Why do I feel pain during sex? & bull; hello healthy

Pain during sex in women can occur for a variety of reasons, from physical problems to psychological worries. Many women have experienced painful sexual intercourse at least once in their life. The medical term for pain during sex is dyspareunia, which is defined as pain in the genitals that occurs before, during, and after sexual intercourse. To find out more about dyspareunia, let's take a look below.

Symptoms of pain during sex

If you have had painful sex, you may feel:

Painful only at the onset of penetration.
Pain with every penetration, even when inserting a tampon.
Pain that just appears during sexual intercourse, after previously being painless.
Deep pain during penetration.
Pain such as heat or pain.
Pulsed pain after sexual activity.

Causes of pain during sex

In many cases, a woman can have painful sex if the vagina doesn't have enough lubrication. When this happens, the pain can be relieved if the woman relaxes more, and warms up foreplay done before penetration, or if the partner uses additional lubricants. The following are the causes of pain during sex:

Vaginismus. This is a common condition, involving forceful spasm of the vaginal muscles. This is usually caused by a fear of being hurt.
Vaginal infection. This condition is also common, and includes a fungal infection.
Cervical problems. In this case, the penis can reach the cervix if penetration is maximal. So, a problem with the cervix, for example an infection, can cause pain when receiving deep penetration.
Uterine problems. These problems may include fibroids (abnormal growth of cells in the uterus), which can cause pain during deep penetration.
Endometriosis. This is a condition in which the tissue lining the uterus grows outside the uterus.
Ovarian problems. Problems that occur may be due to cysts on the ovaries.
Pelvic inflammatory disease. In the presence of pelvic inflammatory disease, the tissues that are inside get worse and become inflamed. What's more, with the stress of sexual intercourse, pain will arise.
Ectopic pregnancy. This is a pregnancy in which a fertilized egg develops outside the uterus.
Menopause. With the onset of menopause, the vaginal walls can lose normal moisture and become dry.
Sex that is too fast after surgery or childbirth.
Sexually transmitted diseases. These may include genital warts, herpes sores, or other sexually transmitted diseases.
Injury to the vulva or vagina. These injuries may include a tear during childbirth or from a tear made in the area between the vagina and anus during childbirth (episiotomy).

Emotional factor

Emotions are closely related to sexual activity and may play a role in any type of sexual pain. Emotional factors include:

Psychological problems. Anxiety, depression, concern about physical appearance, fear of sexual intercourse or problems in the relationship, can all contribute to decreased arousal and discomfort or pain during sex.
Stress. Your pelvic muscles tend to constrict when it comes to sexual activity with stressful conditions. And this will make pain during sex.
History of sexual harassment. Most women who experience pain during sex have never been sexually assaulted, but if they have been abused it can also play a role.

Sometimes, it can be very difficult to tell whether the pain during sex is due to physical factors or psychological factors. However, if left untreated, the initial pain can lead to repeated fear of sexual intercourse, preventing a person from relaxing and causing more pain.