The most important women's health advice I've ever heard

Photo: Mel Robbins

She thought urinary tract infections were simply a hygiene issue. Like many other women, she tried everything she was told: going to the bathroom after sex, drinking cranberry juice, taking antibiotics. The infections would go away temporarily, but they always came back.

This is the experience recounted by author Mel Robbins, a story that many women will find themselves in without much effort. Melanie Lee Robbins is an American author, podcast host, and lawyer, known for her TEDx talk “How to Stop Screwing Yourself Over,” as well as the books “The 5 Second Rule,” “The High 5 Habit,” and “The Let Them Theory.” 

Until she realized the problem wasn't where she thought it was. In fact, one of the most common reasons associated with urinary tract infections in women is almost never mentioned: hormonal changes.

According to sexual health expert and urologist Rachel Rubin, hormones directly affect vaginal health throughout life, not only during menopause, but also during puberty, the menstrual cycle, pregnancy, or breastfeeding.

When hormone levels change, they can cause:

- vaginal dryness
- irritation
- changes in the vaginal microbiome
- growth of harmful bacteria

These changes create a more favorable environment for infections, which can then spread to the urinary tract. In fact, a group of symptoms associated with these changes has a specific name: genitourinary syndrome of menopause (GSM). Although the name is associated with menopause, experts emphasize that it can appear at any stage of life when there is a hormonal imbalance.

The most common symptoms:

- frequent urge to urinate
- need to go to the toilet
- pain in the pelvic area
- recurrent urinary tract infections

There is a simple, safe, and relatively inexpensive treatment that can significantly reduce these problems. It is vaginal estrogen.

According to experts, local use of estrogen (in the form of cream, tablets or rings) in low doses can reduce the risk of urinary tract infections by more than 50%, while also helping to improve other symptoms.

And yet, most women have never heard of this option. The reason? For years, misinformation about hormone therapies has made even doctors more hesitant to recommend them, even when it comes to safe, local forms like this.

Medical organizations and new guidelines are bringing this treatment back into the spotlight, considering it one of the most effective ways to prevent and treat these problems. Currently, you need a prescription from a doctor to get estrogen cream, but Dr. Rubin says it should be available over the counter.

Source: Women's Health