The candles are lit. Soft music is playing in the background. The mood is set. But instead of enjoying a romantic moment, all you can think is “ouch!”
Believe it or not, most women have experienced painful sex. While not uncommon, pain during intercourse should be addressed.
Sexual health researcher Dr. Debra Herbenick tells Prevention magazine:
“Pain during sex not only ruins the moment, it can have much greater consequences: fear of sex, lowered sex drive, and overall loss of intimacy… Pain is your body’s way of signaling that something is wrong. It’s a cue to take a step back and figure out what’s happening.”
So, what is happening? Here are some common causes of painful sex:
- Not enough lubricant
- Vaginal muscle spasms (vaginismus)
- Too much stress
- Infections (UTI, yeast infection or STI)
- Not fully healed from childbirth
- Menopause
- Endometriosis
Talk to your gynecologist if painful sex is a persisting problem.