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com
Pain After Sex? You Are Not Alone

Did you know that two-thirds of women sometimes experience pain
during or after sexual intercourse? About 90% of intercourse-related
discomfort has a physical cause, but emotions can be responsible as
well. Successful treatment depends on tackling the cause.

Stinging and burning after sex are unpleasant sensations in women
that can sometimes last 20 minutes or longer and lead to urinary tract
infections, yeast infections, and sometimes even anxiety and
depression. There has never been a cure to this discomfort and often
times doctors will tell women to "just deal with it."

You may feel many emotions sadness, fright, anger, confusion, and
loneliness. It is important to get support to cope with pain after sex.
You may never learn the reason why you feel burning and stinging
after intercourseand that is okay. What matters the most is finding
relieve from hurt and irritation.
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Painful sexual intercourse is actually called dyspareunia in medical
terminology and is a common complaint among women seeking
gynecological care. Many women report occasional pain with
intercourse, but some women have pain with every episode of sexual
relations. Although it may take a few visits to a gynecologist or other
health care provider experienced in womens health, the cause of
dyspareunia can usually be identified and treated.

Many women suffer from vaginismus, which is when the vaginal
muscles contract involuntarily, making penetration extremely
painful. In extreme cases, sex is nearly impossible because of
vaginismus. This is a tricky one to diagnose because in many cases,
there is a psychological factor to vaginismus.

Vaginismus may be due to subconscious response to prior painif
you have had painful intercourse for a while, your body will try to
protect you by closing the vagina as tight as it can. This may also be
due to psychological pain in women who have an abusive history.

However, it could be just as psychologically possible with women who
are fearful of sexual activityeven with no history of sexual abuse. If
painful sex has caused stress and anxiety in the past, mental anguish
from these thoughts can lead to vaginismus. Seeking counseling for
anxiety of sexual intercourse can exponentially help women with this
condition to feel safe during sex.

With a little detective work and cooperation between the patient and
her doctor, treatment can be provided that will lead to a more healthy
and enjoyable sex life. Read more below to learn about your female
body. The more knowledge you have, the more power you have to find
a solution that works for you.


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What Causes Pain After Sex?


Pain after sex can be from both physical and mental distress. Often
times, burning and stinging after sex can be as simple as too little
lubrication. Other causes are more serious and require medical
attention.

Most gynecologists classify three main types of painful intercourse.
Perhaps the least common is pain that occurs only after intercourse or
orgasm. Women with this problem may get relief by taking
medications like ibuprofen before intercourse, which can block pain
from uterine contractions.

Another source of this type of pain is an allergy to semen, which is
actually quite uncommon. After her partner ejaculates there can be an
intense burning sensation and redness around the vagina and vulva
or outer lips of the vagina. Although this is rare, it is a very real
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possibility for some women. Going to an allergist with a sample of
your significant others semen can result in an easy test to see if you
are allergic to it.

A third cause of pain after intercourse is a vaginal infection, such as a
yeast infection, which can cause a pruning sensation within the
vagina due to irritation. Urinary tract infections, or UTIs, can also
cause intercourse to burn, sting, or cause irritation.

There are many causes of pain during and after sex. Once pain is felt
over a period of time, many women begin to get anxiety about sex,
anticipating pain, and ultimately self fulfill a prophecy by being too
anxious to produce enough natural lubricant before and during sex.
Some other causes of pain during and after sex might be caused by:

Vaginismus. This is a common condition in which there is a
spasm in the vaginal muscles, mainly caused by the fear of being
hurt. The vaginal muscles contract, making penetration
extremely painful or nearly impossible.
Vaginal infections. These conditions are common and
include yeast infections and UTIs as mentioned above.
Taking birth control. Many times, birth control evens
estrogen levels, making it hard to produce natural lubrication
Problems with the cervix (opening to the uterus). In this
case, the penis can reach the cervix at maximum penetration, so
problems with the cervix (such as infections) can cause pain
during deep penetration.
Problems with the uterus. These problems may include
fibroids that can cause deep intercourse pain.
Endometriosis. A condition in which the endometrium (tissue
lining the uterus) grows outside the uterus.
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Pelvic inflammatory disease. The tissues deep inside
become badly inflamed and the pressure of intercourse causes
deep pain.
Menopause. The vaginal lining can lose its normal moisture
and become dry.
Intercourse too soon after surgery or childbirth. Tears
and rips in the vagina can be reopened if the penis is
inserted into the vagina too soon.
Sexually transmitted diseases. These may include genital
warts, herpes sores, or other STDs.
Injury to the vulva or vagina. These injuries may include a
tear inside the walls of the vagina from rough or aggressive
intercourse. Sometimes these could take days to heal all the way,
and sex should be avoided for a few days if this is the
case.
Now, lets take a closer look at some of the main symptoms of pain
during and after intercourse. If any of these symptoms sound
familiar, there are ways to cure them. Talk to your doctor about ways
that you can start to feel better when engaging in intercourse.
(hang in there! Youll feel better soon!)
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Vaginal Dryness

Contrary to popular belief that vaginal dryness only occurs in
menopausal and older women, vaginal dryness can happen to women
of all ages. While this may seem like a minor irritation, for women
who are suffering from dry vaginal syndrome, the lack of lubrication
can have a devastating effect on their sexual life.

Symptoms
Along with vaginal dryness, women can also experience itching or
burning on or around the vaginal opening. Other symptoms can
include soreness and light bleeding during intercourse, along with the
urge to urinate frequently. Frequent urinary tract infections are also
common symptoms associated with dry vagina syndrome.

Treatments
Over the counter lotions and lubricants can help to relieve the
symptoms of vaginal dryness. They are available in a wide array of
different scents and sensations, making it easy to find one that both
you and your partner can enjoy. A water based lubricant works best,
without causing any irritation.

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It is not uncommon for women to experience vaginal dryness due to
lack of sexual desire. This can be easily corrected by spending more
time on sexual foreplay. In most instances, it takes a woman longer to
fully become sexually aroused than a man. Spending more time
making sure you are sexually stimulated can help prevent any
problems with vaginal dryness.

Avoiding feminine hygiene products and bath soaps that are scented
or contain irritating chemicals can help prevent vaginal dryness and
can also help to prevent certain bacterial infections from developing.
Hand lotions, vinegar and yogurt should never be used to treat
vaginal dryness, and can even make the condition worse.

There Is Relief
While dry vagina syndrome can affect women of all ages, it does not
have to mean that your sex life needs to suffer. With proper treatment
and avoiding products that contain harmful irritants, it is possible to
keep your vaginal area healthy and well lubricated. If the dryness
worsens or is accompanied by pain, a health care professional should
be consulted.

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Female Sexual Arousal Disorder

The Research
From a probability sample of households, 2207 US women aged 30 to
70 years and in stable relationships (for more than 3 months) were
interviewed by telephone. The analysis focused on 755
premenopausal women and 552 naturally and 637 surgically
menopausal women. Low sexual desire was de- fined using the Profile
of Female Sexual Function desire domain, and Hypoactive Sexual
Desire Disorder was defined using the Profile of Fe- male Sexual
Function and the Personal Distress Scale.

Of these women, prevalence of low sexual desire ranged from
26.7% in premenopausal women. That means that if you are a
premenopausal woman dealing with lubrication problems during sex
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or painful intercourse, you are amongst a large group of women also
struggling with similar problems.

Female Sexual Arousal Disorder can happen at anytime to any
woman. There need not be a reason such as sexual abusethough this
can add to the stress of sex and lead to less lubrication during
intercourse.

Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder (HSDD)

This is another fancy term for a lack of desire or drive for sex. The
first thing that drives sexual desire is good health. Without desire,
there is not going to be natural vaginal lubricationwhich can lead to
burning and stinging during or after intercourse. Intense sexual
desire, if it's appropriate, is part of a healthy body with healthy
systems and lack of disease. It depends on a good partner. That's not
always a possibility.

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Erotic stimuli may or may not come from that partner and may come
from elsewhere, but it's essential in maintaining good healthy sexual
desire and all of the things that go with sexual desire. Sexual desire is
very complicated. It involves a lot of things: the nervous system,
neurotransmitters, and how women are wired allows them to respond
to these things.

Depression
What impairs sexual desire? First of all, depression. The lack of well-
being that occurs with depression. Women who are depressed simply
lose interest in sex, sexual thoughts, sexual fantasies, and all the
creativity that goes with it.
In terms of drugs, the worst offenders are selective serotonin
reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), anticholinergics and antidepressants.
They're common in all ages of women, young and old.

Low Testosterone
Low testosterone can also lead to HSDD. Sexual desire suffers
seriously from that lack of testosterone. We know that testosterone
plays a major role in sexual desire. We know from years ago that
when women are given large doses of testosterone, the sexual desire
becomes pathological and is very dysfunctional. We know that when
women lack it, when it's present in very small amounts, that sexual
desire falls off. It's just not there.

As you can see, it is quite common for women of any
age to suffer from pain during and after intercourse
due to lack of lubrication or other factors. What
should you do once you recognize the signs?
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Talk To Your Partner

It is important to talk to your partner and let him or her know that
you are in pain. This will help your partner to understand your
anxiety going into intercourse.

Keeping an open dialogue with your partner is not only healthy
emotionally; it will also help your significant other to understand how
he or she can better tend to your physical needs.

A Sandwich After Sex
An open dialogue should happen every time after intercourse. Tell
your partner what you liked and what hurt. Your partner will be more
receptive if you give a compliment sandwich. This is when you say a
compliment then a critique then another compliment. For example,
you might say something like I really enjoyed when you did that with
your hips, it kind of hurt when you sped up in the middle, but the end
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felt really good. This allows your partner to know that something he
or she did hurt you, but did not ruin the entire experience for you.

Along with your compliment sandwich, you might want to remind
your partner that you are still very much attracted to him or her, even
though you are having some physical issues. Remind your partner
how important he or she is to you and how crucial it is to have his or
her unconditional understanding and support. Pain during and after
sex is something that must be coped with on an ongoing basis.

Lifestyle and Self-care
Here are some ways to manage vulvar discomfort and increase sexual
pleasure:
Lubricants Nonhormonal vaginal lubricants and moisturizers may
help reduce friction and pain during intercourse. (Lubricants are
applied just before sex; moisturizers are applied more regularly, for
longer-term relief.) There are many brands with different ingredients,
and finding the products that work for you can take time. Vegetable
oil is an inexpensive option; however, like other oil-based lubricants,
it can weaken latex and shouldn't be used with condoms.
Sexual techniques Extend foreplay to increase moisture in the vaginal
tissues before intercourse. Try switching positions. Experiment with
different ways of being intimate. And, as mentioned above, always
remember to communicate with your partner; speak up about what
does and doesn't feel good.
"Use it or lose it" Frequent sexual activity can help stretch and
strengthen muscles and increase blood flow and lubrication. But if
intercourse hurts, practice masturbation or different ways of being
sexually intimate that don't involve penetration. Having sex every
day can result in less pain after about 6 days.
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Gentle vulvar care Wash with mild soap or plain water, and pat dry.
Avoid perfumed, multi-ingredient products such as bubble bath,
douches, and some panty liners. Wear loose clothing and choose
cotton underwear. Do not use any douche products that may tamper
with the good bacteria in your vagina.

Rinse the area with cool water after urinating right
after sex. Usually a light cooling mist sprayed
directly into the vagina will help exponentially.

Burning and stinging during and after sex is inconvenient and and
uncomfortablebut it does not have to be a life ruiner. You will find a
method with your partner that works best for both of you. Over time,
you can conquer your sex life and even find pleasure in intercourse
once again!