Karen: Right then. What’s your name and where do you come from?
Nicola: My name’s Nicola and I work for a company called Sylk. Sylk the product is a natural lubricant, that’s plant-based, oil and paraben free. It’s very, gentle and very safe, a lubricant for daily comfort to alleviate vaginal dryness and also for better sex.
Karen: And what’s your role at Sylk?
Nicola: I generate content for the health education side of Sylk. As a company we want women to be informed about what’s happening to their bodies, so they can make their own choices. That’s incredibly important to us.
Karen: What do you enjoy the most about your job?
Nicola: Making a difference is so important to me. I like to feel like that what I’m doing is helping someone. For example, I’ve produced a leaflet about vaginal dryness, a condition that has a huge amount of taboo and embarrassment around it and that we want to demystify. It needs to be something that people talk about so they don’t suffer in silence.
Karen: Why do you think there’s a stigma around vaginal dryness?
Nicola: For a start, we often can’t even bring ourselves to say the word ‘vagina’. People would rather say ‘minge’ or ‘muff’!
Karen: Minge is a gross word!
Nicola: Such a gross word!
Karen: Also, ‘muff’ sounds like you’ve got a half-eaten breakfast muffin between your legs.
Nicola: There’s this idea that a woman’s sexual organs are shameful, and that’s wrong. I very happily share that I have suffered on and off for years from vaginal dryness. The fact that I’m the daughter of a Gynae Nurse and wasn’t equipped to spot what was happening for a long time says a lot about our society and how we talk about women’s health.
Karen: Where can we get Sylk products from?
Nicola: You can buy directly from us online or over the counter in every chemist nationwide. Sylk is also available on prescription, so it’s handy for women who are experiencing really severe menopause symptoms, or going through cancer treatment, or if they’ve perhaps been told to use dilators due to a condition called vaginismus.
Karen: Can you explain what vaginismus is?
Nicola: Vaginismus is the involuntary tightening of the vagina in response to attempted penetration, so a penis, a finger, a tampon etc. It’s a physical response to a psychological problem. It’s most commonly seen in cases where women have been abused when they were young, or had a traumatic first sexual experience. They can go through dilator therapy, which means using a series of dilators that gradually increase in size and this helps the person overcome the fear of pain upon penetration.
Karen: Why did you wonderful Sylk ladies decide to support The Eve Appeal?
Nicola: It really struck a chord with us that The Eve Appeal are the only charity that are talking about all five of the gynae cancers, and your medical research focuses on prevention rather than cure, which is vital. The taboo around women’s health really needs a light shining on it. Plus, we really like you guys.
Karen: We like you too. Can you tell me about a memorable moment you’ve had at Sylk?
Nicola: I was talking to a young woman who was just so great. She was 35 years old and had basically been suffering with vaginal dryness as a result of an early menopause. She hadn’t been able to have any intimacy with her husband for 18 months, and it was really putting a strain on their relationship. She said that Sylk changed her life and within a week she was more comfortable, and having sex with her husband again. It’s those kind of moments that make everything worthwhile.
Karen: That’s amazing. Nothing can top that.
Nicola: Wait a minute.
(Nicola disappears off-screen and returns with the lovely dog you can see in the photo)
Karen: AHHHHH!
Nicola: This is Teddy.
Karen: Hello, Teddy!
Nicola: (waving Teddy’s paw) Hello, Karen!
Karen: Wow, we’re ending this on the highest of highs. Thank you so, so much.
Nicola: Thank you Karen, it was great to chat!