Pain with intercourse after the menopause comes from the thinning of the vaginal tissue as oestrogen falls, and it is the symptom 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, and two months after the last the pain was gone in 29 of them. 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
The doctor asks whether you have tried vaginal oestrogen, 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 in the thinned tissue, and the study measured the result in pain and examination scores. It does not treat hot flushes, sleep or bone, and we say so.
What the study measured
- Pain on intercourse: present in all 35 women at the start and absent in 29, or 83%, two months after the course.
- Pain on examination: from 6.6 to 1.4 out of 10.
- Vaginal health index: from 7.7 to 18.7 on a 5 to 25 scale, with vaginal pH from 6.6 to 4.6.
- The limits: a small group, no comparison group and two months of follow-up, which the authors say themselves; no sexual function scale was used.
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. 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 pain on intercourse, with no current infection, no unexplained bleeding, no metal coil, and her cervical screening up to date. The dryness page covers dryness and atrophy without pain, and the full guide the rest.
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.
