Painful Sex

Painful Sex

Most women may experience painful sex or intercourse at one point in their lives due to psychological or physical issues. Painful sex, also known as dyspareunia, is regarded as a recurrent or continued genital/pelvic pain that occurs at the different stages of before, during, or after penetration.

Pain is the body’s way of alerting the mind to a malfunction, so contact your doctor if sex becomes an experience you do not enjoy.

Painful sex may occur due to many reasons including:

  • Inability to relax
  • Problems with the uterus like fibroids or endometriosis

  • Ovarian cysts

  • Sexually transmitted infections (STIs)

  • Prior sexual abuse/assault or trauma

  • An infection-this is one of the most common causes
  • Intercourse too soon after a medical procedure or childbirth
  • A physical injury to the vagina
  • Not enough vaginal lubrication (dryness)
  • Vaginismus- a spasm in the muscles that make up the vagina

Treatments for dynspareunia vary depending on the cause but it can definitely be treated! Your gynecologist is trained to help you with this so do not be embarrassed to talk about it.