Why Does It Hurt When I Have Sex?
Let’s talk about (painful) sex baby.
Pain with sex is a taboo topic even amongst women. We are more likely to discuss a little bit of wee with laughing than not being able to have sex with our partner because of pain.
Dyspareunia is the term we give to painful sex.
It can either be:
Primary- from our first sexual encounter or
Secondary- occur after our first sexual encounter and develops over time
Painful sex can have many causes both physical and psychological including:
Active infection
Hypertonic or tight pelvic floor muscles
Not enough foreplay
Not enough natural lubrication (this can often be dependent on where we are in our menstrual cycle)
A history of painful periods or endometriosis
Increased nervous system sensitivity
Not feeling safe with our partner
Painful or negative associations with sex
Previous surgery within the pelvis leading to scar tissue formation
What do I do if I experience painful sex?
First things first, get to your GP and rule out any sign of active infection.
Then review with your women’s health physiotherapist.
What are my treatment options?
We will always start with education about what causes pain.
It is very important to understand why you can be in pain when you have been to GP’s and they have done scans but nothing is showing up as a cause.
Your pain is real, it is not all in your head, and we can explain why.
Once you understand why you are in pain, it can take away some of the fear that has been niggling in the back of your mind.
Treatment options from a physiotherapist can include:
Meditations and Body Scans
Pelvic Stretches
Breathing techniques
Dilators or Wands
Self- touch
Hormonal Treatment- we can’t prescribe but in some instances we may recommend you review with your GP for local vaginal estrogen to help with lubrication
Working alongside a psychologist or sexologist. Physio’s are great at helping the muscles relax, but if it is our thoughts and feelings and apprehension which switching these muscles on, working alongside a sexologist can help address this issue together.
Discussion about devices that can be used in the bedroom to help with painful sex, this can include products like OhNut or vibrators.
So if you experience painful sex, know that it is common but not normal, there are things that we can do to help and you don’t have to keep suffering in silence.
