Painful Intercourse

Painful Intercourse

Painful intercourse is a very common experience, with approximately 75% of women experiencing painful intercourse in their lifetime. There are a range of factors that may contribute to painful intercourse, including

• Insertion pain - commonly occurs due to issues that affect tissue integrity such as stress, vaginismus, inadequate amount of foreplay, emotional trauma etc. Insertion pain may also be related to an infection at the opening of the vagina or physical trauma

• Deep penetration pain - this type of pain is often caused by internal inflammation that may be related to conditions such as endometriosis, adenomyosis, ovarian cysts or pelvic inflammatory disorder. Deep penetrative pain may also be due to a structural issue such as uterine prolapse, retroverted uterus or constipation

• Tissue irritation, burning or stinging - may be a results to a reaction to a topical irritant found in condoms, lubricants or sex toys. Tissue irritation is also common in cases of vaginal atrophy, vaginal dryness, thrush, BV and tissue damage. Conditions such as lichen sclerosus & vulval dermatitis may result in irritation of the outer vulva

To reduce painful intercourse:

• Speak to your healthcare provider about investigating and addressing the underlying driver of your pain

• Explore other forms of intercourse & intimacy, other than penetrative intercourse

• Use a bumper (OH-NUT) to allow the user more control over the depth of penetration

• Invest in high quality, pH friendly lubricant & condoms to reduce sensitivity and friction

• Explore pelvic floor physiotherapy to reduce vulval sensitivity and pain

• Pain reprocessing therapy can be extremely beneficial to reduce fear, anxiety and emotional distress associated with sex