Wondering why you’re experiencing painful sex? Our expert Samantha Evans, co-founder of Jo Divine reveals among the reasons for painful penetration and what to do about them
Sexual activity should never hurt, but many ladies suffer sexual pain, chronic pelvic pain unrelated to sex or pain during sex.
Pain during sex should never be ignored unless it’s consensual BDSM. Many medical professionals dismiss women as neurotic in the event that they complain about this problem, but sex should never hurt.
It ought to be a pleasurable experience for each the girl and her partner. In the event you do experience pain during or after sexual activity, it’s best to all the time seek medical advice as it’s your body’s way of telling you something is mistaken. Often your doctor can diagnose the issue and it may possibly be easily resolved.
Many medical professionals dismiss women as neurotic in the event that they complain about painful sex
Many ladies avoid sexual activity, which might result in marriage and relationship breakdown. Discussing the issue together with your partner is very important and might provide help to each understand what is occurring and make changes to the best way by which you might have sexual activity.
There are numerous the explanation why sexual activity could also be painful: a few of which might be easily treated, others which can take more time to resolve.
#1 Lack of lubrication
This can be a major reason as to why sex might be painful. Lack of arousal can mean less vaginal lubrication, but many ladies don’t produce enough vaginal lubrication, including younger ladies.
Vaginal dryness is all the time linked to menopausal women, but younger ladies might be affected too resulting from the contraceptive pill, monthly hormonal changes, stress and anxiety and never being turned on by their partner.
Spending time having fun with foreplay can significantly improve your sexual pleasure
Vaginal dryness is a standard condition throughout the menopause, but using lubrication can really help. Often GPs will prescribe a hormonal cream or pessary and plenty of gynaecologists advocate using vaginal lubricants to assist nourish the fragile tissues of the vagina.
#2 Lack of arousal
Most ladies should be warmed up before penetrative sex, but some men rush into sex before their partner is prepared. Spending time having fun with foreplay can significantly improve your sexual pleasure. There could also be times when penetrative sex isn’t possible, but you possibly can still have great sex without intercourse.
#3 Fast or deep penetration
Even when a lady is well lubricated and fully aroused, she may experience pain if a person inserts his penis too quickly or deeply. The vagina relaxes as a lady warms as much as having sex and opens more comfortably if the penis enters slowly. Guiding your partner in at your individual pace can really help avoid any pain.
Some vaginal lubricants may cause allergic reactions
Deep insertion can be painful, especially in case your partner has a big penis. Often, having sex doggy style might be painful, so try backing onto the penis at your individual pace.
The identical might be said when occurring top. Don’t allow your partner to drag you down onto their penis, but slowly lower yourself, controlling the speed and depth of insertion that’s comfortable.
#4 Allergic conditions
Many ladies experience that familiar itching or burning sensation when they fight recent products, from changing their washing powder to using a brand new shampoo/shower gel.
Some vaginal lubricants may cause allergic reactions, so concentrate on what you might be putting on the fragile skin of your genitals. Latex products, corresponding to condoms or sex toys, can produce an allergic response too – in addition to some spermicidal creams.
#5 Vaginal Infections
Vaginal thrush, bacterial vaginosis or sexually transmitted diseases corresponding to chlamydia, gonorrhoea and genital herpes can all cause genital pain, so seek medical advice in case you think you’ll have considered one of these conditions.
They’ll all be easily treated with medication. Your partner could have to be treated too to forestall them passing it back to you.
#6 Vaginismus
This can be a condition whereby the muscles in or across the vagina tighten, making sex painful or not possible. It may well be attributable to a mixture of physical and psychological issues.
Physical causes can include urinary tract infections, sexually transmitted diseases, vulvodynia, skin conditions corresponding to psoriasis or eczema, menopause, and birth trauma.
Psychological problems might be attributable to disgust towards the act of sex related to a robust moral or religious upbringing or emotional or sexual trauma. With the suitable medical intervention and counselling, this problem might be alleviated to enable penetrative sex.
attributable to a mixture of physical and psychological issues
Treatment normally involves pelvic floor exercises, biofeedback and use of medical dilators or a vibrator/dildo to slowly encourage the vagina to calm down and open.
Pain felt contained in the vagina could also be attributable to pelvic inflammatory disease, endometriosis (when the liner of the uterus grows outside the uterus or is thicker than normal), fibroids (growths of muscle and tissue contained in the uterus) growing near your vagina or cervix, irritable bowel syndrome and constipation.
#7 Dietary irritants
Foods containing high levels of oxalates may cause urethral irritation in women who’re sensitive to them.
When an excessive amount of oxalate is absorbed into the bloodstream via the gut, it combines with calcium to form sharp calcium-oxalate crystals which embed themselves into the fragile tissues anywhere within the body, causing damage and pain.
Women who’ve irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) absorb an excessive amount of oxalate resulting from the poor condition of their bowel.
Sticking to a low oxalate food plan for 3-6 months has been found to enhance symptoms. A listing of high oxalate food might be found on the Vulval Pain Society website and includes celery, coffee, rhubarb, spinach and strawberries.
#8 Vulvar Vestibulitis (VV)
This condition is characterised by burning pain felt on the vestibule or entrance of the vagina and is believed to affect 12-15 per cent of girls of childbearing age.
Research has found that ladies who’ve this condition are 2-3 times more more likely to have multiple chronic pain condition, including IBS, fibromyalgia (musculoskeletal pain) and interstitial cystitis (bladder pain).
Treatment for this condition includes pelvic floor exercises, biofeedback, low oxalate food plan, counselling and sometimes surgery to remove the glands at the doorway of the vagina.
Many ladies experience hostility from their partner in the event that they are unable to have sex which in turn increases their pain levels
Many ladies completely avoid any sexual interaction with their partner, but research in 2010 discovered that couples enjoyed greater sexual satisfaction when the partner had a more concerned attitude toward their partner’s condition.
By specializing in pleasurable sexual activities that don’t involve penetration, couples can still enjoy the advantages of being intimate together.
#9 Conflict inside a relationship
If a lady is experiencing emotional pain consequently of conflict inside her relationship, pain may occur during sex. Many ladies experience hostility from their partner in the event that they are unable to have sex which in turn increases their pain levels, thus making a vicious circle. Consulting a couples’ counsellor or sex therapist may help.
In the event you experience pain during or after sex, seek medical advice. You may still enjoy pleasurable sexual intercourse without intercourse by incorporating using lubricant, corresponding to YES, and slim vibrators, corresponding to PicoBong Zizo and Slinky pinky.
At Jo Divine, we work with medical professionals who recommend the above products to patients who experience sexual pain. So don’t suffer in silence, seek help and begin to enjoy sex again.
More info and articles available on the Jo Divine website
Samantha Evans is co-founder and a features author of Jo Divine, a web-based sex toy company. Having an intensive knowledge about sex toys, Samantha is a sexpert and enjoys creating informative articles about sexual health and pleasure.
Sam is a former nurse and in addition writes regular features for several leading web sites including So Feminine, The Independent online,Female First and Net Doctor. Samantha is all the time ways by which each genders can increase their sexual pleasure in addition to benefiting their sexual health and well being.
Whatever your age, sex, medical condition or disability, she believes that it’s all the time possible to seek out ways by which to proceed having fun with sex, it just requires being more imaginative and adventurous. Follow Samantha on twitter @SamTalksSex