Painful Sex Before, During and After Intercourse

The clinical term for pain before, during and after sex is Dyspareunia. There are a number of different types of pain a woman may experience during sexual activity, and it is important to see a practitioner who is able to help identify the source of the pain, something that may be difficult for a patient herself to do. Once a practitioner can differentiate between sources of the pain, one or more conditions can be specified.

Causes of painful sex

• Insufficient lubrication may cause the penis to irritate the skin
• Muscles may have tightened due to age, childbirth, disuse or other reasons, and they may need to be stretched
• There may be a nerve positioned in such a way that the penis pushes against it causing pain during intercourse
• A muscular or bone formation has shifted causing pain during sex or any other type of contact
• Stress
• Psychological factors

Treating painful intercourse

The goal of any form of treatment is to reduce the pain or discomfort. Treatment may include:

• Use of vaginal dilators
• Trying to increase lubrication through topical creams
• Using hormone therapy
• Increasing the blood flow with Viagra, a vibrator or a suction/pump
• Experimenting with different lubrications
• Stretching exercises
• Physical therapy to strengthen supporting muscles to alleviate pressure from other related muscles
• Exploring psychological factors that may be contributing

Conditions causing painful sex

Free women’s sexuality information packet.

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