Dr Selk Down There

10/26/2026

“I have HPV. Can he get tested?”

Patients often ask what this means for their partner and not just themselves.

The answer isn’t as simple as booking him an STI check. I’ve explained why in the slides—including the exceptions.

What else do you want to know about HPV? Leave your questions below for a future post. 💜

10/23/2026

Most of us aren’t thinking about menopause 15 years before our last period.

That’s why this study caught my attention.

Published Oct 12, 2026 in Nature Medicine, it looked at more than 300 million lab results from over 1 million women. The findings suggest that some hormone changes begin 12–15 years before the final period.

That doesn’t mean you’re in perimenopause for 15 years. Or that every symptom in your 30s is hormone-related.

Around the final period, researchers also found sharper changes in tests linked to bones, cholesterol, liver and kidney function. Men the same age didn’t show the same pattern.

Women taking hormone therapy had smaller changes in several tests—but this study can’t prove that treatment caused the difference.

A few important details: researchers used a model to piece together the timeline. They didn’t follow each woman through all these changes. And a change in a lab result doesn’t automatically mean illness. These findings can’t predict exactly what will happen to you.

But they do raise an important question: why are we waiting until women are losing sleep and searching for answers at 3 a.m. to start talking about menopause?

What did you have to learn about perimenopause the hard way? 💜

10/21/2026

It’s amazing that in just a year so many of you are here with me. Thank you!

10/20/2026

I prescribe vaginal estrogen. Some of my patients don’t like it.

For some, the cream burns. A small group have trouble with recurrent yeast infections. If that happens, we need to check what’s going on.

Sometimes a different form works better. Sometimes we need to discuss another option.

Others ask, “I’m not having s*x. I don’t get bladder infections. What am I using this for?”

That’s a fair question.

Vaginal estrogen can help with dryness, burning and discomfort, even if you’re not s*xually active. But if you have no symptoms and don’t get recurrent bladder infections, we should be clear about why we’re recommending it.

It helps many people. That doesn’t mean everyone wants it, likes it or tolerates it.

Your treatment should fit your symptoms, goals and life. The choice is yours.

10/19/2026

These are still great learning tools
Aimed at clinicians but free and open to anyone to listen

The V***a Diaries

By Dr. Amanda Selk
Board-certified OB/GYN
Professor of University of Toronto

Over 30 podcasts (around 20 minutes long) on different vulvolvaginal conditions.
Although these podcasts are aimed at health professionals it’s good for patients to listen to help understand all these conditions.

With Dr Amanda Selk and different specialists taking about

▶️Lichen sclerosus
▶️Lichen planus
▶️Lichen simplex
▶️Precancerous v***a lesions
▶️Vulvodynia
▶️Genital warts
▶️V***a ulcers
▶️V***ar cancer
▶️Biopsy’s
▶️Steroid therapy
▶️The v***a in menopause
▶️Bacterial vaginosis
▶️Persistent vaginosis
▶️Pediatric vulvolvaginal diseases
▶️Yeast and recurring yeast infections
▶️LS and LP in Pregnancy
▶️ Lichen Sclerosus and V***ar Cancer: A Patient's Journey and Advocacy Mission
And many more

Podcast link> ⤵️
https://blubrry.com/the_v***a_diaries/

Dr Selk Down There

10/19/2026

A $35 billion intimate care industry—and somehow we’re still being told we’re not clean enough.

Now our v***as apparently need a skincare routine, too.

A wash. A serum. A special cream. First, make women feel bad about a normal body part. Then sell them something to “fix” it.

I’m quoted in this article on Yahoo Health “Why Intimate Skincare Is Exploding on TikTok and What Gynecologists Actually Say About It”, and my advice probably won’t sell many products: before menopause, your v***a generally makes its own oils and needs very little fuss. Leave it be.

After menopause, dryness may need attention. But a simple, fragrance-free moisturizer suitable for v***ar skin may be enough. You don’t need to pay extra because the label says “intimate.”

Having a v***a shouldn’t come with a shopping list.

What’s one thing you wish someone had told you about v***ar care sooner? Let’s put some useful advice in the comments. 💜

***arHealth

10/18/2026

In 2019, my husband was hit by a City of Toronto truck while cycling to work.

He’s a physician. I’m a physician. That day, he ended up in the trauma ER, and it was terrifying for our family.

After the collision, Councillor Brad Bradford sent this email describing what happened as “particularly problematic for the City” and expressing interest in discussing cycling safety.

Now, seven years later, Bradford is running for mayor and has promised to remove bike lanes on Bloor Street West.

In fact, he voted to install those bike lanes in 2023 and now says he got that decision wrong.

I know firsthand what can happen when a cyclist is hit by a vehicle. For me, bike lanes aren’t an abstract political debate. They’re about health, safety and people getting home to their families.

Integrity is important to me and affects who I vote for.

Because behind every cycling collision is a real person, and often a family whose life is turned upside down.

This is personal for me. 💜

RoadSafety

10/17/2026

Do you really need to wear cotton underwear?

Nope.

If you don’t have any v***ar issues, wear whatever underwear you like.

If you’re dealing with v***ar irritation or discomfort, switching to cotton underwear is one of the things you can try to see if it helps.

Some women find it more comfortable. Others notice no difference.

So if your current underwear isn’t bothering you, there’s no need to replace your entire underwear drawer.

***arHealth ***arCare

10/15/2026

Not all pregnancies have happy endings.

As an OB/GYN, I’ve been there for many happy births, but I’ve also cared for women and families through some devastating losses.

Today is Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Day.

If you know someone who’s lost a pregnancy or a baby, ask how they’re doing. Listen. Let them talk about their loss. Ask about their baby. And keep checking in, even years later.

And if you’re the one grieving, it’s okay to still be sad. Even years later. Even forever.

You don’t have to get over losing a baby. 😢