Almost half of all women feel pain during or after sex some or all of the time, according to new research. If you're one of them, don't suffer in silence. "Many women are embarrassed to bring it up, but they shouldn't be — doctors have lots of remedies for painful sex," says Timothy P. Canavan, M.D., an ob/gyn professor at the University of Pittsburgh Medical School. Use our guide to find the source of your pain — and the solution.
Painful Sex: Causes and Solutions 1-3
1. How it hurts: You feel a sharp, stabbing pain on one side of your pelvis during deep penetration. You may also feel a dull ache during your period.
The possible cause: An ovarian cyst — a fluid-filled growth that affects about 30 percent of premenopausal women.
What to do: Most cysts are harmless and disappear by themselves within two or three menstrual cycles, says Canavan. Your doctor will probably do an ultrasound to confirm the diagnosis and ask you to check back two months later if sex still hurts. In the meantime, take 400 mg of ibuprofen one hour before intercourse to relieve discomfort and try having sex with you on top, a position that allows you to control the depth of penetration.
2. How it hurts: Your genitals feel itchy, irritated, and sensitive, especially to the touch. After intercourse, your vagina looks red and inflamed, and feels as if it's on fire.
The possible cause: A yeast infection, which triggers pain during sex in about a quarter of sufferers. Don't wait until you see the telltale cottage cheese-like discharge before seeking help. "It's a myth that this discharge always accompanies a yeast infection," says Elizabeth G. Stewart, M.D., an ob/gyn and coauthor of The V Book. "Sometimes pain is your only clue." Other possible culprits: feminine hygiene sprays, scented pads, perfumed soap, or bath oils — all of which can irritate your vagina.
What to do: See your ob/gyn, who will confirm whether you have a yeast infection, and if you do, will prescribe medication. As for skin irritation: No woman should use feminine hygiene sprays, because they often trigger rashes. If you have sensitive skin, buy unscented sanitary pads, use only mild, hypoallergenic soaps and launder your underwear with fragrance-free detergent. An over-the-counter cortisone cream or Vagisil can relieve tenderness and itching.
3. How it hurts: Your perineum — the area where you may have had a deep tear or an episiotomy when giving birth — feels taut, tender and painful during initial penetration.
The possible cause: Rigid, hard scar tissue due to that tear or episiotomy. Women who have either during childbirth are 80 percent more likely to report painful sex three months later than those who didn't experience tissue damage during delivery, reports a study from Harvard Medical School.
What to do: Massage the painful area once a day for a few minutes using a water-based lubricant. "This helps desensitize the nerve endings and makes the skin more pliable, easing penetration," says John F. Steege, M.D., an ob/gyn professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. If the area is very sensitive, ask your doctor for a prescription cream with lidocaine, a numbing agent that will make intercourse less painful. Still no relief? Consider minor surgery to remove scar tissue.
Painful Sex: Causes and Solutions 1-3
1. How it hurts: You feel a sharp, stabbing pain on one side of your pelvis during deep penetration. You may also feel a dull ache during your period.
The possible cause: An ovarian cyst — a fluid-filled growth that affects about 30 percent of premenopausal women.
What to do: Most cysts are harmless and disappear by themselves within two or three menstrual cycles, says Canavan. Your doctor will probably do an ultrasound to confirm the diagnosis and ask you to check back two months later if sex still hurts. In the meantime, take 400 mg of ibuprofen one hour before intercourse to relieve discomfort and try having sex with you on top, a position that allows you to control the depth of penetration.
2. How it hurts: Your genitals feel itchy, irritated, and sensitive, especially to the touch. After intercourse, your vagina looks red and inflamed, and feels as if it's on fire.
The possible cause: A yeast infection, which triggers pain during sex in about a quarter of sufferers. Don't wait until you see the telltale cottage cheese-like discharge before seeking help. "It's a myth that this discharge always accompanies a yeast infection," says Elizabeth G. Stewart, M.D., an ob/gyn and coauthor of The V Book. "Sometimes pain is your only clue." Other possible culprits: feminine hygiene sprays, scented pads, perfumed soap, or bath oils — all of which can irritate your vagina.
What to do: See your ob/gyn, who will confirm whether you have a yeast infection, and if you do, will prescribe medication. As for skin irritation: No woman should use feminine hygiene sprays, because they often trigger rashes. If you have sensitive skin, buy unscented sanitary pads, use only mild, hypoallergenic soaps and launder your underwear with fragrance-free detergent. An over-the-counter cortisone cream or Vagisil can relieve tenderness and itching.
3. How it hurts: Your perineum — the area where you may have had a deep tear or an episiotomy when giving birth — feels taut, tender and painful during initial penetration.
The possible cause: Rigid, hard scar tissue due to that tear or episiotomy. Women who have either during childbirth are 80 percent more likely to report painful sex three months later than those who didn't experience tissue damage during delivery, reports a study from Harvard Medical School.
What to do: Massage the painful area once a day for a few minutes using a water-based lubricant. "This helps desensitize the nerve endings and makes the skin more pliable, easing penetration," says John F. Steege, M.D., an ob/gyn professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. If the area is very sensitive, ask your doctor for a prescription cream with lidocaine, a numbing agent that will make intercourse less painful. Still no relief? Consider minor surgery to remove scar tissue.
4. How it hurts: During sex, it feels as if his penis is bumping into something. You may also have heavy periods, spotting, back pain and an increased need to urinate.
The possible cause: Uterine fibroids — areas of benign tissue that grow on the uterine wall. Women with fibroids are almost three times more likely to report painful sex than those without them, and up to 40 percent of women in their 30s and 40s are plagued by these growths. Researchers aren't sure what causes fibroids, but many believe estrogen stimulates their development.
What to do: Get an ultrasound to see if you have fibroids, which range in size from a pea to a grapefruit. Once their size and location is determined, your doctor will discuss treatment options with you. Hysterectomy is the most effective way to remove them, but there are less invasive options, such as having an IUD inserted to shrink growths or uterine fibroid embolization (a nonsurgical treatment that shrinks fibroids by blocking blood flow to them).
5. How it hurts: His penis doesn't easily glide inside you; the friction of thrusting is painful and leaves your vagina feeling tender and irritated.
The possible cause: Vaginal dryness, which plagues 25 percent of women at some point in their lives. Common culprits: antidepressants or the Pill (either can lower libido, making it tough for you to get aroused and lubricated), breast-feeding (when nursing, estrogen levels are low, leading to dryness), or menopause (your production of estrogen, and thus lubrication, may drop).
What to do: Use a water-based lubricant, such as K-Y, during sex.
6. How it hurts: Your genitals burn and sting, nearly all the time. Both foreplay and intercourse are painful; so is riding a bike, inserting a tampon, and sitting for a long time.
The possible cause: Vulvodynia — a painful condition that can affect the entire vulvar region or, in some cases, is concentrated at the vaginal opening. The problem appears to occur when vulvar nerve endings become irritated. Although experts aren't sure why, vaginal rashes, frequent yeast infections and the use of antibiotics may initially trigger the syndrome.
What to do: Treatment can be difficult to come by. A large Harvard study found that 60 percent of sufferers who sought help saw three or more doctors, and many still did not get an accurate diagnosis. Unfortunately, many doctors believe the symptoms of vulvodynia are all in a woman's head. First, find a clinician who takes your symptoms seriously. Most women do best with multiple treatments — a combination of low-dose antidepressants, pain medication, and physical therapy.
7. How it hurts: When aroused you feel a hot, throbbing ache in one of your vaginal lips, which doesn't subside until hours after sex. You may see or feel a bulge the size of a marble on your vagina.
The possible cause: A blockage in a gland you probably didn't even know you had! The Bartholin's glands — two pea-size organs located on each of the vaginal lips — pump out lubrication upon arousal and can get clogged or infected. Experts don't know why some women suddenly experience trouble.
What to do: Your doctor will perform an in-office procedure to get rid of the blockage. First she'll numb the area with an anesthetic spray, then she'll make a tiny cut in the gland to release built-up fluid. Stitches are placed at the edge of the incision to allow a small permanent opening to form, so the gland can drain well from now on. It takes two to three weeks to heal (sorry — you can't have sex during this time).
8. How it hurts: You feel a sharp, stabbing pain throughout your entire lower abdomen during deep thrusting, after sex, and occasionally at other times, such as before your period.
The possible cause: Endometriosis — some 15 percent of women in their childbearing years suffer from this disease, in which tissue that lines the uterus attaches to organs in the pelvis, triggering pain.
What to do: Endometriosis can cause infertility, so if you're having difficulty conceiving, you'll need to undergo a minor surgical procedure to determine the severity of the disease and the best treatment. Women who have no fertility concerns or milder pain should first get relief by going on the Pill.
9. How it hurts: You feel a generalized ache between your hips during intercourse and/or you have a constant urge to urinate and it stings when you do.
The possible cause: A urinary tract infection (UTI) — 44 percent of women with UTIs suffer from pain during sex, according to one study.
What to do: See your ob/gyn or regular doctor, who will check your urine for an infection and prescribe antibiotics if you test positive. If you suffer from chronic infections, ask your doc to prescribe antibiotics for your partner, too: Research indicates that treating both of you (so you don't pass the infection back and forth to each other) increases the odds of getting rid of painful UTIs.
Very nice article and I am Obat Aborsi very happy to meet with your blog, the articles are very interesting, thank you for share very amazing article and I wait for the next quality articles...Jual Obat Bius
ReplyDeleteSometimes,Life can be very displeasing especially when we loose the ones we love and cherish so much. in this kind of situation where one loses his/her soul mate there are several dangers engage in it. one may no longer be able to do the things he was doing before then success will be very scarce and happiness will be rare. that person was created to be with you for without him things may fall apart. That was my experience late last year. but thank god today i am happy with him again. all thanks goes to Dr. Osaze, i was nearly loosing hope until i saw an article on how Dr. Osaze could cast a love spell to make lovers come back. There is no harm in trying, i said to my self. i contacted him via email: "spirituaullove @ hotmail. com" words will not be enough to appreciate what he has done for me. i have promised to share the good news as long as i live.
ReplyDelete