Pain or discomfort during intercourse is very common among women- and some
men experience it, too. Around 60% of women experience painful intercourse at
least once during their lifetime. The term commonly used for painful intercourse
is "dyspareunia," which literally means pain during coitus. There
are many different factors that can lead to dyspareunia in females including
physiological factors, vaginismus, and menopause.
Two types of pain that a woman can experience during intercourse result from
vulvodynia and endometriosis. Vulvodynia is usually characterized as and itchy
or burning sensation around the vaginal walls. It can be caused inadequate lubrication,
any scar tissue that may be present in the area, or tearing of the hymen. These
are minor problems that can usually be resolved with an artificial lubricant,
such as KY Jelly or Astroglide. Endometriosis is a disease in which the uterus
in her lining grows outside the uterus and covers near by organs. It can cause
deep pain that can be exacerbated by rough sexual activity. Symptoms of endometriosis
can usually be alleviated by using a birth control pill, but if you are having
deep pains it would be wise to consult a physician to ensure that the problem
is not causing ineparable damage.
Vaginismus is an extreme form of dyspareunia that is caused by involuntary
contractions of the muscles surrounding the outer third of the vagina. Women
who have vaginismus should consult a physician and learn the homework exercises
that allow them to solve this problem.
Sometimes symptoms of menopause can also lead to pain during intercourse. When
a woman goes through menopause, she produces less and less of the female sex
hormones, and this alters her body and its reactions to sex. One of the major
hormone induced changes is a decreased production of lubrication, which causes
increased friction during sex. As a result sex can become quite uncomfortable,
even painful, if a couple does not use an artificial form of lubrication. Another
change that occurs at menopause is a shrinking of the vagina, due to reduced
estrogen production. The vagina walls become thinner and less flexible than
they were in earlier in her life. This can cause discomfort while having sex,
since the vagina is not as strong and as limber as it once was. With these changes,
sex is more likely to irritate nearby organs such as the bladder and urethra.
There is also a chance that hormonal changes will cause the uterus to contract
painfully in the middle of orgasms.
© - Reproduced with permission of SexInfo, University of California at Santa Barbara, 2007.