Why does it hurt during sex?

Why does it hurt during sex?

Painful intercourse can occur for a number of reasons – ranging from structural problems to psychological concerns. Women experience painful intercourse atleast once in their entire lifetime.

The medical term for painful intercourse is dyspareunia. It is a persistent or recurrent genital pain that occurs just before, during or after intercourse.

Physical causes of painful intercourse differ, depending on whether the pain occurs at entry or with deep thrusting. Also, certain emotional factors can also be probable causes of painful sex.

Entry pain
Pain during penetration may be associated with a range of factors:

1. Insufficient lubrication
Insufficient lubrication is caused by a drop in estrogen levels after menopause, after child birth or during breast feeding. Certain medications inhibit desire or arousal, decreasing lubrication and making sex painful. These include antidepressants, high blood pressure medications, sedatives and certain birth control pills.

2. Injury, trauma or irritation
This can be injury from an accident, pelvic surgery, female circumcision or cut made during childbirth.

3. Infection or skin disorder
Infection in the genital area or urinary tract can cause painful intercourse. Eczema or other skin problems in the genital area can also cause problem.

Deep pain

1.  Certain illness and condition
These include endometriosis, pelvic inflammatory disease, uterine prolapse, retroverted uterus, cystitis, hemorrhoids and ovarian cysts.

2. Surgeries or medical treatment
Scarring from pelvic surgery can sometimes cause painful intercourse. Medical treatments for cancer, like radiation and chemotherapy can cause changes that make sex painful.

Emotional factors

1. Psychological problems
Anxiety, depression, concerns about physical appearance, fear of intimacy can contribute to a low level of arousal, resulting in discomfort or pain during sexual activity.

2. Stress and tension
You may have a million things to worry about in a day, but taking that tension to bed with you can lead to painful sex. Your pelvic floor muscle tightens in response to stress in your life. This can contribute to pain during intercourse.

3. History of sexual abuse
If you've had a history of some form of sexual abuse or are scared of sex, pain during intercourse because of your past experience(s) may be a possible cause for an unpleasant sexual experience in the present.