You may remember the very first time you had sex; the awkwardness and a little bit of pain. However, once you’ve done it a few times, the pain subsides and you actually get to enjoy the experience.
Sometimes, though, for women, pain during intercourse just doesn’t seem to go away.
Our team at New England Women’s Healthcare can help you figure out why sex is so painful. Our board-certified doctors are experts in both women’s health and gynecology, which gives them the knowledge and tools to get your sex life back on track with significantly less pain.
Painful sex isn’t something you ever want to experience, although the odds are you will at some point. The reasons for pain during intercourse vary greatly, but it could include physical problems in your anatomy or psychological trauma as well.
You could experience pain only during penetration, or it could linger the entire time you’re having sex. In some cases, you could even experience the pain after you’ve finished having sex.
So what exactly causes painful sex? There are actually quite a few reasons that you could be hurting. One of the most common causes of discomfort is not enough lubrication. This can be easily remedied with either lubricants or an increase in foreplay and relaxation.
However, in other cases, there is a medical reason behind your painful sex. It could be a problem with any part of your reproductive anatomy. Some of the problems that can lead to pain during sex include:
This condition occurs when the tissue lining the inside of your uterus also grows outside of the uterine walls. This can lead to a number of different issues, including pain during sex.
These cysts are fluid-filled sacs that grow on your ovaries. These cysts may not cause any problems at all, or they could be very painful and lead to discomfort during intercourse.
Menopause marks the end of your child-bearing years, and it triggers major changes in your hormone levels, especially estrogen. Because of the vast changes to your body as you transition into menopause, you could have painful sex due to vaginal dryness.
Fibroids are growths that occur inside of your uterus. Most of the time, these growths aren’t cancerous, but they can lead to a variety of symptoms, including pelvic pain and discomfort during sex.
Sexually transmitted diseases are among the culprits behind pain during sex. For example, intercourse could irritate herpes lesions and genital warts. STD testing may be a part of the exam to check for diseases that could be behind your pain.
No matter what’s causing your painful sex, it’s important that it’s addressed to prevent not only physical complications, but emotional problems as well.
The first step to resolving painful sex is to realize that you have a real problem. Sexual issues are sometimes looked at as a taboo reason to seek help, but there are usually real medical problems behind the pain.
Then, seeing one of our specialists gets the ball rolling to figure out why you’re hurting. After a thorough physical exam and pelvic exam, our doctors may recommend an ultrasound or other testing to examine your uterus and cervix.
Once our doctors come to a conclusion, you can finally start working toward a more enjoyable sex life.
Don’t let painful sex ruin your relationship. You can contact one of our offices in Wilmington or Woburn, Massachusetts, to schedule a consultation. You may also request an appointment with one of our providers using our online booking tool.
