Painful Intercourse Treatment

Painful intercourse can occur for reasons that range from structural problems to psychological concerns. Many women have painful intercourse at some point in their lives.

The medical term for painful intercourse is dyspareunia (dis-puh-ROO-nee-uh), defined as persistent or recurrent genital pain that occurs just before, during or after sex. Talk to your doctor if you're having painful intercourse. Treatments focus on the cause, and can help eliminate or lessen this common problem.

Symptoms

If you have painful intercourse, you might feel:

• Pain only at sexual entry (penetration)
• Pain with every penetration, including putting in a tampon
• Deep pain during thrusting
• Burning pain or aching pain
• Throbbing pain, lasting hours after intercourse

Possible causes of painful intercourse

Pain during sex happens to women for many different reasons, including physical problems, gynecological conditions, and emotional issues. Emotions that inhibit arousal and interfere with lubrication can make intercourse painful, especially if those emotions make it difficult to relax. Shyness, embarrassment, sexual anxiety, and a lack of body confidence are just a few causes of emotions that might get in the way of a normal physical response.

Shifting hormones is another thing that can disrupt your body’s sexual response and make intercourse uncomfortable. Low estrogen levels mean that women are more likely to experience vaginal dryness — and painful intercourse — as they approach menopause, but menopause isn’t the only time a woman’s estrogen levels might decline.

Some women experience vaginal dryness and painful intercourse following childbirth, as their hormone levels slowly recover; breastfeeding mothers may experience similar symptoms for as long as they continue to nurse. Receiving treatment for breast or ovarian cancer also can affect estrogen levels and lead to painful sex.

Other possible causes of discomfort during intercourse include pelvic floor muscle dysfunction, nerve damage, perineum trauma, and vaginismus — or the involuntary tightening of vaginal muscles during sex.

When to see a doctor

If you have recurrent pain during sex, talk to your health care provider. Treating the problem can help your sex life, your emotional intimacy and your self-image.