Why some women experience pain during sex

culled from:pulse.ng

Today on SexVille Tuesday, we have a Sex and Relationship expert, Dr Juliet Moses who writes on the causes of pain and discomfort during sex for some women and what they need to do to stop the pain.

Enjoy Dr Moses.

A lot of women that I have had the privilege of treating and counseling have gone through pains and serious discomfort during sex that many of them wonder if they would ever be able to enjoy sex with their husbands and partners.

In my years of research and continuous study on the causes of pain during sex, I have come to realise that such pains are traceable to a lot of factors and they include:

1. Vaginal Infection

Some women do not really know they have been infected because apart from the well known STDs, there are certain vaginal infections that a woman can contact and these could lead to painful sex.

Infections like vaginal yeast infections and trichomoniasis are often present without noticeable symptoms.

However, during sexual intercourse, the rubbing motion of the penis against the vagina and genitalia sometimes causes the symptoms of these vaginal infections to manifest. Symptoms like stinging, burning and searing pains tend to intensify. Related to these could be genital herpes that can cause serious pain during sex.

2. Vaginal Irritation

Many of the products women use to wash their private parts, contain irritants that can cause vaginal irritation, leading to discomfort or pain during vaginal sexual intercourse. Some other causes of these irritation could be as a result of the use of contraceptive foams, lubricating creams, jellies, vaginal sprays, sanitary pads, detergents, deodorant soaps, and excessive vaginal douching.

Aside these, you could also react to some types of condoms.

3. Vaginal Dryness

Vaginal dryness often causes painful sexual intercourse. Normal vaginal lubrication is a given for most women; however, the vagina may be dry at certain times, making vaginal penetration painful. Lack of vaginal lubrication can be caused by several factors including

trying to achieve vaginal penetration too fast before enough stimulation has occurred to allow normal vaginal lubrication to take place, feeling nervous or tense about the sexual experience; this can slow the release of vaginal lubrication, using a condom without the addition of a vaginal lubricant, (Saliva is an acceptable for vaginal lubrication, but never use petroleum-based products, as they can deteriorate condoms and contribute to vaginal infections.)

Hormonal imbalance during menopause, the years preceding menopause, or following childbirth, can also add to pains you experience during sex.

4. Vaginal Tightness

This occasionally happens when you feel tense, or are not fully relaxed when penetration occurs. Difficulty penetrating a tight vagina can happen even when vaginal lubrication is not a problem.

The first few times you engage in sexual intercourse, the vagina may be tight due to an unstretched hymen, which can cause pain at the time of penetration.

Sometimes a more severe condition called vaginismus is responsible for vaginal tightness; women with vaginismus experience strong, involuntary muscle spasms of the vaginal muscles during sexual intercourse or vaginal penetration by any object, including fingers and tampons.

5. Pain of the Clitoris

The clitoris is the most sensitive part of the female genitalia. Gentle touching or rubbing of the clitoris is extremely pleasurable for some women, while it is unbearably painful for others.

Clitoral pain may also occur due to poor hygiene; vaginal secretions may collect under the clitoral hood and may lead to pain if not properly washed away.

6. Pelvic Pain

Occasionally, a woman will experience pelvic pain upon deep, thrusting penetration. Many conditions may cause this pain, including tears in the ligaments that support the uterus and the known causes for this include problems during childbirth, inappropriately performed abortion, previous violent sexual intercourse or rape, cervical, uterine, or tubal infections, such as pelvic inflammatory disease (PID).

7. Vulvodynia

This is a painful, and often hard to diagnose chronic condition that causes a burning and/or stinging sensation of the vulva and vagina.

Pain and discomfort are never part of normal sexual intercourse. If you experience pain during sex, don't be afraid to tell your partner who has no way of knowing that you're uncomfortable unless you talk about what you're feeling.

Also make sure to see your doctor for diagnosis and treatment of the underlying cause.