Dryness, soreness, burning and pain with intercourse after the menopause come from the fall in oestrogen thinning the vaginal tissue, and pain with intercourse from that thinning is what the one published EMfemme 360 study treated. Thirty-five postmenopausal women with severe pain on intercourse for three years or more had three eight-minute sessions a month apart. Two months after the last, pain on intercourse was gone in 29 of them and the vaginal health score had risen from 7.7 to 18.7 on a 5 to 25 scale. Vaginal pH had fallen from 6.6 to 4.6, and pain on examination from 6.6 to 1.4 out of 10. NICE puts vaginal oestrogen first for these symptoms, and at EMfemme 360 London, 8 Devonshire Place, we treat beside it or after it, after a doctor's examination, with the course in writing at a free consultation.
Where it fits
Vaginal oestrogen is the treatment NICE puts first; the doctor asks whether you have tried it, whether you can use it, and whether you would rather not. EMfemme 360 is for the woman who cannot use oestrogen, who has used it and wants more, or who prefers a hormone-free course. BTL's account is that the controlled heat stimulates collagen production, and the study above measured the result in symptoms and examination scores. It is not an alternative to HRT for hot flushes, sleep or bone, which it does not treat.
What the study measured
- Pain on intercourse: present in all 35 at the start, absent in 29 (83%) two months after the course.
- Vaginal health index: elasticity, secretions, pH, the lining and moisture, from 7.7 to 18.7 on a 5 to 25 scale.
- Vaginal pH: from 6.6 to 4.6, towards the acidic range of healthy tissue.
- Pain on examination: from 6.6 to 1.4 out of 10.
- Satisfaction: a mean rating of 92.9%, with no woman dissatisfied.
- The limits: no comparison group, and two months of follow-up, which the authors say themselves, and no sexual function scale.
The session and after
Three sessions, about a week apart in our practice, eight minutes each inside a 30-minute appointment. In our practice the first session starts low where the tissue is fragile, because in the study the first treatment caused discomfort and some bleeding in women with severe thinning. A watery discharge, bleeding, itching or burning for a day or two is common, and no complication or serious side effect was reported. A female practitioner can deliver the treatment if you ask. The review is at six months, and the results page sets out what is known about how long it holds.
Who it suits
A postmenopausal woman with dryness, discomfort or pain with intercourse, with no current infection, no unexplained bleeding, no metal coil, and her cervical screening up to date. The FAQ lists the main things that rule the treatment out, and the full guide covers the rest. The painful sex page and the dryness page take each symptom on its own.
Not sure you are suitable? Ask the clinician, it is free
Book a free consultation
Call EMfemme 360 London on 0207 043 8130 or use the form below. The doctor examines you, discusses vaginal oestrogen with you, and tells you whether EMfemme 360 fits.
