Sexual intercourse can cause pain for men and women, although it happens to women more than men. When a person frequently experiences pain during intercourse, it means they have a condition called dyspareunia. Roughly three out of four women will feel pain during sex at least once in their lives, according to the ACOG (American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists).
Dyspareunia
There are two types of dyspareunia. When someone feels pain at the start of sex, they have entry dyspareunia. But if the pain is caused by deep thrusting, they have deep dyspareunia.
Once you know which type of dyspareunia you have, it is easier to figure out the cause of your sex pain. The pain you will experience from both dyspareunia types include the following:
- Penetration pain
- Tampon pain
- Aching pain
- Burning pain
- Post-sex pain
Current physical issues may cause pain to occur during sex. Problems such an infection, ovarian cysts, or psychological disorders may contribute to your pain. The best thing to do is to seek treatment immediately.
Painful Sex Due to Gynecologic Issues
A wide range of physical conditions exist which can cause sex pain. The good news is these conditions are remediable. The conditions are as follows:
1) Skin Disorders
Contact dermatitis occurs when your skin is exposed to certain substances, such as perfume, lubricants, fabrics, chemicals, and more. The result is skin irritation in the form of burning, itching, and redness. If you don’t treat this problem, you could develop dyspareunia.
2) Vulvodynia
The vulva is your external sex organs. If you develop a condition called vulvodynia, then your vulva experiences chronic pain. This is treatable through self-care practices and over-the-counter medications.
3) Hormonal Imbalance
Vaginal dryness is caused by low estrogen levels. You will experience pain during sex from this condition. Women’s estrogen levels typically drop due to menopause or perimenopause. Pain can be alleviated by bio-identical hormone replacement therapy.
4) Infections
Certain types of infections can stimulate sex pain, such as bacterial infections and yeast infections. If your cervix area becomes infected, that will cause a lot of pain during sex as well. The worst pain is caused from a pelvic inflammatory disease because it will inflame your reproductive organs, causing you to feel a constant pain during sex.
5) Other Issues
Sometimes emotional or psychological issues can cause you pain if you do not desire sex. Low self-esteem and low self-confidence play a role in this as well. Vaginismus is another painful condition where your vaginal muscles involuntarily contract. Fear is often said to be the cause of this condition.
Treatment Options for Painful Sex
At Allurant Medical we have a comprehensive array of treatments to address painful sex for women. Depending on the cause of your dyspareunia, your provider may recommend one or a combination of these treatments to effectively alleviate your symptoms.
Femilift Laser Vaginal Rejuvenation
Hormonal changes of menopause, or vaginal tissue changes post-partum can lead to fragile vaginal tissue which hurts during intercourse. CO2 laser Vaginal rejuvenation is the gold standard for treatment of vaginal tissue rejuvenation. It also helps with other issues such as stress incontinence, vaginal wall laxity, and decreased sensation due to aging.
Duo Acoustic Wave Treatment
Low Intensity sound wave therapy is a highly effective treatment for increasing blood flow to the vaginal and clitoral tissue. This neo-vascularization helps to heal the tissue back to a healthier state. It also increases sensation and optimizes the sexual experience.
(This phenomenal no down-time treatment is also used in the treatment of erectile dysfunction in men)
PRP Injections
Also known as the O-shot in women (Orgasm Shot), and P-shot in men (Priapus shot), this naturally healing treatment involves the injection of your own concentrated plasma into the vaginal tissue. PRP treatments are healing and restore the vaginal tissue to a healthier state causing improved sensation, lubrication and vaginal wall thickness, therefore eliminating discomfort during sexual intercourse.
Bio-Identical Hormone Pellets
If fluctuations in your hormones are the cause of your body’s changes leading to painful sex, then restoring hormonal balance will improve the symptoms of painful sex.
Hormone optimization will not only improve vaginal wall thickness and lubrication, it will also increase your libido, which is one of the possible causes of painful sex
No matter what causes your sex pain, you can seek treatments for it. Schedule an appointment with a doctor to see what they can do for you.