Painful sex, called dyspareunia medically, can happen before, during, or after you engage in sexual activity. As many as 75% of women may experience painful sex at some point in their lives.
There’s no single cause of dyspareunia; there are many reasons and types. Partnering with gynecologist Jennifer Moreira, MD, FACOG, at ThriveOB and Women's Wellness in Barrington, Illinois, may be the best way to quickly find a solution for your condition.
There are different and overlapping ways to classify painful sex. Let’s start with four general categories:
Location is also helpful in identifying the underlying causes of your dyspareunia, such as:
Symptoms from deep and positional pain often overlap, making it difficult to specifically classify, but this isn’t necessarily crucial to identifying the cause of your pain condition.
It’s possible to have single problems, temporary conditions, or combinations of ailments that cause pain during sex. Reasons and types of dyspareunia can change for you over time. Some of the most common causes of painful sex include:
The vagina is lined with mucosal tissue that creates a moist barrier, similar to the environment in your mouth and nasal passages. Secretions keep your vagina lubricated when you’re aroused, but natural levels may fluctuate, particularly with hormonal events like menopause.
Ovarian cysts and uterine fibroids are typically noncancerous growths that can each cause pain during intercourse. Cysts can cause pelvic pain on their own, and sexual activity can activate it or make it worse. Fibroids near the cervix can cause pain during penetration and intercourse.
Uterine lining tissue can sometimes grow outside the uterus, a chronic condition called endometriosis. Painful sex is just one of the complications of this condition.
An inflammation of vaginal tissue, vaginitis can cause discharge, itchiness, redness, and swelling, as well as dyspareunia.
Infections of your reproductive organs can make sex painful. PID occurs for a number of reasons, including overgrowth of normal vaginal bacteria, some sexually transmitted infections, or bacteria arriving from outside sources.
Sexual response in women often relies on mental factors, such as emotions, to stimulate physical arousal. Sex may be painful when you’re anxious or uncomfortable emotionally about having sex.
There are answers to your painful sex conditions. Call ThriveOB and Women's Wellness at 847-868-2908 to schedule your consultation with Dr. Moreira and her team today.
