Ashley Fuller, MD

Not everything “down there” is va**nal.

In fact, many of the symptoms women call “va**nal” actually come from the vestibule—the delicate tissue that surrounds the va**nal opening.

Pain with s*x.
Burning.
Stinging.
Pain inserting a tampon.
Tenderness during an exam.
Burning after you p*e.

These symptoms are often coming from the vestibule, not the va**na itself.

Why does that matter?
Because the right diagnosis starts with identifying where the pain is.

If you’ve ever been told, “Everything looks normal,” but you still hurt, it may be because no one examined the vestibule.

The vestibule is a small but incredibly important part of the v***a, and it’s one of the most common places I diagnose pain in my practice.

Knowing the difference between the va**na and the vestibule isn’t just anatomy trivia—it can be the key to finally understanding your symptoms.

💛 Have you ever heard the term vestibule before?

***aspecialist

My goal has never been to make women think more about their v***as.

It’s the opposite.

I want you to stop Googling your symptoms at 2 a.m.
I want you to stop wondering if what you’re experiencing is “just part of getting older.”
I want you to stop planning your life around itching, burning, pain, recurrent infections, or discomfort.

I want you to have answers.

Because when your v***a is healthy, you shouldn’t have to think about it at all… unless you want to. 😉

Women deserve better than, “Everything looks normal.”

They deserve to be heard, evaluated, and treated with evidence-based care.

That’s the goal. Every single day.

Most couples spend years trying to solve problems they’ve never actually defined together.
When one partner says, "We need to work on our s*x life," they may be talking about something completely different than the other person.
💭 What counts as intimacy?
💭 What feels like initiation?
💭 What feels like pressure?
💭 What feels like rejection?
And what happens when stress, hormones, pain, fatigue, or parenting enter the picture?
These aren't easy conversations—but they're often the conversations that change everything.
You don't have to agree on every answer. You just have to understand each other's.

What if women could say what they’re really thinking about s*x—without worrying about hurting someone’s feelings, starting an argument, or being judged?

So many women carry around thoughts they never say out loud:
✨ “I need more emotional connection.”
✨ “I wish you wouldn’t take it personally when I’m not in the mood.”
✨ “I want s*x to be something we create together, not something I owe.”
✨ “I need you to understand that my body has changed.”

The truth? Most couples aren’t struggling because they don’t love each other. They’re struggling because they’re having entire conversations silently in their heads.

Healthy s*xual relationships aren’t built on mind-reading. They’re built on communication, curiosity, and the courage to tell the truth—even when it’s uncomfortable.

Check out this weeks episode of L***a Logic with Dr Heather Howard where we talk about how to talk to your partner about what you want in bed.

*xualhealth *xualhealthmatters ***aspecialist

If you’ve been affected by the estradiol patch shortage, take a deep breath. 💕

A patch shortage does not mean you have to stop estrogen therapy.

There are often other options, including:
✔ Calling around to different pharmacies
✔ Switching to a weekly patch
✔ Estradiol gels
✔ Femring or Evamist
✔ Using multiple lower-dose patches
✔ Temporary use of oral estradiol for appropriate patients

The right option depends on your medical history, risk factors, insurance coverage, and treatment goals, so talk with your clinician before making changes.

The patch may be hard to find. Estrogen doesn’t have to be.