Dyspareunia refers to a distinct pain in your genitals during intercourse.
Dyspareunia is a tireless or intermittent torment that can occur during sex. This painful intercourse can affect both men and women; however, it is more common in women.
Dyspareunia can mess up a couple’s sexual relationship.
Notwithstanding the genuinely difficult sex, there is additionally the chance of negative passionate impacts.
So the issue ought to be tended to when it emerges.
Do you get those lower abdominal pains during sexual activity?
OR,
Have you ever wondered what those are?
Those are pains related to dyspareunia, a very common sexual pain in women. If you want to know more about this issue, this article will give you all information you need to know.
This blog will discuss dyspareunia in women, in a precise manner, including its causes, symptoms, treatments.
This article will also dedicate a section towards common questions in dyspareunia.
Firstly, let us discuss what dyspareunia is in a comprehensive manner.
Dyspareunia Definition
Dyspareunia is the medical term given to pain while having sex.
One must note when we are concerned with dyspareunia it is referred to as pain both in males and in females.
If either male or female is suffering from dyspareunia it is highly recommended that they consult a licensed professional for it.
Dyspareunia in women might be felt at the vaginal opening or somewhere down in the pelvic.
The agony might be confined to a particular area, or there might be a feeling of inconvenience covering a more extensive area.
The pain has been portrayed by women experiencing this condition as a sharp burning ache in the vaginal area.
Some reports also say that it feels like terrible menstrual cramps. Ladies frequently portray feeling like something is being knocked out somewhere inside the pelvis.
Firstly let us discuss the signs that will indicate that you are suffering from this issue.
Dyspareunia Symptoms
Are you wondering “why does it hurt my wife when we make love?” Then your wife might be suffering from dyspareunia.
Some of the symptoms of dyspareunia in women may include:
- Pain and agony around the vagina urethra and bladder
- Torment during penetrative sex.
- Pain after having penetrative intercourse with your partner.
- Pain might occur only while you are with some specific person or under specific circumstances
- Whenever you might use a tampon it might hurt while inserting it
- Along with the pain, you might feel a sharp burn, ache, and itching in your vaginal area and lower abdomen.
- Regular and consistent feeling of menstrual pains during and intercourse or after intercourse.
If you or your partner is feeling any of such symptoms during or after intercourse, you might have dyspareunia.
It is highly recommended that you consult a medical professional before it is too late.
This was all about what dyspareunia refers to; let us now take a look into its causes.
Dyspareunia Causes
There are many causes of the distinct sharp pain that women suffer during sexual intercourse.
Some of the causes of dyspareunia female can be:
- Vaginismus
- Infections in vagina
- Issues with the cervix and uterus
- Menopause
- Endometriosis
- Injuries in genitals
- Sexually transmitted diseases
- Vulvadynia
Let us discuss these causes in a more comprehensive and precise manner.
#1: Vaginismus
This is a typical condition when dyspareunia in women is concerned.
It includes an involuntary tightening of muscles in the vaginal region, some of the time brought about by the fear of being harmed or hurtfulness.
The muscles in the vagina fix when something is embedded into it.
This can prompt agonizing sex, in the event that you think you have vaginismus, talk with your PCP to examine treatment.
#2: Infections and STDs
STD refers to sexually transmitted diseases, which can be transferred from one person to another while having penetrative sex.
Infections can be urinary tract infections, gastrointestinal maladies, and yeast infections can be a reason for pelvic pain during intercourse.
It is necessary that you consult a doctor if you suspect such infections.
These can cause serious problems if not treated medically sooner.
#3: Dyspareunia Menopause
Menopause refers to that stage in a woman’s life when she is in a period where her body is soon to stop her menstrual cycle.
The adjustments in our bodies brought about by menopause can likewise prompt excruciating intercourse.
Menopause causes dryness around the vaginal area.
Lubricating vaginal entrance assists in intercourse.
Due to the dryness involved in menopause, one can face pain while having sex.
Other causes of the dry vagina may include:
- Lack of good foreplay. Foreplay helps in secreting fluids in the vagina before sex, which helps in penetration.
- Vaginal dryness due to low estrogen level, which can be caused due to childbirth or breastfeeding.
- Medications, anti-depressants, and birth control pills can cause dryness too.
#4: Endometriosis
Muscles lining the uterus grow outside the uterus causing pain during penetration.
#5: Vulvadynia
Refers to pain in a region called the vulva. The vulva refers to a collection of many organs in the genital area, like, labia, clitoris, etc.
There is no known reason or treatment for this pain. However, it is believed that with self-care and good treatment one can overcome it.
#6: Intercourse
If you have intercourse too soon after childbirth it might lead to pain while intercourse.
If there is an injury in the genital area, maybe due to childbirth, or some surgery, it will hurt during sex.
#7: Pelvic Inflammatory Disease
When the tissues inside the vagina inflame it causes immense pain during penetration.
This inflammation is called Pelvic Inflammatory Disease or PID.
Causes like inflammation, endometriosis, cysts, or some injury in the pelvic area might cause deep dyspareunia or immense pain during sex.
These were a few reasons for dyspareunia in females.
Now let us take a look into how to treat such a condition.
Dyspareunia Treatment
There are various treatments available to treat dyspareunia in women. You can take the help of any such treatments.
The treatments might include:
- Treatment through medication
- Treatment at home
- Therapy and counseling
We shall now discuss the treatment in a more comprehensive manner.
Treatment Through Medication
A treatment through medications is solely dependent on the cause of dyspareunia in women.
If the cause of pain while intercourse is an infection or a disease it can be treated by giving specifically related drugs, such as antibiotics, antifungal creams or medications, injections, etc.
In the event that a drawn-out drug is causing vaginal dryness, your doctor may change your medicine.
Attempting elective meds may reestablish normal lubricating of vaginal layers and diminish the pain.
Low estrogen levels cause dyspareunia in certain ladies.
A solution can be a tablet, cream, or adaptable ring which can convey a little, standard portion of estrogen to the vagina. An estrogen drug called ospemifene (Osphena) acts like estrogen on vaginal tissues.
It’s viable in making the tissues thicker and less delicate. This can diminish the measure of torment ladies experience during sex.
Downsides are that the medication may cause hot glimmers, and it conveys a danger of stroke, blood clusters, and cancer of the uterus lining (endometrium).
Another medication to soothe excruciating intercourse is prasterone (Intrarosa). It’s a capsule you place inside the vagina day by day.
Treatment At Home
You can also try some treatments to cure dyspareunia at home.
In fact, these are some necessary steps to be taken to relieve yourself or your partner from the pain during intercourse.
Some treatments you can do at home might include:
- Having intercourse only when you and your partner are completely relaxed.
- Cease having sex immediately after pregnancy. Some of the wounds during childbirth might not completely heal.
- Empty your urinary bladder before you have sex. Also, try to take a warm bath before having sex.
- You can use an ice pack when you feel the burning sensation after having coitus.
These were a few treatments you could apply at home, for easing pain during coitus.
Treatment Through Therapy
There are many emotional factors associated with dyspareunia in women.
Feelings are profoundly interlaced with sexual activity, so they may assume a part in sexual agony.
Emotional factors that might accelerate or promote painful sex are:
- Psychological issues like anxiety, depression, or insecurity about one’s body. One might even fear getting into a close relationship with someone, commitment issues, which might result in negligible to low level of sexual excitement.
- Stress or pressure in life can cause your pelvic floor muscles to tighten, which can cause painful intercourse.
- On the off chance that you or your partner were manhandled or abused sexually in past, it can assume a part in emotional as well as physical pain during sex.
These emotional factors might be some possible causes of dyspareunia in women.
To treat these traumatizing emotions during sex which ultimately leads to dyspareunia you can try therapy or counseling.
You can go for desensitization therapy or sex therapy which can help your vagina relax by assisting in vaginal relaxation exercises.
Counseling might also help when it comes to conveying to your partner what you feel.
Cognitive-behavioral therapy can help in preventing negative emotions associated with coitus.
Therefore these were a few treatments of dyspareunia in women. Now you might have a few questions in your mind.
The next section of the blog will discuss a few common questions when dyspareunia is concerned.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are some of the questions that may pop in your mind when dyspareunia is concerned:
Is Dyspareunia More Common In Men Or Women?
Like said before, dyspareunia can be encountered both by men or women, therefore anyone could have dyspareunia as a condition.
However, it is more commonly seen in women.
It is even more common in postmenopausal women. Also, women are seen to be more sensitive compared to men. They have relatively higher sentimental power than men.
Therefore, they are seen to be at a higher risk of suffering from dyspareunia considering the emotional factors involved.
Men can suffer from pain during intercourse too. The causes might be infections, tight foreskin, prostatitis, testicular swelling, etc.
Therefore, if you wondering, “Is dyspareunia only in women?” there is a probability that you are wrong.
What does the diagnosis process of dyspareunia involve?
There is no specific test when it comes to dyspareunia. But the diagnosis might include a physical examination.
The process may include:
- A physical examination of the pelvic region. The doctor carefully examines the inner as well as the external pelvic region. He particularly checks for, dryness, inflammation, or some infection. He might also look for some genital warts or some muscle abnormality. An internal examination will include a urinary test, pap test, allergy test, etc.
- A conversation about how does the pain feels. The doctors might ask you questions like, where and when do you feel the pain? Are there any specific positions that hurt? Are there any other sexual activities that cause you pain?
- Testing for infections in the vaginal region.
How to Prevent Dyspareunia?
You cannot prevent dyspareunia but you can follow some steps to be at lower risk:
- Cease having sex at least for 6 weeks after childbirth.
- Maintain good hygiene in the pelvic region.
- Use protection to prevent sexually transmitted diseases.
- Be cautious of any infection. The best way to do so is regular routine checkup.
- Try various things to lubricate your vagina. You can use medications or creams. To lubricate the vagina naturally, use foreplay. The natural lubrication will make penetration easy.
Who can be at more risk of dyspareunia?
Like said before, women are more likely to encounter this disease.
However, the risk increases, if you have been taking medications, like anti-depressants, birth control, pills, etc.
You can have a greater probability of encountering this disease when you have some bacterial or viral infection.
Postmenopausal women can be at a higher risk too.
Does dyspareunia go away?
If the pain during intercourse is due to some yeast or vaginal infection, it will take a week or two to treat dyspareunia.
A sexually transmitted disease will take a longer time. It takes a little more intensive care to treat a sexually transmitted disease.
Conclusion
To sum up, dyspareunia is a very common disease, both in men and women.
There are possible factors that could promote or accelerate the pain. However, the most important key here is communication. You need to communicate with your partner what you feel while coitus.
You need to convey it to them so that your partner can help. If you do not have proper communication, it can lead to relationship issues.
Above all, you need to consult a doctor if you suspect dyspareunia. A medical professional will provide you with certainty, whether you are suffering from dyspareunia.
If you have aching or burning sensations, or if you are bleeding through your genitals, you need to see a doctor urgently before it worsens.
Besides, you need not worry about dyspareunia; it is a very common disease among women.
