"I thought urinary incontinence was something I had to put up with," 46-year-old Mary tells HELLO!. "I'd been single for almost 11 years after losing my husband, so I kept the problem to myself until going to see my GP, who recommended I do pelvic floor exercises, which didn't help in the slightest.
"The GP's dismissive response put me off seeking further help because they made me believe incontinent was part and parcel of being a woman. My life was hugely impacted by it, though.
"I hated that my underwear was damp and uncomfortable and I was paranoid that other people could smell the urine. It really knocked my confidence and I didn’t feel like a sexy woman anymore. I didn't want to even try and go on dates because of my issue."
Mary isn't alone in her belief that incontinence and intimate health issues are something we have to put up with, women's health expert Dr. Sarah Jenkins of The Door W4 explains. "As a former GP, I saw hundreds of women experiencing incontinence and being gaslit and led to believe it's what they should expect.
"I saw a woman last week in her mid-fifties, who has six children, and her incontinence was so bad she won't go anywhere because she's frightened people will think she smells. Her whole life is being impacted, and she wasn't aware there are treatments to help," Dr. Sarah continues.
Mary added: "I couldn’t believe there was a treatment for my problem as I always believed it was normal after children to leak urine."
It was cases such as this that lead Dr. Sarah to focus solely on women's health, offering a variety of treatments to help with incontinence as well as vaginal laxity and atrophy. "I don't want women's lives to be limited by them wondering, 'How is my vagina going to feel today?'," Dr. Sarah says.
As well as working hard to help women understand the variety of intimate treatments that can help with incontinence, vaginal atrophy and dryness, Dr. Sarah also wants to rubbish the belief that intimate treatments are there for aesthetic reasons.
She introduced us to the concept of vulva filler. Unlike facial filler, which is mainly used for cosmetic purposes, vulva filler can be used to treat vaginal atrophy, which Davina McCall suffered.
READ: Why we really need to talk about vaginal health
Dr. Sarah explains that vaginal atrophy happens when our oestrogen drops, meaning we stop producing as much collagen and elastin and our skin begins to thin and dry, causing it to break more easily.
"The outer layer of our skin isn't as thick and plump anymore, so bacteria gets in and can cause UTIs, thrush and discomfort," she explained.
"Our vulva normally has comfy fat pads on the labia majora, which keeps everything plump and lush and stops your lips from rubbing and chafing, but as we age they get smaller and we're left with pain."
This is where vulva fillers come in. The filler draws moisture to the areas to make it comfortable and cushioned again, providing the natural lubrication that is lost as we age.
READ: What a women's health expert wants you to know about vaginal prolapse
Vulva fillers can also change the appearance of the area, but Dr. Sarah is quick to reassure that intimate treatments are rarely aesthetically driven. "This is not on a basis of aesthetics, and it's not to sexually please men," she enthuses.
That said, Mary, who underwent Morpheus8V to tone her pelvic floor, shared: "Following my treatment, I'm back to my confident self, so much so I have started dating again and even had sex without worrying about wetting myself."
Of how her life has improved, Mary added: "I can take long journeys and enjoy life again without worrying about wetting myself. I feel like I did before children and even my sensitivity has improved."
Here's hoping Dr. Sarah's work to destigmatise intimate health treatments will help more women seek help.