Sex might be painful at times

Causes of pain during sex

Women can experience pain during or after sex, either in the vagina or deeper in the pelvis. 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.

According to Jackson Githinji, a doctor at St. Theresa’s Mission Hospital – Kiirua in Meru, 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 intercourse.

Talk to your doctor if you’re having painful intercourse. Treatments focus on the cause and can help eliminate or lessen this common problem

Overview
Painful intercourse (dyspareunia) Symptoms
If you have painful intercourse, you might feel:
The 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

Early diagnosis equates early treatment which improves the outcome

When to see a doctor
Dr. Jackson recommends that if you have recurrent pain during sex, talk to your doctor. Treating the problem can help your sex life, your emotional intimacy, and your self-image.
Causes
Physical causes of painful intercourse differ, depending on whether the pain occurs at entry or with deep thrusting. Emotional factors might be associated with many types of painful intercourse.
Entry pain
Pain during penetration might be associated with a range of factors, including:
Not enough lubrication. This is often the result of not enough foreplay. A drop in estrogen levels after menopause, childbirth, or breast-feeding also can be a cause.
Certain medications are known to affect sexual desire or arousal, which can decrease lubrication and make sex painful. These include antidepressants, high blood pressure medications, sedatives, antihistamines, and certain birth control pills.
Injury, trauma, or irritation. This includes injury or irritation from an accident, pelvic surgery, female circumcision, or a cut made during childbirth to enlarge the birth canal (episiotomy).
Inflammation, infection, or skin disorder. An infection in your genital area or urinary tract can cause painful intercourse.

Many women have painful intercourse at some point in their lives.

Eczema or other skin problems in your genital area also can be the problem.
Vaginismus. These involuntary spasms of the muscles of the vaginal wall can make penetration painful.
Congenital abnormality. A problem present at birth, such as the absence of a fully formed vagina (vaginal agenesis) or development of a membrane that blocks the vaginal opening (imperforate hymen), could cause dyspareunia.

Let us seek medical attention and heed to our doctors’ instructions when we experience any uncertainty regarding our sexual life.

Deep pain
Deep pain usually occurs with deep penetration. It might be worse in certain positions. Causes of deep pain include:
Illnesses and conditions like endometriosis, pelvic inflammatory disease, uterine prolapse, retroverted uterus, uterine fibroids, cystitis, irritable bowel syndrome, pelvic floor dysfunction, adenomyosis, hemorrhoids, and ovarian cysts.
Surgeries or medical treatments. Scarring from pelvic surgery, including hysterectomy, can cause painful intercourse.

Medical treatments for cancer, such as radiation and chemotherapy, can cause changes that make sex painful.
Emotional factors
Emotions are deeply intertwined with sexual activity, so they might play a role in sexual pain. Emotional factors include:
Psychological issues. Anxiety, depression, concerns about your physical appearance, fear of intimacy, or relationship problems can contribute to a low level of arousal that results in discomfort or pain.
Stress. In this case, pelvic floor muscles tend to tighten in response to stress in your life. This can contribute to pain during intercourse.
History of sexual abuse. Not everyone with dyspareunia has a history of sexual abuse, but if you have been abused, it can play a role.
It can be difficult to tell whether emotional factors are associated with dyspareunia.

Treating the problem can help your sex life, your emotional intimacy, and your self-image.

Initial pain can lead to fear of recurring pain, making it difficult to relax, which can lead to more pain. One might start avoiding sexual intercourse if you associate it with the pain.
All the above factors are a possible cause of pain during what should give us pleasure (sex) and the discomfort associated with it is enough to raise alarm.
Let us seek medical attention and heed to our doctors’ instructions when we experience any uncertainty regarding our sexual life. Early diagnosis equates early treatment which improves the outcome