Five of the Top Reasons Women Experience Painful Sex

Painful sex is a horrible experience for many women. For many it can be taboo to talk about and some women even find it difficult to talk to their provider about it. Help break the stigma of painful sex by knowing the reasons for it. Painful sex is also known as Dyspareunia which can occur just before, during or after intercourse.

Vaginal infections

Vaginal infections including yeast infections are a fairly common problem in women. They can cause abnormal vaginal discharge, discomfort during urination, and itching and burning in the vaginal area.

Endometriosis

This is a condition in which the tissue similar to that which lines the uterus grows outside the uterus. Many women with endometriosis feel pain while having sex or for up to 2 days later. For some, it feels stabbing or sharp. If the endometrial tissue is behind the vagina and the lower part of the uterus, and affecting uterine nerves or ligaments, intercourse is likely to be more painful because thrusting during sex pushes and pulls at the growths.

Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID)

PID happens when bacteria travel up from the vagina into the reproductive organs. Chlamydia and gonorrhea are sexually transmitted bacterial infections that commonly cause PID With PID, the tissues deep inside become badly inflamed and the pressure of intercourse causes deep pain.

Menopause

With menopause, the vaginal lining can lose its normal moisture and become dry. This happens as women approach and pass menopause, the resulting dryness and thinning of vaginal tissues can cause penetration and intercourse to be uncomfortable. After sex, some women feel soreness in their vagina or burning in their vulva or vagina.

Sexually transmitted diseases

STDs can result in painful sex. These include genital warts, gonorrhea, chlamydia, herpes, trich, and syphilis. They can spread through not only sex but also skin-to-skin contact. If left untreated for long enough, STDs may cause changes in the genitals that make sex uncomfortable or even painful.