What Causes Painful Sex?
Painful sex is one of the most common issues women face, and it often becomes more prevalent over time. The reasons for pain during intercourse vary but the root cause can usually be pinpointed, and therefore treated.
Following are possible common causes of painful sex:
- Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs): Pelvic inflammatory disease or PID is an infection found in the reproductive organs and is often caused by chlamydia and gonorrhea. Other common STDs can cause vaginal irritation, which can create pain during sex.
- Vaginal dryness: A common symptom of menopause, the thinning and dryness of the vaginal walls as a result of lowered amounts of estrogen can cause sex to be more painful than prior to menopause.
- Lichen sclerosus: Postmenopausal women might also suffer from lichen sclerosus, a condition in which the skin on the genitals becomes scaly and inflamed.
- Difficult vaginal deliveries: Women who have given birth to large infants, especially if the baby was delivered with forceps, might have small tears in the vagina.
- Injuries or irritation of the vagina
- Infections, including urinary tract infections or yeast infections
- Injury or abuse: Women who have experienced sexual trauma might associate sex with pain, leading to tense muscles.
- Vaginitis: Candida (a fungus caused by bacterial or yeast overgrowth) can cause irritation, discharge, tenderness and itching, resulting in vaginal inflammation.
- Vaginismus: Muscle spasms of the vaginal wall muscles may attribute to painful sex.
- Vulvodynia: A condition that causes chronic pain in the vulvar area, vulvodynia may result in pain with sexual intercourse.
- Skin conditions that affect the genital areas.
Help for Painful Sex is Available
There are many reasons women experience pain during sex and each woman’s situation is unique. Our board-certified OB/GYNs are experts in female health and can help you find relief. Call us today at 770.720.7733 to schedule an appointment or request an appointment online. Help is available.
