Painful vaginal sex is common and many people experience it at some stage in their lives. ‘Dyspareunia’ is the medical term used to describe pain before, during or after vaginal sex.
Vaginal sex includes sexual activities that involve vaginal penetration – with or without a partner.
It’s normal to lose interest in sex if you experience pain, but it's good to know there are many treatment options.
Learn more about painful vaginal sex, including the symptoms, causes and what you can do.
Painful vaginal sex is pain before, during or after vaginal intercourse. It can be caused by physical and emotional factors. There are many ways to treat painful sex and improve your sexual experience.
If you have painful vaginal sex, you might feel:
Pain with penetration may be caused by:
Deep pain is usually associated with deep penetration (i.e. thrusting). Causes may include:
Emotional factors may affect your sexual experiences and associated pain. For example:
Dyspareunia is usually diagnosed via a clinical examination. Your doctor will ask about your pain (e.g. where it hurts, how it feels, if it has happened with each partner and in different sexual positions). They may also ask about medical, sexual and family history, childbirth and past surgeries. These questions will help to find the cause of your pain.
Your doctor should also do a physical examination to check for signs of infection, irritation or physical problems. This usually involves gently touching your vulva and pelvic area to locate the pain. They might insert a plastic or metal instrument (speculum) into your vagina to check where the pain is coming from. If you find this too painful, you can ask your doctor to stop.
You may need other tests, such as a pelvic ultrasound, if your doctor thinks the condition is inside your pelvis.
If you have vaginal discharge or urinary symptoms, they may also take samples for testing.
Treatment options depend on the cause of your pain. Your doctor may recommend:
Watch this video on Vimeo featuring Jean Hailes physiotherapist, Janetta Webb, talking about pelvic floor physiotherapy for the management and treatment of dyspareunia.
There are different things you can do to improve your sexual experience.
If you are experiencing painful sex, see your doctor. They will find and treat the cause or refer you to a specialist. It’s a good idea to seek help as soon as possible so you can resolve the issue and enjoy a healthy sex life.
This content has been reviewed by a group of medical subject matter experts, in accordance with Jean Hailes policy.
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