspect is set to be released from the Rankin County prison on Jan. 23, 2029. She is ordered to serve five years of post-release probation and pay a $2,615 fine.

!transphobes

So, I'm short. 5'2". My girlfriend is tall, probably 5'10 or 6'. We're "a short and a tall," as Big Mouth would put it. We love to dress to the nines and go out. Dresses, jewelry, cocktails, laughter. I'm not gonna lie, we're a hot couple.

White men like to r*pe and get away with it in out of court settlements what else is new?

*Orange men.

Good for her.

https://old.reddit.com/r/TwoXChromosomes/comments/1akf8iv/after_a_longterm_breakup_i_went_into_the_bookshop/

https://old.reddit.com/r/sewing/comments/wawne6/sewing_for_aspergers_with_big_boobs_and_belly_fat/

!foidmoment !r-slurs

https://old.reddit.com/r/doordash/comments/1ipsxbs/caught_my_long_distance_boyfriend_cheating/

Summary in her own words

Going to try to summarize the comments post so far,

I believe he is cheating because he is a serial cheater and we've had many issues with cheating in the past. We will break up for a few months, get back together, and kinda repeat.

We've been doing this for 8 years in April. He originally told me he would be here Thursday night, but told me he had a morning meeting at 6am Friday and didn't think he could make the 6hr drive to come see me and preform in this meeting. I was upset, but we talked not out and he was supposed to come Friday night/valentines day night, he was distant Valentine's Day, but said work was ready busy, I didn't think much of it, then this interaction happened:

Confirming he was at home alone, but also he has Brie for dinner which seemed… off?

Anyways, he was acting depressed, and wanting to be nice I ordered him roses and his favorite candy to his house. I told him to expect a delivery within the hour. He left this message read but did not answer. Which was … super bizarre? So I at that moment had the idea to message the door dasher asking about a second car in the drive way.

She asked if I still wanted her to complete the delivery, and I was like, uh, yes, and I'll send an extra 10$ if you loudly say " this is a gift from your girlfriend " dasher agreed, but even though she rang the door bell and knock repeatedly, the dude would not answer.

While talking to the driver, I said something like " what the heck, I've been dating this man for almost 8 years" which triggered the chat to close, I about screamed in frustration, but I did leave the dasher 20$ as a tip for her detective work.

Currently, laying in bed obsessing over this with my cats while pretending that I'm driving the 6 hours to my soon to be exs house and confronting him. If he doesn't answer by the end of this count down I'm just going message something like. " I saw what I need to see, I'm driving home" and actually have some leverage for his stupid lies when he does come around to answering me.

Shes textboming this guy and hes not replying

Currently, I'm in my bed with my cats, but texting him every 30 min to 1 hr saying I'm making the 6 hour drive to his place.

I'm going to pretend I drove up, saw the car, and drove home, and if he tries to fact check me im going to use the door dashers photo 😭😂

Justification

!foidmoment and !moidmoment too I guess?

Guy in question

anyway Thanks @Vegeta for the idea to sub to /r/doordash, its a gold mine