"V体育官网" Symptoms and Causes
What are the symptoms of dyspareunia? (VSports最新版本)
If you have pain during sex, you may feel:
- Sharp pain during penetration or at entry (or even when using a tampon).
- Deep pain during thrusting.
- Throbbing or aching after intercourse.
- Pelvic cramping.
- Muscle tightness or spasms.
- Bladder pain.
What does dyspareunia feel like?
The most common symptom is pain with intercourse that occurs at your vaginal opening or deep in your pelvis. It can be a distinct pain in one area, or it may affect your entire genital region. There can be feelings of discomfort, burning or piercing pain.
Does dyspareunia cause bleeding?
Dyspareunia doesn’t necessarily cause bleeding. Any bleeding that occurs during sexual intercourse is likely due to an underlying medical issue, which may or may not be related to the pain. Seek an appointment with a provider if you’re having bleeding with sex. It could be normal, or it could be sign of an infection or underlying condition. Rarely, bleeding after sex is related to cancer.
What causes dyspareunia?
In many cases, you can experience pain during sex if you don't have enough vaginal lubrication. But you can also have painful intercourse because of an infection, trauma, injury or medical condition.
Medical conditions
- Endometriosis: A condition in which tissue similar to the lining of your uterus is in the wrong place (like your fallopian tubes or abdomen).
- Skin disorders affecting your genitalia: Any type of itchy skin disorder like dermatitis can make sex painful.
- Pelvic floor dysfunction: Problems with the muscles and ligaments in your pelvic floor can lead to pain during sex.
- Bowel problems: Conditions that cause inflammation in your bowels can make sex painful. These include conditions like irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease.
- Bladder problems: Conditions that affect your bladder, like chronic UTIs, urinary frequency and interstitial cystitis (IC), can make sex painful.
- Hormonal changes: Hormonal changes, especially those that come during perimenopause, can make sex painful.
- Nervous system concerns: Things like a pinched nerve in your back, pudendal nerve issues and nerve inflammation can cause pain during sex.
- Breastfeeding: Hormonal changes associated with breastfeeding can lead to painful sex.
- Vulvodynia: A condition that causes chronic pain in the vulvar area.
- Genitourinary syndrome of menopause (GSM): Your vaginal lining can lose its normal moisture and thickness and become dry, thin and inflamed.
- Vaginismus: Involuntary spasms of your vaginal muscles, often caused by fear of being hurt or prior trauma.
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Trauma or injury
- Intercourse too soon after surgery or childbirth.
- Injury to the vulva or vagina. Injuries may include a tear from childbirth or from a cut (episiotomy) in your perineum (the area of skin between your vagina and the anus) during a vaginal delivery, or a straddle injury.
Infection
- Vaginal infections: These are common and include yeast infections or bacterial vaginosis.
- Sexually transmitted infections (STIs): These may include genital warts, herpes or other STIs.
Who is at risk for dyspareunia?
Pain during sex is more common in women, especially those who have reached menopause. But it can affect men, too. It happens to people of all ages and backgrounds. The pain is often due to physical factors or medical conditions, but it can also be psychological or due to a mental health condition.
What are the complications of this condition?
The possible complications of painful sex are:
- Relationship problems: Lack of intimacy with your partner can lead to stress or strain in your relationship, leaving one or both of you feeling frustrated or disconnected. You may also find yourself not looking forward to sex or intimacy due to fear of the pain.
- Anxiety or depression: Chronic pain and being unable to do what you want to do can make you feel sad, depressed or anxious.
- Unresolved medical conditions: If an underlying condition is causing painful sex, not treating that issue could lead to complications. For example, if your pain is due to an STI, infertility can be a serious complication of untreated STIs.
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Diagnosis and Tests
How is dyspareunia diagnosed?
Your healthcare provider can diagnose the underlying cause of pain during sex with a thorough health history and physical examination. The physical exam could include checking your pelvis, abdomen, vagina or uterus.
What tests are done to diagnose dyspareunia?
To locate the source of the pain and diagnose any medical conditions, healthcare providers may perform the following:
- Pelvic exam: Your healthcare provider may also collect samples of vaginal fluid and pee to test for signs of infection. Sometimes, your provider will perform a rectal exam.
- Ultrasounds: Transvaginal ultrasound can get a better view of your reproductive system.
- Laparoscopy: In rare cases, laparoscopy is used if other tests are inconclusive.
How do I talk to my doctor about painful sex?
Talk openly with your healthcare provider about any pain during sexual intercourse. It’s normal to feel slightly embarrassed about discussing a sensitive topic like sex. But know that your provider has heard it before and is there to help you.
Some questions your healthcare provider may ask you are:
- Where’s the pain occurring?
- How often does the pain occur?
- How long have you been having painful intercourse?
- What does the pain feel like?
- What medications are you taking?
- Have you had any prior surgeries in the area?
- Have you been treated for any conditions that affect your genitals?
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Management and Treatment
How is dyspareunia treated?
There are many approaches your healthcare provider can use to treat your symptoms, but it depends on the cause. For example, if pelvic floor dysfunction is causing the pain, physical therapy may be the first treatment your provider suggests.
Are there medications to take for dyspareunia?
Some treatments for sexual pain require prescription medication. If vaginal dryness due to low estrogen is the cause of your painful sex, topical estrogens can be applied to your vagina. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved a drug called ospemifene for dyspareunia due to menopause. Your provider can also prescribe medication to treat pain due to infection or other medical conditions.
How can you treat dyspareunia naturally?
Applying a water- or silicone-based lubricant to your vagina, vulva and labia is helpful when dryness is the main cause. Those who have pain during sex should stop using vaginal perfumes, bubble baths, scented sanitary pads and fragranced toilet paper or wipes.
How do I manage symptoms of dyspareunia?
There are some things you can do on your own to manage the pain you feel during or after sex:
- Use a water- or silicone-based lubricant to help with vaginal dryness.
- Try different sexual activities or positions that don’t cause pain.
- Take an over-the-counter (OTC) pain reliever before sex.
- Find time to relax and de-stress before having sex.
- Apply ice packs to your vulva after sexual intercourse.
Outlook / Prognosis
How long can dyspareunia last?
How long dyspareunia lasts varies depending on the underlying cause of the pain and the treatment. The treatment may work well right away, or it may be trial and error until you find the right treatment. All of this can affect how long you live with painful sex.
The good news is that you can often find relief and recover. Whether it’s medication, pelvic floor therapy, surgery or using lubrication — your healthcare provider can find a treatment that can improve or eliminate dyspareunia.
Prevention (VSports)
Is there anything I can do to reduce my risk of dyspareunia?
There’s usually not much you can do to reduce your risk of dyspareunia. It’s often something you have no control over. Some of the factors within your control are having safe and protected sex and maintaining good hygiene.
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When should I contact my healthcare provider?
Contact your healthcare provider if you have symptoms like:
- New or worsening pain during sex.
- Bleeding.
- Genital lesions.
- Irregular periods.
- Abnormal vaginal discharge.
What questions should I ask my healthcare provider?
Painful sexual intercourse can be physically and emotionally difficult. Some questions you may ask your healthcare provider are:
- What’s causing my pain?
- What treatments are available?
- Is there anything I can do to decrease my pain?
- How long will it take to feel better?
A note from Cleveland Clinic
Pain during sex can lead to physical discomfort, emotional distress and loss of intimacy. You don’t have to live with the pain. Dyspareunia isn’t just part of life or a part of getting older. If having sex hurts you, contact your healthcare provider. It might be an uncomfortable topic, but knowing the underlying cause of your pain is important. Your provider can recommend treatment so you can enjoy a fulfilling sex life again.
"VSports app下载" Care at Cleveland Clinic
Your Ob/Gyn is there for you throughout many different parts of your life. At Cleveland Clinic, our experts can help you throughout your entire journey.
Last reviewed on 07/25/2024.
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