Vitamin D improves the vaginas of postmenopausal women in many ways

Effect of Vitamin D on the Vaginal Health of Menopausal Women: A Systematic Review - Dec 2019

Journal of Menopausal Medicine 2019; 25(3): 109-116 https://doi.org/10.6118/jmm.19194 PREE PDF

Menopause is associated with the onset of climacteric symptoms due to low estradiol levels, which may cause insufficient maturation of the vaginal mucosa. Vitamin D may regulate the growth and differentiation of cells that are adversely affected due to low estradiol levels, thereby restoring vaginal health. The objective of this systematic review, the first on this subject, was to investigate the effect of vitamin D on the vaginal health of menopausal women. PubMed, Embase, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar databases and reference lists of hand-searched articles were searched for published studies from February 2000 to November 2018. The selection criteria were as follows: randomized or quasi-randomized trials that compared the effects of vitamin D or related compounds, alone or with calcium, on vaginal health (growth and differentiation of epithelial cells, dryness, acidity [pH]) outcomes in menopausal women. The methodological quality of these studies was examined using the Cochrane tool checklist by two independent investigators, following which the data were extracted.

Of six examined studies, two showed that vitamin D administration

improved the growth and differentiation of vaginal epithelial cells,
improved vaginal pH, and
decreased vaginal dryness in menopausal women.

Although the level of evidence for the effects of vitamin D on vaginal health is low in our study, we concluded that vitamin D may improve the vaginal health of women, especially

Topical Vitamin D helps the vagina - meta-analysis Feb 2025

The effectiveness of vitamin D as an alternative to FDA-approved treatment and other therapies for managing vulvovaginal atrophy and sexual inactivity in postmenopausal women. A systematic review and meta-analysis

International Journal of Obstetrics & Gynaecology - Feb 2025 https://doi.org/10.1002/ijgo.70011 PDF behd paywall

Background Vulvovaginal atrophy (VVA) and sexual inactivity (SI) are prevalent among postmenopausal women (PMW). While hormonal therapies show significant improvement, non-hormonal therapies are considered the first-line for breast cancer women. However, vaginal hormonal therapies are unavailable in all countries, particularly developing countries such as the middle east, and there are no studies that have tested these therapies in women either with a history of breast cancer or those taking endocrine therapies for their cancer.

Objective We conducted this meta-analysis to evaluate the effectiveness of vitamin D (VD), whether alone or in combination with other therapies, in managing VVA and SI in PMW.

Search Strategy A systematic literature search was undertaken on four electronic databases (Web of Science, PubMed, Cochrane, and Scopus) from inception until June 2023.

Selection Criteria The randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that used the vaginal maturation index (VMI) and vaginal pH to measure VVA and vaginal dryness and the female sexual function index (FSFI) to measure SI were included in the meta-analysis.

Main Results Eight RCTs (608 PMW) were included, and 222 were assigned to the VD arm. For the oral VD subgroup, there was no statistically significant improvement in the mean difference (MD) of VMI (MD –7.62, 95% confidence interval [CI]: −23.84, 8.59).

However, VMI's topical VD subgroup was statistically significant (25.16; 95% CI: 18.74, 31.59). For topical form, the total FSFI score (0.24; 95% CI: −1.72, 2.20) and all FSFI domains did not demonstrate statistically significant improvement except arousal (0.56; 95% CI: 0.12, 1.00). Vaginal pH's oral VD subgroup showed statistically significant improvement (−0.27, 95% CI: −0.50, −0.05) compared to the topical VD. Topical VD subgroup (24.45; 95% CI: 7.14, 41.77) showed a statistically significant increase of vaginal superficial cells, in contrast to the oral VD subgroup (3.25; 95% CI: −5.44, 11.96).

Conclusion Topical VD showed significant improvements in VMI and the arousal subscale of FSFI, whereas oral VD had no substantial improvement except in vaginal pH. VD alone is not a sufficient alternative to other available treatments, and further RCTs are needed to evaluate its effectiveness without any combination with other drugs.

Postmenopausal Atrophic Vaginitis 1.3 X more likely if women did not supplement with Vitamin D - March 2026

_Vitamin D Supplementation and Risk of Postmenopausal Atrophic Vaginitis: A Global Real-World Cohort Study of Vitamin D-Deficient Postmenopausal Women _

E N Chaudhri , M A M Hammad , R Pope , J M Yih

The Journal of Sexual Medicine, Volume 23, I March 2026, https://doi.org/10.1093/jsxmed/qdag063.083

Introduction Female sexual dysfunction (FSD), encompassing disorders of desire, arousal, orgasm, and sexual pain, affects an estimated 40-50% of women globally. In postmenopausal women, declining sex steroid levels, vaginal epithelial atrophy, and altered vascular function heighten vulnerability to FSD and are closely linked to genitourinary syndrome of menopause (GSM) and recurrent urinary symptoms. Vitamin D contributes to estrogen and testosterone synthesis, vaginal cell maturation, and endothelial function. Vitamin D deficiency (VDD) has been linked to impaired sexual function, yet real-world evaluations of whether vitamin D supplementation influences the risk of postmenopausal atrophic vaginitis (PMAV), a common manifestation of GSM, in vitamin D-deficient postmenopausal women remain limited.

Objective To determine the association between vitamin D supplementation and PMAV outcomes among postmenopausal women with VDD, utilizing a real-time, global, real-world database.

Methods We queried the TriNetX Research Network, a global federated real-world database encompassing over 100 healthcare systems, to assess PMAV outcomes in postmenopausal women with VDD. A retrospective cohort analysis (2014-2025) including females aged >50 years with VDD was performed using ICD-10 codes. Two study arms were defined: vitamin D non-supplemented VDD (nsVDD) and supplemented VDD (sVDD). Patients on any medications or with any conditions that may affect FSD outcomes or vitamin D metabolism were excluded from our analysis (Fig. 1). Cohorts were propensity-score matched on age, race, and ethnicity. Both cohorts were followed up for PMAV. Outcomes were compared using risk ratios (RR) with 95% CI and Kaplan–Meier survival analyses.

Results Our search yielded 58 614 patients in each cohort with similar baseline characteristics (Fig. 2). The average follow-up periods were 3.7 and 3.9 years for the nsVDD and sVDD cohorts, respectively. PMAV was significantly higher in the nsVDD cohort compared with the sVDD cohort, although modestly (0.941% vs 0.803%; RR 1.173; 95% CI 1.037, 1.326; p = 0.010). By the end of follow-up, our Kaplan–Meier analysis showed that PMAV-free survival probability was 93.275% in the nsVDD cohort versus 95.835% in the sVDD cohort, corresponding to a significantly elevated hazard (23% higher) of PMAV among unsupplemented women (HR 1.231; 95% CI 1.088, 1.392; p = 0.009) (Fig. 3).

Conclusions Vitamin D supplementation was associated with a reduced risk of PMAV in postmenopausal women with VDD, suggesting a potential protective role against GSM-related sexual dysfunction. As a low-risk and widely available intervention, vitamin D optimization may offer a valuable adjunct in PMAV prevention and care. Further prospective studies utilizing validated sexual function questionnaires and endocrine biomarkers are warranted to clarify its therapeutic role.

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Genitourinary syndrome of menopause gone in 6 months with Vitamin D suppositories - Feb 2026

Vaginal vitamin D for Genitourinary syndrome of menopause: a cohort study and literature review

Christopher Massaad,Rawan Abdul Razzak &Kariman GhazalORCID Icon

https://doi.org/10.1080/20565623.2026.2621650

Background Genitourinary syndrome of menopause (GSM) is a condition resulting from hypoestrogenism, characterized by symptoms such as

vaginal dryness,
irritation,
urinary urgency, and
sexual dysfunction.

While conventional treatments include local estrogen therapy and non-hormonal alternatives, evidence suggests a therapeutic role for vitamin D.

Research design and methods This study assessed the efficacy of vaginal vitamin D supplementation in alleviating GSM symptoms and evaluated clinical factors. Two cohorts were analyzed: 110 postmenopausal women with GSM symptoms and 39 participants aged 35–85 for age-related analysis. Data were analyzed using SPSS Version 26.

Results: Findings revealed associations between age and pelvic exam outcomes, with older women more likely to exhibit atrophic cervix, while younger participants presented with cervicitis. Delivery mode was also significantly correlated with pelvic exam findings (p = 0.040).

Notably, all patients receiving vitamin D (10/10) achieved symptom remission at 3 months versus 34% (10/29) in controls (p = 0.00044), though limited by the small n and observational design of the study. Extended treatment showed 96.7% remission in vitamin D vs. 62.9% controls (aRR = 1.26, 95% CI 1.05–1.50, p = 0.024. Vitamin D + probiotics yielded 100% remission.

Conclusions: These support vitamin D as effective non-hormonal GSM therapy, pending larger RCTs.

PLAIN SUMMARY: After menopause, many women experience uncomfortable changes such as vaginal dryness, burning, discomfort during sex, and needing to urinate more often. These changes happen because the body produces less estrogen. Although hormone treatments can help, some women cannot use them or prefer not to.

This study looked at whether vitamin D used inside the vagina could help relieve these symptoms. Women who used vaginal vitamin D reported clear improvement in their symptoms within a few months. Older women tended to have more vaginal changes related to menopause. Using vitamin D together with probiotics also appeared helpful for some women, although this was tested in a small number of participants.

Overall, these findings suggest that vaginal vitamin D may be a helpful, non-hormonal option for women seeking relief from menopause-related vaginal symptoms, especially for those who cannot or do not wish to use hormone-based treatments.

10,000 IU gelatin capsules of vitamin D suppositories into the vagina 3 times weekly for 2 months.