Pain During Intercourse
Physical, Psychology Reasons Women May Feel Discomfort During Sex
Jan 27, 2009
It's not exactly a popular topic of conversation in this new age of liberated sexuality, where women control their own fulfillment and equality in the bedroom, as elsewhere, is the outspoken norm. Yet pain during intercourse is a surprisingly common problem, affecting what researchers estimate is roughly 10-15% of women. (2)
"Dyspareunia" or Pain During Intercourse
The medical term for pain during intercourse is dyspareunia (pronounced "dis-par-oon-ee-a"), a condition affecting women much more often than men.
The pain can feel like soreness, burning, a sharp sensation or abdominal pain similar to menstrual cramps. It may be the same in all sexual situations, but a woman's experience of the pain can also vary depending on her partner, the type of stimulation, and other factors.
Dyspareunia can occur upon penetration, during intercourse or immediately after. According to recent surveys, up to 60% of women report current or prior symptoms of pain during sex, but fewer than half of them mention such pain to their doctors. (3)
What Causes Sexual Pain?
Pain can have many possible causes, physical or psychological. According to emedicinehealth.com (3), women can feel pain during sexual intercourse with or without a physical cause. Some of the most common causes of pain include:
Psychological Causes:
- Lack of desire or low libido
- Previous trauma, such as rape or sexual abuse
- Fear of getting pregnant
- Generalized anxiety
Physical Causes:
- Not enough lubrication, causing painful friction
- Vaginismus: tightness of the muscles of the vagina
- Vestibulitis: chronic tightness (vaginismus) can cause sore spots to develop along the vestibule, the entrance to the vagina
- Yeast infection
- Misalignment of the tailbone or coccyx due to a fall, childbirth, or other injury
- Irritation from vaginal sprays, douching, or other personal care products
- Sexually transmitted diseases
- Bladder infection or inflammation of the urethra
- Pelvic adhesions: tissue stuck together, usually due to surgery
- Endometriosis: uterine lining occurs outside the uterus
- Uterine retroversion: uterus tilts backward, out of its normal position
- Atrophy or thinning of the vaginal walls (common in post-menopausal women due to lower hormone levels)
Finding Help for Painful Intercourse
It can be difficult to diagnose the exact source of sexual pain, but it is always a good idea to consult your doctor or a gynecologist to rule out the most dangerous possibilities.
One of the most important steps in treating sexual pain is finding the right doctor. Most GPs aren't comfortable or qualified to talk about women's reproductive health in any depth, and even gynecologists often downplay the problem or dismiss a woman's concerns after a few routine tests.
It may be the norm, but it's not the only answer. Finding a sympathetic, non-judgmental doctor is the only way to ensure the right treatment for the problem causing painful intercourse.
Treatment and Solutions for Dyspareunia
A doctor may perform a pap smear, rectal exam, pelvic ultrasound or other physical examinations, or prescribe blood tests to diagnose the source of the pain.
Depending on the cause, treatments may include drugs or vaginal creams, surgery, psychotherapy, or exercises to learn to release tension in the pelvis and vagina and "retrain" the body to recognize vaginal contact as non-threatening.
Consult a medical professional immediately if pain worsens or lasts longer than a few minutes, or you experience bleeding, nausea, or vomiting following sexual activity.
Sources
(1) Basson, Rosemary, "Pain during intercourse: women," chealth.canoe.ca, accessed January 27, 2009.
(2) McCabe, Daniel, "Sex shouldn't be a pain," McGill Reporter, Vol. 34 No. 11, February 21, 2002.
(3) McManus, John G., et al, "Pain During Intercourse," emedicinehealth.com, accessed January 27, 2009.
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