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Risk factors
By Mayo Clinic staffCertain factors may contribute to vaginal atrophy. Among these are:
- Smoking. Cigarette smoking impairs blood circulation, depriving the vagina and other tissues of oxygen. Decreased blood flow to your vagina contributes to atrophic changes. Smoking also reduces the effects of naturally occurring estrogens in the body. In addition, women who smoke have an earlier menopause and are less responsive to estrogen therapy in pill form.
- Never giving birth vaginally. Researchers have observed that women who have never given birth vaginally are more prone to vaginal atrophy than are women who have had vaginal deliveries.
