Dr. Ariana Smith

But the problem is a lot of this marketing goes directly out to women consumers and they think that this is what the laser is going to bring them.

And as a result, they're willing to pay a lot of money to come in and have several sessions in the office to treat their vaginas.

And

You know, I think what we really have to mention in this space, we don't want to limit potential development because there may in fact be a very useful therapeutic benefit, especially for our breast cancer survivors.

But we really do want to make sure women are aware of the potential side effects and that women have been scarred.

There has been vaginal stenosis.

There has been vaginal pain associated with the use of these therapies.

And really, I think what we could advocate for is better science and really trying to understand where this therapy fits in and could potentially play a role in the future.

It's a great, great point, Karen.

I think there's so much wrapped up in female sexuality and really trying to understand what makes women want to have sex is probably something we should spend a whole lot more time investigating than trying to find this small location on, I think, the anterior vaginal wall.

But I think one thing we could all agree is not myth in this space is the use of vaginal estrogen.

And whether we're treating vaginal atrophy or genitourinary symptoms of menopause, it really works.

And I think it would be fantastic if we could get everyone to immediately think vaginal estrogen when they heard the words vaginal rejuvenation.

I think we would make a tremendous impact on women.

It has so many amazing properties.

And it can improve so many different things that women experience as they age, from vaginal irritation to burning to pain with intercourse to urgency, dysuria, urinary tract infections, recurrent urinary tract infections.

I mean, there's so many things.

You know, the FDA recently lifted its black box warning on estrogen products, and now we can prescribe vaginal estrogen without having to explain to women about why this big warning appears when they go to the pharmacy to pick up their prescription.

And I think this is really going to help women, and we should be really proud of the AUA and our other professional societies that have really supported that work to make it happen.

And you know, only time will tell, guys, but I really hope that