Pain during sex is very common. In fact, three out of four women experience painful intercourse at some point during their lives. Short-term conditions like an infection in your genital area or urinary tract can lead to short-term pain during sex. Eczema and other skin conditions in your genital area can also cause pain temporarily.
What is dyspareunia?
However, long-term pain during sex may be a sign of a more serious medical problem, like dyspareunia. Dyspareunia is persistent or recurrent genital pain that occurs just before, during or after intercourse.
What are the symptoms of dyspareunia?
If you have painful intercourse, you might feel:
- Pain during initial sexual penetration
- Pain with every penetration, including inserting a tampon
- Deep pain during thrusting
- Burning or aching pain
- Throbbing pain that lasts long after intercourse
Serious medical conditions that could be causing pain during sex
If you’re feeling pain every time you have sex, and you’re well-lubricated, you may be suffering from one of these medical conditions:
- Endometriosis
Deep pain during sex can be caused by endometriosis, a disorder in which tissue that normally lines the inside the uterus grows outside the uterus. - Ruptured Cyst
A cyst is a mass of tissue, liquid, air and other substances that grows abnormally on the ovaries. A cyst can rupture during intercourse and lead to severe pain and internal bleeding. - Fibroids
Fibroids are benign tumors that grow on the inside walls of the uterus. - Cervicitis
Cervicitis is inflammation of the cervix, the lower end of the uterus that opens to the vagina. - Vaginal Dryness
Inadequate lubrication makes sex uncomfortable and may cause irritation. Vaginal dryness can be the result of hormonal changes, menopause, breastfeeding, or changing your birth control method. - Vaginismus
Vaginismus causes involuntary spasms of the muscles surrounding the vagina which makes it very difficult—and painful—to insert anything into the vagina. - Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID)
PID is a sexually transmitted infection that, left untreated, will spread, often causing pain during sex.
Contact Adriatica Women’s Health to locate Prosper and Mckinney, TX gynecologistswith extensive experience in diagnosing and treating medical conditions that could be causing your pain during sex.