Vaginal Pain with Intercourse

Pain during sexual intercourse, also known as Dyspareunia, is fairly common among women, and can range from very mild to severe in nature.  Dyspareunia may create problems in a sexual relationship, cause excessive pain, or incite detrimental emotional effects.  Therefore, Dyspareunia should be treated as soon as it begins causing problems.

Vaginal pain during intercourse may be caused by a wide variety of conditions including:

• Vaginal dryness
  • Lack of moisture is the most common cause of pain inside the vagina during intercourse.  It may be caused by certain health conditions, medications, or not being aroused.  Lack of moisture may be normal at certain times during a woman’s life, such as during menopause, just after giving birth, or during breastfeeding.
• Vaginismus
  • Vaginismus is an involuntary muscle spasm or contraction at the opening of a woman’s vagina which makes any kind of vaginal penetration painful or impossible.  This condition can cause pain when a partner tries to enter the vagina, during a pelvic exam, when inserting a tampon, or may be present the first time a woman has sex.
• Vaginitis
  • Vaginitis is an inflammation of the vagina with symptoms including burning, discharge, pain, and itching.  Vaginitis has many possible causes, such as bacterial infections, yeast infections, vaginal atrophy, or trichomoniasis.
• Deep Pain
  • Pain that begins deep inside may be an indication of an internal problem.  Women may feel pain occur when the penis makes contact with the cervix.  This pain can have a wide variety of causes including, but not limited to, endometriosis, ovarian cysts, scar tissue, bladder disease, bowel disease, uterus problems, fibroids, ectopic pregnancy, cervix infections/problems, injury to the vagina or vulva, STDs, a pelvic mass, or pelvic inflammatory disease (PID).

Treatment for vaginal pain with intercourse depends on the root cause of the pain.  Some vaginal pain may not require medical treatment.  For instance, in the case of pain caused by vaginal dryness, using lubrication may resolve the issue.  In some cases, simply waiting an appropriate amount of time (i.e. intercourse after surgery or after giving birth) can remedy the situation.  However, some women may require medical treatment for vaginal pain during intercourse.  Depending on the cause of the pain, treatment may involve medication, sexual therapy, or surgery.

If you are experiencing vaginal pain with intercourse, please contact our office to schedule an appointment with one of our experienced providers.