What Is Dyspareunia? 12 Reasons Of Painful Penetration

The medical term for painful intercourse is dyspareunia which is defined as persistent genital pain that occurs just before, during, or after intercourse. In this article, we will be explaining what the causes of dyspareunia are.

Do you experience pain while having an intercourse? There are many causes to it. But, first you may not know what the symptoms are. These include pain only during penetration, pain with every penetration, burning or aching pain, deep pain during thrusting, and a throbbing pain after having an intercourse.

Women at some point in their lives experience a painful sex and every three out of four women have pain during sex.

Let's have a look at what are the causes of painful intercourse.

1. Too Much Of Stress

How too much of stress can cause painful sex? If a couple had an argument or a big fight for some or the other reason, this can decrease the amount of muscle relaxation and lubrication. The nerves are also associated with pelvic floor muscle spasms and bacterial infections, both of which are the common causes of painful sex. But, the pelvic floor muscles tend to tighten in response to stress in your life and this may be the reason of pain during intercourse.

2. Not Having Enough Sex

Not had sex for a year or two? Then be prepared that it's going to hurt when you start having sex. Regular activity done by the muscles in every body part keeps it healthy and strong. In the same way, the vagina muscles start working during intercourse. This keeps it strong and healthy. Having regular intercourse will stretch the vagina walls and the vaginal muscles stay flexible.

3. Skipping The Lubricant

Though vaginal dryness can occur due to many reasons, but other factors that cause vaginal dryness can also play a role. Taking too much of medications or if you are not aroused could decrease the lubrication than you normally have. And this could result in pain during or after intercourse. So, before having sex using a lubricant could go a long way.

4. The Onset Of Menopause

Pre-menopausal issues could affect the sex drive. The most common culprit is atrophic vaginitis which means the vaginal area does not have enough estrogen. This results in the vagina skin not being too stretchy and there is less lubrication.

5. Bacteria Or Yeast Infection

Bacteria or yeast infection in the vagina can happen to any women at any age. But, during menopausal years, the bacteria or yeast infections are more common. The vaginal yeast infection is caused by a fungus named candida and naturally your vagina contains a balanced mix of bacteria and yeast. When the yeast cells multiply in the vagina, it can cause irritation, swelling and itching.

6. Having digestive Problems

Women who have irritable bowel syndrome or Crohn's disease are prone to this. The bowel is situated right next to the uterus. So, the movement of the uterus can trigger inflammation and irritation of the bowel. That's also one of the reasons why the abdomen may hurt during sex.

7. Might Have Pelvic-floor Dysfunction

Pelvic-floor dysfunction is common but difficult to diagnose. During intercourse, the pelvic floor muscles can spasm and cause searing pain. A woman's pelvic floor muscles support the bladder, bowel, and uterus. The urine tube, the vagina all these pass through the pelvic floor muscles.

8. You Have Endometriosis

Endometriosis is a condition where the endometrial tissue grows outside the uterus. Many women suffer with endometriosis and this causes intense pain during sex. Moreover, the location of the endometriosis determines the level of pain. The common symptoms of endometriosis are painful periods, excessive bleeding, infertility, painful sex, and pain with urination.

9. You Have An STD/STI or Pelvic disease

Fibroids on the uterus and pelvic inflammatory disease are common reasons of having a painful intercourse. Also ovarian cysts and other infections could also be the cause. If you are in deep pain, you should visit your doctor immediately.

10. You could Have Vaginismus

Vaginismus causes the vaginal muscles to tense up upon penetration. This is a condition in which there is an involuntary contraction of the vaginal and pelvic floor muscles and the too much of tension will not even allow it to enter. Vaginismus can lead to muscle spasms where you can't insert anything in the vagina, not even a tampon. Women suffering with vaginismus can be frustrating.

11. Your Partner May Have Erectile Dysfunction

If your partner is having a trouble with erectile dysfunction, the woman may feel discomfort during intercourse. ED treatments like Viagra can delay his orgasm which may result in long, painful sex for some women.

12. Vulvodynia or vestibular vulvitis

Vulvodynia or vestibular vulvitis is a chronic pain condition that is seen in the vulvar region and this can cause a lot of pain during penetration. The exact medical cause is unknown, but it might be an inflammatory response in the nerves around the opening of the vagina and the vulva.

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