Why Does Pain Occur During Sexual Intercourse?

When the reasons for painful intercourse can’t be attributed to vulvodynia or menopause, we have to look for them elsewhere.

 

There can be many reasons for painful sexual intercourse.

Contraception pills

 

Yes, intercourse and pain can sometimes go hand in hand. For example, when using contraception pills, the libido can decrease, which subsequently causes less vaginal moisture during intercourse. This usually happens with newer contraception pills because of their ingredients. They contain a low level of estrogen and a type of progestin which lowers the amount of testosterone. This, of course, doesn’t mean that the pills are necessarily a bad form of contraception, but women have to know they can have side effects which make sexuality more difficult. So if you notice that you have come to associate intercourse with pain ever since you’ve started using (new) contraception pills, it’s advisable to talk to your gynaecologist about such problems, and she or he might prescribe you different pills.

 

Some contraception pills lower the libido and the testosterone levels. (jlp)

Medication for cancer

 

“For women who have cervical or vaginal cancer and radiation, the whole vagina can become a rock-hard scar,” explains Dr. Irwin Goldstein, the chief editor of the magazine The Journal of Sexual Medicine. The tamoxifen drug is a powerful antiestrogen, which means it disables the activity of estrogen. It’s used to treat breast cancer, so the patients can often have problems with vaginal moisture. Hormonal supplements are out of the question in this case because they can stimulate the development of cancer. That’s why the situation with breast cancer patients is sometimes more complicated when it comes to getting rid of the pain during sexual intercourse. The options here are physical treatments and sexual therapies.

 

The medication for breast cancer patients inhibits the activity of estrogen. (jlp)

Dermatological problems

 

Pain during sexual intercourse can definitely be caused by skin problems in the genital area. They often occur after giving birth or because of a scar left after the crotch had been cut. Various infections or sexually transmitted diseases, like herpes, can also cause painful sexual intercourse. Believe it or not, sometimes the pain can be caused by a single ingrown hair because a small lump can form on this spot which hurts if you apply pressure to it or it causes an infection.

 

Pain during intercourse can sometimes be caused by just one ingrown hair. (jlp)

Physical peculiarities

 

Some women have problems with their hymen. In rare cases, it is very difficult to penetrate it and this is often followed up by a hymenectomy, a surgical procedure where the hymen is surgically removed or penetrated. The purpose of the surgery, among other things, is to allow a woman a normal menstrual cycle and painless intercourse because, in case of problems with the hymen, many women feel pain in the sensitive area inside the vagina at the slightest touch. This pain only increases with penetration.

 

In some cases, the hymen has to be surgically penetrated. (jlp)

Vaginismus

 

Vaginismus is about subconscious contracting of the vaginal muscles and the vagina, which makes penetration difficult or even impossible and causes pain. In most cases only the sexual penetration is painful, but some women also feel pain during a gynaecological examination, where it’s necessary for the instrument to penetrate the vagina. Vaginismus can be the result of rape or sexual abuse, but it can develop as a defensive reaction to physical pain. Before treating vaginismus, it’s important to find the cause of the situation. Only then are sexual therapy, getting to know your own body and getting rid of fears possible.

 

Fear can sometimes also be the cause of painful sexual intercourse. (jlp)

Where does the pain come from?

 

Even though the pain is physical, the reasons for it can sometimes be hidden in the psyche. When sex hurts once or twice, there’s a chance that individuals develop an unconscious and uncontrollable fear of sexual intercourse, so they start avoiding it. That’s why open communication with a doctor, gynaecologist or sexual therapist is so important. They’ll know how to find the source of pain and get rid of it successfully.  

 

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