Pain during sexual intercourse is also called dyspareunia, and it affects around the sexual wellness and wellbeing 16 percent of all women in the United States who are sexually active. This condition is often overlooked, however, as women feel reluctant to talk about the issue. Current gynaecological training is also very sparse when it comes to the subject area of female pain during sex.
Due to this, most women who suffer from this do not tell anyone, and instead leave it untreated or look to home remedies to help them feel better.
Pain during sex is the main symptom of the condition, and it can be caused by both psychological and physical condition. As well as the pain during vaginal entry (which can also occur with tampons), some people feel a sharp pain during certain sexual positions, including a deep pain associated with their partner thrusting. Other types of pain can include an aching pain, a friction pain, tenderness of the bladder or urethra, dryness or a burning sensation during sexual intercourse.
There are a number of things that can contribute towards pain during sexual intercourse. It can be due to a lack of arousal, stemming from psychological issues such as depression, anxiety, fear of intercourse or mistrust of partner. In this case, some form of relationship therapy or couples counselling can help to break down the mental barriers that are stopping sex from being a pleasurable experience.
Sexual pain can also be caused by various physical issues, including things like endometriosis, uterine prolapse, pelvic inflammatory disease, retroverted uterus, cystitis, uterine fibroids, irritable bowel syndrome, haemorrhoids, ovarian cysts, cancer therapy, scarring from previous surgery, insufficient lubrication, urinary tract infections, vaginismus, skin disorders such as eczema.
Many of these conditions require medical treatment, but if not you can do things like prolonging foreplay, using a personal lubricant or practising kegel exercises.