Reasons for Painful Sex You May Not Know About

If you are having pain with sex, whether it's a new concern or happening for a while, I want you to know that you are not alone. More importantly, there are reasons this may be happening, and many of them can be addressed and treated. Sex shouldn’t be painful, it should be a fun and safe experience for both people involved. So let's talk about some reasons that could be leading to your discomfort.

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Vulvodynia

This is commonly believed to be a nerve pain/disorder. With this condition, there is pain on the outer vulva or opening of the vagina. Sometimes it feels like burning or irritation and can cause pain with sex but also you can have pain when you sit on or touch the area. Treatment can include a few things from medication to topical creams and pelvic floor physical therapy.

Vaginismus

This condition is a vaginal muscle spasm that leads to painful sex and sometimes even the inability to have any penetration at all. Some causes can include a history of sexual trauma, a response to prior physical pain or some mental health conditions. Treatment is similar to vulvodynia with more focus on pelvic floor physical therapy and counseling.

Infection

Occasionally, sex can hurt because you have a sexually transmitted infection or vaginitis like bacterial vaginosis or a yeast infection. These each come with their own specific symptoms. Luckily this can be easily tested for by your doctor and most can be treated and cured.

Vaginal dryness and atrophy

When the vagina is dry it can feel irritated and itchy similar to having an infection but all infection testing will be negative. Some women feel this for different reasons such as being on certain medications that cause dryness or another common timeframe for this symptom is when you are close to or in menopause. This can lead to entry pain with sex or deep vaginal pain as well. Treatments can range from simply using a water or silicone based lubricant during sex to vaginal hyaluronic acid or hormonal treatments.

There are a multitude of reasons why sex might be painful. It is very important to not just sweep this under the rug but to actually go to see your gynecologist if you are experiencing pain.

The above are some conditions that can lead to painful sex that are not always discussed but there are many other causes too including fibroids, ovarian cysts and endometriosis to name a few! So, it's important to have a complete exam by your doctor so that you can get back to having pain free, safe and fun sex!

DISCLAIMER: Features published by Adaaba are not intended to treat, diagnose, cure or prevent any disease. Always seek the advice of your GP or another qualified healthcare provider for any questions you have regarding a medical condition, and before undertaking any diet, exercise or other health-related programme.