Intercourse Pain Treatment for women

men's clinic arcadia

Treatment for Painful Intercourse in Women

Causes and Solutions for Painful Intercourse

Intercourse Pain Treatment for women. Sexual intimacy is meant to be an enjoyable experience that draws you and your partner closer together. But when sex becomes painful, you may find yourself doing anything and everything just to avoid it.

While there’s no doubt that painful intercourse can have a major impact on your life and your relationship with your partner, it’s nothing to agonize over or feel embarrassed about. This fairly common problem — three in four women experience pain during sex at some point in their lives — can usually be resolved with the right approach.

Here at Women’s Healthcare of Princeton in Princeton, New Jersey, we’ve helped many women overcome painful intercourse and restore their sexual health, and we’re confident that we can help you, too.

The signs and symptoms of dyspareunia

Dyspareunia, or frequent pain during intercourse, involves feeling pain at any point just before, during, or following sex. This pain may affect part of your vagina, or you may feel it in your pelvic region, lower back, uterus, or bladder.

Some women feel pain only during sexual penetration, while others feel discomfort even when using tampons. You may experience deep pain with each thrust, or your pain may slowly emerge following normal sex. Some women continue to feel throbbing or burning pain long after intercourse.

Men’s Clinic International Pretoria, Johannesburg, cape town, kokstad, Durban, Soweto, Sandton, Rustenburg, midrand, centurion, mthatha, east London, Maseru, manzini, polokwane, Bloemfontein, carletonville, bellville, marshalltown, katlehong, vereeniging, brits, ermelo, giyani, port Elizabeth, benoni, mayfair, kempton park, mamelodi deals with any sexual problems that are related to Weak Erections, Early Ejaculation, Low Libido, STIs, or Circumcision. Do get in touch with us to book a consultation with our professional doctors who specialize in Men’s Sexual Health.

Possible causes of painful intercourse

Pain during sex happens to women for many different reasons, including physical problems, gynecological conditions, and emotional issues.

Emotions that inhibit arousal and interfere with lubrication can make intercourse painful, especially if those emotions make it difficult to relax. Shyness, embarrassment, sexual anxiety, and a lack of body confidence are just a few causes of emotions that might get in the way of a normal physical response.

Shifting hormones is another thing that can disrupt your body’s sexual response and make intercourse uncomfortable. Low estrogen levels mean that women are more likely to experience vaginal dryness — and painful intercourse — as they approach menopause, but menopause isn’t the only time a woman’s estrogen levels might decline.

Some women experience vaginal dryness and painful intercourse following childbirth, as their hormone levels slowly recover; breastfeeding mothers may experience similar symptoms for as long as they continue to nurse. Receiving treatment for breast or ovarian cancer also can affect estrogen levels and lead to painful sex.

Other possible causes of discomfort during intercourse include pelvic floor muscle dysfunction, nerve damage, perineum trauma, and vaginismus — or the involuntary tightening of vaginal muscles during sex.

Treatment solutions for sexual discomfort

Finding the right solution for sex-related pain depends on its underlying cause. If that cause isn’t readily apparent, a more exhaustive investigation can often reveal the reason for persistent discomfort.

In addition to performing a comprehensive physical exam, including a pelvic exam, we ask about your medical history to find out if you have any conditions or take any medications that may obstruct your normal sexual response. We also ask about your sexual history, to find out if any events in your past affect how you feel about sex.

Effective treatment for one woman may simply mean changing a prescription medication that interferes with natural lubrication, while a woman who’s living with the aftereffects of an episiotomy or perineum tear from a recent childbirth may get the best results from physical therapy or surgery.

Hormone replacement therapy (HRT), or the supplementation of reproductive hormones that your body no longer makes, has long been the go-to treatment option for menopausal women affected by vaginal dryness and sexual pain.

Although HRT in the form of low-dose topical vaginal estrogen can be highly effective for some women, it’s a short-term solution that isn’t medically appropriate for all women.

You should avoid HRT if you have a personal or family history of heart disease and related risk factors like high cholesterol and high triglycerides; you also should avoid it if you have a personal or family history of breast cancer, blood clots, stroke, gallbladder disease, or liver disease.

Laser therapy for vaginal health

If you’re looking for a safe, non-invasive way to address painful intercourse brought on by low estrogen levels, MonaLisa Touch® laser therapy is an innovative and highly effective long-term solution.

In addition to eliminating vaginal dryness without the need for messy lubricants, hormone replacement therapy, or surgery, laser therapy also helps prevent further complications, including vaginal atrophy.

MonaLisa Touch uses fractional CO2 laser technology to revitalize the tissues that line the vaginal canal. By restoring proper trophic balance to these tissues, the treatment directly addresses the underlying conditions that cause painful sex.

In just three quick treatment sessions, MonaLisa Touch activates the production of new collagen and revitalizes the vaginal mucosa to help restore normal vaginal functional and pain-free sexual intimacy.

MonaLisa Touch is successful for nearly 90% of women affected by hormone-induced vaginal dryness and sexual pain, and it’s an excellent solution for younger women, cancer patients, and other women who can’t safely receive HRT.

We’re proud that Women’s Healthcare of Princeton was one of the first medical practices in the United States to offer MonaLisa Touch laser therapy, and our expert team has helped countless women put an end to painful intercourse, improve sexual health, and find renewed intimacy with their partners.

 Intercourse pain causes and solution

Sexual intimacy is meant to be an enjoyable experience that draws you and your partner closer together. But when sex becomes painful, you may find yourself doing anything and everything just to avoid it.

While there’s no doubt that painful intercourse can have a major impact on your life and your relationship with your partner, it’s nothing to agonize over or feel embarrassed about. This fairly common problem — three in four women experience pain during sex at some point in their lives — can usually be resolved with the right approach.

Here at Women’s Healthcare of Princeton in Princeton, New Jersey, we’ve helped many women overcome painful intercourse and restore their sexual health, and we’re confident that we can help you, too.

The signs and symptoms of dyspareunia

Dyspareunia, or frequent pain during intercourse, involves feeling pain at any point just before, during, or following sex. This pain may affect part of your vagina, or you may feel it in your pelvic region, lower back, uterus, or bladder.

Some women feel pain only during sexual penetration, while others feel discomfort even when using tampons. You may experience deep pain with each thrust, or your pain may slowly emerge following normal sex. Some women continue to feel throbbing or burning pain long after intercourse.

Possible causes of painful intercourse

Pain during sex happens to women for many different reasons, including physical problems, gynecological conditions, and emotional issues.

Emotions that inhibit arousal and interfere with lubrication can make intercourse painful, especially if those emotions make it difficult to relax. Shyness, embarrassment, sexual anxiety, and a lack of body confidence are just a few causes of emotions that might get in the way of a normal physical response.

Shifting hormones is another thing that can disrupt your body’s sexual response and make intercourse uncomfortable. Low estrogen levels mean that women are more likely to experience vaginal dryness — and painful intercourse — as they approach menopause, but menopause isn’t the only time a woman’s estrogen levels might decline.

Some women experience vaginal dryness and painful intercourse following childbirth, as their hormone levels slowly recover; breastfeeding mothers may experience similar symptoms for as long as they continue to nurse. Receiving treatment for breast or ovarian cancer also can affect estrogen levels and lead to painful sex.

Other possible causes of discomfort during intercourse include pelvic floor muscle dysfunction, nerve damage, perineum trauma, and vaginismus — or the involuntary tightening of vaginal muscles during sex.

Treatment solutions for sexual discomfort

Finding the right solution for sex-related pain depends on its underlying cause. If that cause isn’t readily apparent, a more exhaustive investigation can often reveal the reason for persistent discomfort.

In addition to performing a comprehensive physical exam, including a pelvic exam, we ask about your medical history to find out if you have any conditions or take any medications that may obstruct your normal sexual response. We also ask about your sexual history, to find out if any events in your past affect how you feel about sex.

Effective treatment for one woman may simply mean changing a prescription medication that interferes with natural lubrication, while a woman who’s living with the aftereffects of an episiotomy or perineum tear from recent childbirth may get the best results from physical therapy or surgery.

Hormone replacement therapy (HRT), or the supplementation of reproductive hormones that your body no longer makes, has long been the go-to treatment option for menopausal women affected by vaginal dryness and sexual pain.

Although HRT in the form of low-dose topical vaginal estrogen can be highly effective for some women, it’s a short-term solution that isn’t medically appropriate for all women.

You should avoid HRT if you have a personal or family history of heart disease and related risk factors like high cholesterol and high triglycerides; you also should avoid it if you have a personal or family history of breast cancer, blood clots, stroke, gallbladder disease, or liver disease.

Laser therapy for vaginal health

If you’re looking for a safe, non-invasive way to address painful intercourse brought on by low estrogen levels, MonaLisa Touch® laser therapy is an innovative and highly effective long-term solution.

In addition to eliminating vaginal dryness without the need for messy lubricants, hormone replacement therapy, or surgery, laser therapy also helps prevent further complications, including vaginal atrophy.

MonaLisa Touch uses fractional CO2 laser technology to revitalize the tissues that line the vaginal canal. By restoring proper trophic balance to these tissues, the treatment directly addresses the underlying conditions that cause painful sex.

In just three quick treatment sessions, MonaLisa Touch activates the production of new collagen and revitalizes the vaginal mucosa to help restore normal vaginal functional and pain-free sexual intimacy.

MonaLisa Touch is successful for nearly 90% of women affected by hormone-induced vaginal dryness and sexual pain, and it’s an excellent solution for younger women, cancer patients, and other women who can’t safely receive HRT.

We’re proud that Women’s Healthcare of Princeton was one of the first medical practices in the United States to offer MonaLisa Touch laser therapy, and our expert team has helped countless women put an end to painful intercourse, improve sexual health, and find renewed intimacy with their partners.

Medical Treatment

Treatment of pain during intercourse depends on the cause.

  • Pain at initial penetration may be treated when the cause is identified.
    • Atrophy (thinning of the vaginal walls): Entrance pain caused by atrophy is common among postmenopausal women who do not take hormone replacement medication. Blood flow, lubrication, and tissue thickness and elasticity respond directly to hormone replacement. The most rapid relief of atrophy comes from applying topical estrogen vaginal cream directly to the vagina and its opening. This cream is available by prescription only. Over-the-counter lubricants and moisturizers can also be helpful. An oral drug taken once a day, ospemifene (Osphena), makes vaginal tissue thicker and less fragile, resulting in less pain for women during sex. The FDA warns that Osphena can thicken the endometrium (the lining of the uterus) and raise the risk of stroke and blood clots.
    • Urethritis and urethral syndrome: With this condition, a woman may urinate frequently with urgency, pain, and difficulty, but a urinalysis can find no identifiable bacteria. These symptoms may be caused by chronic inflammation of the urethra (the tube through which urine exits the body), from muscle spasms, anxiety, low estrogen levels, or a combination of these causes. Using a special instrument, the doctor may dilate the urethra if it is narrowed. The doctor may prescribe low-dose antibiotics. At times, antidepressants and antispasmodics may also be prescribed.
    • Inadequate lubrication: Treatment of inadequate lubrication depends on the cause. Treatment options include water-soluble lubricants (for use with condoms; other types of lubricants may damage condoms) or other substances such as vegetable oils. If arousal does not take place, more extensive foreplay might be needed during sexual relations.
    • Vaginismus: Painful spasms of muscles at the opening of the vagina may be an involuntary but appropriate response to painful stimuli. These spasms may be due to several factors, including painful insertion, previous painful experiences, previous abuse, or an unresolved conflict regarding sexuality. For a woman with vaginismus, her doctor may recommend behavioral therapy, including vaginal relaxation exercises.
    • Vaginal strictures (abnormal narrowing): Doctors commonly see vaginal strictures after pelvic surgery, radiation, or menopause. Estrogen, or special surgical techniques may be used to treat these strictures.
    • Interstitial cystitis: This chronic inflammation of the bladder has no known cause (result of the breakdown of the GAG, or protective layer, of the bladder); however, pain with intercourse is a common symptom. It can be diagnosed with a potassium leak test or a cystoscopy. A cystoscopy is a procedure to look inside the bladder and may distend (stretch) the bladder to examine the bladder wall. Cystoscopy often works to clear the condition. Other treatments include amitriptyline (Elavil), nifedipine (Procardia), pentosan polysulfate sodium (Elmiron), or other prescription drugs. Other options include bladder washings with dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) or other agents or transcutaneous electric stimulation (TENS) and acupuncture. Endometriosis: Endometriosis occurs when some of the tissue that lines the uterus is found outside the uterus. Pain during intercourse caused by endometriosis is not uncommon.
    • Vulvovaginitis (inflammation of the vulva and vagina): Whether recurrent or chronic, this problem is common despite the rise in the number of over-the-counter treatments.
      • If not responsive to self-treatment with lubricating gels or initial treatment by a doctor, a woman may need a more thorough evaluation to identify the cause.
      • A doctor may ask the woman if she uses antibiotic or antifungal medication or if she douches. If so, these practices should be stopped to help determine whether a specific disease-causing organism is present.
      • Treatment is based on the presence of bacteria or other organisms. Often, no single organism is identified. The doctor may talk to the woman about proper hygiene.
      • If recurring symptoms are shared with a sexual partner, both individuals should be tested for sexually transmitted diseases (STDs).
      • A doctor considers the possibility of intermittent urethral infection with chlamydia, an STD, as well as a more obvious urinary tract infection, and then treats with the appropriate antibiotics.
  • Treatment for deep thrust pain includes two strategies:
    • Checking for pelvic adhesions (tissue that has become stuck together, sometimes developing after surgery) that may cause pain with intercourse and surgically removing them.
    • Checking for ovarian cysts, pelvic inflammatory disease, endometriosis, uterine prolapse, or retroversion of the uterus (uterus is tilted backward instead of forwarding).

Home Remedies for Painful Intercourse

Applying lubricating gels to the outer sexual organs, including the vulva and labia, and in the vagina, may be helpful to women and ease pain during intercourse. Intercourse position changes may also help.” Sex toys, such as vibrators, may also be useful. A woman should talk with her healthcare provider before attempting to use a vaginal dilator.

Men’s Clinic International deals with any sexual problems that are related to Weak Erections, Early Ejaculation, Low Libido, STIs, Circumcision, penis enlargement. Do get in touch with us to book a consultation with our professional doctors who specialize in Men’s Sexual Health.

Leave a Reply

Call Now

Discover more from Men's Clinic in Pretoria

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading

WhatsApp us