Substances like THC, alcohol and nicotine can fundamentally change our body and brain chemistry in a number of ways. What you may not have considered is how weed, alcohol and smoking can affect your vaginal chemistry.
While substance use is a personal decision, it is important to be aware of how these decisions can affect your body and health. Here’s a breakdown of how marijuana, alcohol, and smoking can affect your vagina.
Weed
In recent years there has been a flurry of products containing CBD or THC that claim to do everything from enhancing sexual pleasure to relieving menopausal symptoms and vaginal infections. The hemp molecules in cannabinoids like CBD and THC bind to our body’s endocannabinoid receptors and also interact with the body’s natural cannabinoids.
There are many endocannabinoid receptors in the female reproductive tract, which are most densely concentrated in the uterus, but are also found throughout the ovaries, fallopian tubes, and vulva. These interactions can help reduce inflammationbut it can also cause dryness.
It *may* cause vaginal dryness
Just like weed can make your mouth dry, it can also dry out the mucous membranes in your vaginal canal. Of course, not all strains of weed will give you dry mouth (and the ones that do are the ones that could potentially cause vaginal dryness), and there hasn’t been enough research was conducted to establish this phenomenon as more than anecdotal.
Can help with Bacterial Vaginitis
Bacterial vaginitis, or BV, is the overgrowth of certain bacteria in the vagina, resulting in symptoms such as a fishy odor, excessive discharge, itching, pain, or burning. While more research still needs to be done, cannabinoids can have various effects antibacterial properties which can help with bacterial overgrowth. If you have BV, you should always consult your doctor, but at least CBD doesn’t interfere with traditional treatments like boric acid.
Alcohol
A drink or two might help you relax before sex, but what are the effects of alcohol on your vaginal health?
May cause vaginal dryness
Alcohol dehydrates your body and increases fatigue, so too drying out the mucous membrane in your vagina.
The smell changes
Drinking too much alcohol can change the way your vagina smells. Along with promoting inflammation, the sugar in alcohol can also upset your bacterial flora and increase danger infection and BV.
Increased chance of bacterial vaginosis
As mentioned earlier, alcohol can increase the rate of bacterial vaginosis. Studies have shown that women who drink heavily during their reproductive years have higher rates of BV, although causality remains to be further investigated. The occasional drink or two won’t mess up your vaginal pH, but the fact that drinking alcohol raises blood sugar levels and promotes bacterial growth it means it’s important to keep things in moderation.
Smoking cigarettes or vaping nicotine
We know that smoking cigarettes is bad for our health – it’s also obviously bad for your vagina.
Increased chance of bacterial vaginosis
The chemicals in nicotine – whether you smoke or vape – deplete the healthy, good bacteria your vagina needs, like lactobacillus, and promote the growth of unhealthy bacteria. Foul odors in the vulvar area and vaginal secretions can be a result of low levels of Lactobacillus strains. Studies have shown that along with Lactobacillus clearance, smoking can be a risk factor for BV because of how it interferes with estrogen production and also produces trace amounts of benzos[a]pyrenediol epoxide (BPDE).
It increases the risk of infections
You may have already heard from your primary care physician or gynecologist that smoking increases your overall risk of infection. Not only do cigarette smokers tend to have low levels of Lactobacillus, but they may also have high levels of biogenic amines, such as cadaverine, agmatine, putrescine, tyramine, and tryptamine, which actually enhance the infectivity of the pathogens you come in contact with.
Bacterial vaginitis (which is not an infection) isn’t the only thing smokers are at greater risk for. Regular smoking can also make you more vulnerable to urinary tract infections. In addition, due to the increased risk of infection overall and the changes nicotine use causes to your vaginal ecosystem, it also increases your susceptibility to sexually transmitted infections (STDs) such as:
- Chlamydia
- Herpes simplex 2
- Human papillomavirus (HPV)
- Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)
- Trichomonas vaginalis
If you are a sexually active smoker, it is essential to get tested regularly for STDs.
Dry bay
Menopause and aging come with hormonal changes that affect your vagina. A common change is vaginal atrophy (VA), where the vaginal skin produces less lubrication and becomes thinner, making sex uncomfortable or even painful. Smoking can combine VA; In a study of healthy postmenopausal women, smokers were more likely to have worse VA than nonsmokers. Smokers are also more likely to enter menopause earlier, in middle age 48.5 years old compared to 50.5 for non-smokers.
