At Philadelphia Women’s Health & Wellness, we encourage all of the women in our care to turn to us with any reproductive health concerns. That includes sexual health issues. Far too many women accept painful sex as something they have to simply accept and adjust to.
In reality, sex should never be painful. Pain is the body’s way of communicating that something is wrong. If you have significant or ongoing discomfort during intimacy, let us help you find the cause and explore treatment options.
The essential function of sex is procreation, without which the human race would not survive. But sex goes far beyond that simple goal, and encompasses many aspects of health and wellness.
Your body is designed to experience pleasure during sex and to anticipate sexual encounters with excitement. Plenty of things can change the role that sex plays in your life, like the stress of a new job, the demands of motherhood, and fluctuating hormone levels.
But that doesn’t mean that a healthy sex life isn’t still something worth nurturing. If discomfort or pain is preventing you from making the most of your sexual encounters, you deserve to find out why and to begin a path toward more enjoyable sex.
When a woman is aroused, her body creates natural lubrication to make penetrative sex more comfortable for both partners. Without this lubrication, friction levels can quickly go beyond pleasure and into pain.
Many factors can affect natural lubrication levels. Declining estrogen production, certain medications, stress, and even relationship struggles can have an impact on how your body prepares for penetrative sex.
Occasional discomfort caused by excessive friction can often be managed with over-the-counter lubricants. Couples can also extend the time spent in foreplay to give the body time to react. Women going through menopause might consider hormone replacement therapy or vaginal estrogen treatment to increase lubrication.
Aside from lubrication, there are a number of additional factors that could be changing the enjoyment you feel during sex. But first, let’s talk about the many ways painful sex might feel. Some descriptions of painful sex include:
Sometimes it’s not clear where in the pelvic region the pain is originating. That’s because the problem might arise in the pelvic floor muscles, the uterus, or the ligaments supporting the uterus and other reproductive organs. The bladder can also play a role in painful sex.
Diagnosing the cause of painful sex can be complicated, as many women’s health issues share similar symptoms. But when you rely on the team at Philadelphia Women’s Health & Wellness, you can rest assured that our practitioners will take your concerns seriously and work hard to determine what is causing the problem.
Some common causes of painful sex include:
This is far from a comprehensive list. There is a wide range of issues that can cause pain during or after sex. Fortunately, there are also treatment options for each.
Everyone deserves to enjoy sex, as well as the connection and intimacy sex helps strengthen within a relationship. If you’re experiencing changes in your comfort level during sex, we can help.
Reach out to the team at Philadelphia Women’s Health & Wellness to schedule a visit. We offer online booking, but you can also call us to check available appointment times.
