Female Dyspareunia

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Nov 19, 2014/ 0 Comments / in General Medical Posts / by
Female Dyspareunia

Female Dyspareunia

Female dyspareunia is a medical term for painful intercourse. In other words, a female may experience genital pain during, before, and after a sexual intercourse session. The pain may result from psychological or structural factors. Physical causes often depend on whether you experience pain at sexual penetration or with deep thrusting.


Female Dyspareunia Symptoms

female sexual organ imageYou may be suffering from dyspareunia if you experience pain in the pelvis, before, during, or after sex. Most women experience dyspareunia symptoms early in their sexual lives, while some others may show signs after menopause. Some of the common symptoms include:

  • Pain only at entry
  • Pain with every penetration
  • New pain originating after an earlier pain-free sexual intercourse
  • Burning sensation or aching pain
  • Severe pain during thrusting

Dyspareunia can prove detrimental to your sex life, as you may start fearing intercourse, being apprehensive of the severe pain that could come along. It could be in the form of a vicious cycle, with a sexual intercourse leading to pain and pain resulting in nervousness about sex, which may further lead to dryness and pain. No doubt, dyspareunia may lead to relationship difficulties.

It may be in the form of superficial or deep dyspareunia.

Superficial Dyspareunia

This type of pain is often experienced in the vulva with penetration or during intercourse. You may feel the pain at the vaginal entrance and the lower vagina. The pain is sore and instant and is quickly relieved as soon as penetration is stopped. Superficial dyspareunia may be caused due to problems of the vagina and perineal skin.

Deep Dyspareunia

As its name suggests, deep dyspareunia is the type of pain felt deeper in the pelvis, which may spread to the front thighs. The pain is usually experienced during or after intercourse and may stop immediately when penetration is stopped.


Female Dyspareunia Causes

Entry pain

female sexual organ imageYou may experience pain during penetration due to:

  • Insufficient lubrication caused by a fall in estrogen levels after childbirth, menopause, or even during breast-feeding. A drop in estrogen may also be one of the side effects of certain medications, including sedatives, high blood pressure, antidepressants, and birth control pills.
  • Trauma or injury from an accident, circumcision, pelvic surgery, or congenital abnormality.
  • Involuntary spasms of the vaginal wall muscles can cause painful intercourse.
  • Skin disorder, eczema, or infection in your genitals can make penetration extremely painful.

Deep pain

Certain illnesses or medical conditions may cause deep pain with deep penetration. Some of such conditions include uterine prolapsed, pelvic inflammatory disease, cystitis, uterine fibroids, retroverted uterus, hemorrhoids, irritable bowel syndrome, and ovarian cysts.

Scarring from surgeries in or around your pelvic, such as hysterectomy, is often responsible for making penetration painful for some women. Moreover, female dyspareunia symptoms may be apparent after radiation and chemotherapy, making changes in the body that make sex painful.

Emotional factors

Psychological problems, such as depression, anxiety, stress, may be responsible for a low level of arousal, making sex painful. Since emotions are involved during sexual activity, these may play a role in causing sexual pain.