What causes painful intercourse?

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Painful sex, also known as dyspareunia, can be caused by:

 

• A vaginal infection such as thrush or a sexually transmitted infection.

• Genital irritation from soaps and irritants.

• Vaginismus, a condition where the vaginal muscles over tighten making intercourse painful or not possible.

• Changing hormone levels due to the menopause. As women reach menopause, Oestrogen levels fall, which can result in dryness and thinning of the vagina and cause painful intercourse.

 

If you experience pain during or after intercourse, get checked out and get treated for the underlying cause.

 

What are the symptoms of painful intercourse?

 

Some women describe the discomfort as a soreness or burning sensation in their vagina.

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What are the treatment options for painful intercourse?​

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Treatment depends on what is causing the pain.

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It is best to see a Gynaecologist Consultant to establish the cause of the symptoms and rule out anything serious.

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