Doctors want you to know these 8 facts about painful sex

1. Pain during intercourse is not uncommon.

According to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), nearly 75% of women have experienced pain during sex at least once. At the same time, the nature and number of their occurrence were different: someone experienced discomfort only once, while someone experienced them regularly.

2. Sex shouldn’t be unpleasant for no reason

Some women, feeling pain during penetration, begin to associate having sex with something terrible, but normal – this should not be!

“The most important thing women need to know is that pain during or after intercourse is never normal,” says Antonio Pizarro, MD.

Of course, you need to understand the difference in the causes of discomfort. It so happens that you experience it due to improper posture, a large size of the partner’s penis, or the use of foreign objects. But if you have a pull in the lower abdomen or cuts and stabs in the vagina without certain factors, you need to be examined by a gynecologist.  

3. Minor soreness during or after sex and severe chronic pain are not the same thing.

There are many reasons why sex can cause discomfort instead of pleasure. Compared to diseases, an insufficient amount of lubrication or rough and fast movements, according to Dr. Natasha Chinn, do not require medical intervention and are completely resolved on their own. For example, the additional use of lubricant or a more gentle and slow process.

But what if the pain is felt without violating the “safety precautions”? If these problems occur every time you have sex, or there have been more of them lately, and they do not disappear after independent attempts to eliminate the cause, it may be a disease.

4. There are many diseases that lead to unpleasant symptoms.

Here are some diagnoses that can cause pain during sex:

• Cervicitis: a condition in which the cervix, or the part of the uterus that connects to the vagina, becomes inflamed, usually due to a sexually transmitted infection

• Ovarian cysts: formations on the ovaries, filled with fluid. Sometimes they do not cause any symptoms, but if a rupture occurs during sex, the process begins to be accompanied by sharp pain and bleeding;

• Vaginismus: a condition in which the muscles in the vagina contract. This can lead to pain during sex – or even make it impossible for any vaginal penetration, be it sexual or the simple insertion of a tampon;

• Any STIs and STDs: discharge and inflammation negatively affect sensations during sex.

5. Emotions can cause painful sex

Any negative emotions, for example – shame, stress, guilt, fear, may not allow a woman to relax and get excited, which means that the genitals do not produce the required amount of lubrication.

Of course, this is individual and largely depends on the state and health of the psyche, but often experiences and innuendo in relationships can physically cause rejection of a partner.

Antidepressants, blood pressure or allergy medications, and some birth control pills can also cause lubrication problems.

6. You should not use pain relievers to stop the discomfort during sex.

Of course, it is not recommended to endure pain, but it is best to prevent its occurrence by eliminating the cause.  

A person has pain receptors for him to react to discomfort – this is how the body’s self-preservation works. Now imagine that with pain-relieving pills you have blocked the response of receptors to pain, how can the body signal you about the danger and threat to life and health? Dr. Antonio Pissaro in no case recommends resorting to such an elimination of the problem, because you may simply not feel the tears and bleeding.

7. If you are not ready to go to the doctor …

To get rid of the problem yourself, you can resort to the following tips:

• Use a lubricant, especially if you feel the problem is caused by vaginal dryness;

• Place an ice pack wrapped in a towel over the vulva to muffle the burning sensation, if necessary;

• Talk honestly with your partner about how you are hurting and how you are feeling. There is no need to try to satisfy a partner through pain – it is unlikely that even he will like such violent methods. Ask to interrupt sexual intercourse, slow down, change position – it is better this way than then heal breaks and not have sex for a longer time;

• Try non-penetrative acts such as mutual masturbation and oral sex for both variety and avoidance of discomfort.

Experimenting with these things is completely normal, according to Dr. Pizarro, especially if they help associate sex with something positive. But these tips cannot and should not replace professional help!

8. If sex regularly causes pain, you should see your doctor.

“It looks like a cold. If you cough a little, you’re okay. But if you have a cough and fever that hasn’t gone away after a few days, the treatment will be more serious, ”warns Pissaro.

The following symptoms are the reasons for an urgent visit to the gynecologist:

• Sex has always been painful;

• Sex has always been painful, but it gets worse;

• Sex is usually painless, but has recently become painful;

• You are not sure if your feelings are normal, but you want to know for sure.

When you see your doctor, they will most likely ask questions about your medical history and perform a pelvic exam and / or ultrasound. 

“It is important that doctors ask the right questions, and patients tell everything as it is,” says the doctor.

Based on the diagnostic results, your doctor will comprehensively approach the treatment of the problem and eliminate physical, emotional and situational problems.