Intimate pain during intercourse

Pain during sexual intercourse, in medical terms – dyspareunia, occurs regardless of experience, age and gender. It is very difficult to diagnose and does not require delay in examination and subsequent treatment. In addition, pain during sexual intercourse can form a negative attitude towards sex and develop frigidity, which is absolutely unnatural for a psychologically healthy person.

Causes of pain during sexual intercourse

Pain during sexual intercourse is correctly divided by gender, since symptoms in men and women indicate completely different problems.

If a man experiences pain during sexual intercourse, this may be due to:

• Organic reasons (too tight foreskin or Peyronie’s disease – curvature of the penis).
• Infections and inflammations of the genital organ.
• Prostatitis.

The situation in women is much more complicated in the case of pain during sexual intercourse. The range of possible reasons is wider:

• Psychological problems (fear, aversion to sex).
• Inflammatory processes and infections (vaginitis, cystitis, endometriosis, adhesions, cervicitis, inflammation of the hymen, uterine fibroids, cysts, etc.).
• Changes in hormonal levels, during which the vaginal mucosa becomes thinner.
• Varicose veins in the pelvic area.
• Death of the uterus.
• Previous surgical interventions.

Symptoms of pain during sexual intercourse

Pain of any kind during sexual intercourse, whether acute or aching, is the most important sign that it is time to seek medical help.

In addition to the main reason, you should think about your health if:

• The pain is not one-time, but occurs every time you have sex.
• In women, pain is accompanied by accompanying symptoms such as burning, itching and redness of the genital organs, and general weakness.
• In men – involuntary and painful urination, pain in the canal and radiating to the anus.

Pain during first intercourse

Pain during the first sexual intercourse is the norm, not a pathology. Very rarely, defloration is painless. When the partner’s penis enters, the vaginal walls compress, which creates discomfort. In addition, often the hymen does not break after the first sexual intercourse, but only stretches due to its elasticity. Therefore, in the future during sex, the girl may feel discomfort.

There are no medications for pain during first intercourse. The most important thing is to be mentally prepared, and at a crucial moment, relax as much as possible in a warm, comfortable environment.

Pain before and after intercourse

Often, pain that occurs at the beginning of sexual intercourse is not paid attention to, believing that this is the norm. In fact, this may indicate incompatibility of partners or diseases such as vaginismus, venous congestion, and adhesions.

If the pain does not go away even after sexual intercourse, then most likely you are faced with a problem such as sexually transmitted diseases, a cyst or inflammation of the cervix.

Nature of pain during sexual intercourse and disease

Pain of any nature during sexual intercourse, radiating to the anus in men, is a sign of prostatitis. In addition, sharp pain in the scrotum during sex can be the cause of varicocele (dilated veins) and infectious diseases. If the pain bothers you for some time after intercourse, then this may be a sign of unemptied testicles.

In women, the list of diseases associated with this kind of pain is much wider.

Drawing and sharp pain in the lower abdomen during sexual intercourse is a sign of cystitis. The disease is accompanied by frequent urination.

Sharp pain and burning indicate fungal diseases or thrush.

If you feel a sharp pain as soon as your sexual partner enters you, then you are most likely dealing with vaginal dryness. This problem usually arises due to hormonal imbalance, previous drug treatment, or – most often – due to the inattention of the partner and neglect of foreplay.

A dull aching pain during sexual intercourse on the right or left side of the lower abdomen indicates a cyst.

Severe unbearable pain during sexual intercourse, which is accompanied by a burning sensation and vaginal discharge, means that the woman has vaginitis.

Pain in the external genitalia indicates a gynecological disease such as vulvodynia.

Dull but annoying pain is a symptom of diseases of the genitourinary organs.

Acute shooting pain radiating to the leg during sexual intercourse indicates neuralgia of the pelvic nerves.

The cause of pain can also be a psychological factor (unsuccessful first sexual experience, fear of sex, dissatisfaction with oneself and one’s partner).

Women feel severe pain during sexual intercourse after childbirth. This may be due to inflammation that has not yet passed or in the case when the stitches and cracks of the new mother have not yet healed. But this does not mean that you need to wait until the pain goes away on its own. You need to go to the doctor, because sometimes in such cases surgical intervention is required.

But pain during intercourse during pregnancy is partly a myth. More precisely, pain may be present, but it is in no way connected with the “interesting” position; rather, it is a sign of one of the above problems or the woman’s excessive suspiciousness.

Diagnosis of pain during sexual intercourse

It is almost impossible to independently determine the cause of discomfort. A gynecologist (for women) and a urologist (for men) can diagnose problems that cause a person to experience pain during sexual intercourse.

In any case, diagnosis is based on history. When you visit a doctor, you need to be prepared to clearly answer the question of how long you experience pain during sex.

It is important for a doctor to know:

• The pain is permanent or occurs for the first time.
• Are there any surgical interventions or problems of a similar nature that have already bothered the patient?

If tests and examination show that you are healthy, then you may be referred to a psychotherapist; perhaps the problem is psychological in nature and only this specialist will help you cope with it.

Treatment of pain during sexual intercourse

In order to cope with pain during sexual intercourse, you first need to find out the cause of discomfort during sex in order to begin proper treatment.

Men who experience pain during sexual intercourse should consult a urologist-andrologist. Since the stronger sex suffers from discomfort during intercourse mainly due to organic reasons, surgical intervention cannot be avoided. The doctor will perform plastic correction of the genital organ or slightly excise the foreskin.

If the pain is caused by a psychological factor, a woman needs to undergo psychotherapy (preferably with a partner).

For inflammatory and infectious processes, antibacterial therapy is prescribed, after which the vaginal microflora is restored.

• Vagikal suppositories – one suppository 3 times a day for 10 days.
• As a pain reliever (for men and women), you can take Ibuprofen – no more than 3 tablets per day.
• Antibiotics – Tetracycline (one tablet 0,25 mg no more than six times a day).

As a natural “folk” treatment, it is recommended to take baths with essential oils of lemon balm, juniper, myrtle, rosemary, yarrow, tea tree and thyme. For a bath, usually take 5-10 drops.

If the pain does not go away after intercourse (this applies to the external genitalia in women and the scrotum in men), you can try a cold compress – hold ice wrapped in a soft towel (but no more than 15 minutes!)

If the doctor determines that the pain is associated with a lack of natural lubrication, then the problem can be solved simply – select lubricants.

Be attentive to your health and let such a delicate problem as pain during sexual intercourse never bother you!