Painful intercourse
When pleasure turns to pain.
Painful intercourse: when pleasure turns to pain
If you suffer from painful intercourse, know you’re not alone. Also known as dyspareunia, the symptoms are real and the consequences can be life-changing. Putting a screeching halt in the bedroom, painful intercourse affects relationships, self-esteem and quality of life. Let’s look closer at the causes and symptoms and the good news on modern treatment options.
Why does intercourse become painful?
Painful intercourse occurs over time due to physical or emotional factors. By far the most common reason for dyspareunia for women over 50 is low estrogen which causes vaginal atrophy. This atrophy, in turn, causes dryness, lack of lubrication and general irritation. It makes sex not fun anymore and can increase the risk of urinary tract infections (UTIs) and other conditions.
Here are some other sources of painful intercourse due to physical factors.
Lack of lubrication
This can be due to lack of estrogen preventing natural lubrication or lack of adequate foreplay.
Medications
Some medications, such as SSRIs, are known to affect sexual desire. Also on this hit list are high blood pressure medications, birth control pills, sedatives and antihistamines.
Injury or irritation
If you’ve had pelvic surgery or an episiotomy for childbirth, sex can become painful.
Skin disorders
A genital infection, eczema and similar skin issues can make intercourse painful.
Vaginismus
These are involuntary spasms of the muscles that can make sex more painful upon entry or thrusting.
Medical conditions
If you suffer from medical conditions such as pelvic inflammatory disease, uterine prolapse, irritable bowel syndrome or ovarian cysts, these are all causes of painful intercourse. Emotional and psychological factors have a significant impact on the quality of intercourse.
Two of the most common emotional factors leading to pain during intercourse are:
● Depression or anxiety
● Stress: pelvic floor muscles tighten in response to stress which can cause painful intercourse.
Treatments for painful intercourse
The good news is that we can treat dyspareunia. First, we will conduct a thorough pelvic exam to rule out and/or treat physical factors. Then take a look at two exciting and innovative options to get your love life back on track.
Hormonal Pellet Therapy
For women suffering from painful intercourse due to low estrogen, hormonal pellet therapy can restore hormone harmony. Naturally and safely, hormonal pellet therapy utilizes bio-identical hormone replacement therapy (BHRT) to replenish estrogen and other hormones lost due to menopause. The side effect profile is safe, the procedure done in the office and you’ll begin the feel the results in about 7-10 days.
Can diVa® help with painful intercourse?
For women whose bodies no longer produce estrogen in adequate amounts, diVa® can restore the ability to produce adequate lubrication making sex less painful. diVa® is a nonsurgical vaginal rejuvenation treatment offered here at The Rejuvenation Clinic. diVa® restores the vaginal walls and relieves atrophy so common in women over 50 years of age. Learn more about the diVa® procedure.