You’re taking birth control.

According to Stamatopoulos, this is a biggie. “One of the most common reasons is the combined oral contraceptive pill.”

In case you didn’t know, estrogen is the hormone that is key to keeping everything lubricated, so if you’re on a low-dose birth control pill you might experience less wetness.

Birth control pills also lower your body’s natural levels of testosterone, which plays a role in maintaining libido and vaginal lubrication.

If this is something that is concerning you, you should chat to your doctor and suss out what your other options are when it comes to contraception.

You have a skin condition.

If you’ve been diagnosed with a skin condition or an autoimmune disorder, Stamatopoulos said it could be worth seeing if it’s related to the dryness you’re experiencing down there.

“There are some skin conditions that can affect the vaginal area that can be related to dryness. These include: Eczema and diseases that affect your immune system like lichen sclerosus and Sjogren’s syndrome, are less common but can be related,” she said.

Your medication is interfering with your libido.

Yup. Certain medications that have absolutely nothing to do with your vagina can mess with your ability to get wet.

“Antidepressants are a common one, but so is depression and anxiety in general,” said Stamatopoulos.

“Medication for epilepsy, psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia and bipolar, opioid medication such as morphine and endone and even hormonal contraception can interfere with libido. They can also cause vaginal dryness.”

If this sounds familiar, you could talk to your doctor about finding a medication that works best for your mental health and your sexual health – cause it shouldn’t be one or the other.

You’re stressed.

Fact: Life is stressful AF. But if you’re constantly worrying about things like work and money issues in the bedroom, chances are you’re going to have trouble getting wet. Because once all the stresses of life start to roll around in your mind and distract you, the whole sex thing is easy to shut down – your vagina is not going to be turned on and wet.

So, before trying to dive right into sex, take the time to relax and set the mood so you can quit stressing and focus on the sexy thing at hand.

You’re approaching or going through menopause.

During menopause or perimenopause, your estrogen levels plummet. Meaning? There’s suddenly a reduced amount of moisture in your vagina.

Sad face.

Estrogen basically helps maintain fluid and keeps the lining of your vagina extra juicy and elasticated – so a drop in this hormone could dry you out.

While this is a massive contributing factor to feeling dry during sex, Dr Stamatopoulos also said she often finds premenopausal women to have issues related to their pH levels.