By Vivia

The Vivia Journal

Evidence-based answers for the questions your doctor doesn't have time to answer.

A woman in her late 50s with silver hair sits by a sunlit window with a ceramic mug, looking thoughtfully outside.
Vaginal Health

UTIs After Menopause: Why They Keep Coming Back (And What Actually Fixes It)

May 6, 2026 · 7 min read

The pattern is frustrating in a very specific way. You get a UTI. You take the antibiotics. It clears up. Six weeks later, you...

Medical research on estriol safety
Safety

Is Estriol Cream Safe? What 50 Years of Research Actually Shows

May 6, 2026 · 7 min read

"Is it safe?" is usually the last question a woman asks before she decides. She's read the article, she understands the mechanism, she knows...

Woman reading product information at home
Safety

Will Estriol Cream Make Me Gain Weight? An Honest Answer

May 6, 2026 · 7 min read

The question comes up in nearly every consultation. A woman has read about estriol, she understands the logic, she can see how it might...

Understanding estriol and estradiol differences
Estriol

Estriol vs Estradiol: Why the Weaker Estrogen Is the Right Choice for Vaginal Health

May 6, 2026 · 7 min read

When a patient tells me she's worried about "estrogen," I understand immediately what she's worried about. She's thinking about the 2002 Women's Health Initiative...

An editorial desk corner with an open vintage anatomy book, a notepad with a fountain pen, and a glowing brass desk lamp in soft afternoon light.
Vaginal Health

What Is Vaginal Atrophy — And Why No One Warned You About It

May 6, 2026 · 9 min read

There's a specific experience I hear described again and again in consultations. A woman notices something has changed — sex has become uncomfortable, or...

A close-up of a woman's hands writing in a leather journal with a black fountain pen, a ceramic mug of coffee beside her.
Estriol

7 Questions Women Ask Us About Estriol Cream (Honest Answers)

April 21, 2026 · 8 min read

I get a lot of messages from women who've been researching vaginal health for months, sometimes years. By the time they find us, they're...

A warm woman in her early 50s sits in a sunlit clinic library with rows of medical books behind her, calm and confident.
Our Story

Why a British Doctor Started Talking About Vaginal Health (And Why American Women Are Listening)

April 21, 2026 · 6 min read

I know you weren't expecting a man to talk about vaginal health. Believe me, I get it. And if you'd told me ten years...

A historic European apothecary interior with warm wood shelves filled with amber-glass bottles, a brass scale and marble mortar on the counter, leaded-glass window light.
Estriol

What Is Estriol? The Menopause Treatment Most American Women Have Never Heard Of

April 21, 2026 · 8 min read

Your doctor had over 200 hours of training in oncology. Cardiology, hundreds more. But when it comes to menopause, the average medical school curriculum...