12 Reasons You Might Experience Pain After Sex

Pain After Sex

Pain After Sex, also known as dyspareunia, often occurs due to vaginal dryness or infections. Get prompt medical attention for severe pain with a fever or bleeding.

What Physical Causes May Lead to Pain After Sex?

Physical causes of painful sex may include various infections, injuries, and underlying conditions.

1. Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID)

Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) is an infection of the upper reproductive organs. Common causes are gonorrhea or chlamydia. In many cases, the specific cause is not clear.

Symptoms of PID can include:

• Abscess, or an infected pus-filled lump
• Bleeding during or between periods
• Deep pelvic pain during sex
• Fever
• Lower abdominal or pelvic pain
• Pain while urinating

Treatment: Antibiotics can treat PID. Any damage like scarring or harm to the fallopian tubes can be permanent.

2. Skin Irritants

Scented vaginal products, spermicides, and latex condoms can cause skin irritation that makes sex painful, especially if you are allergic to them. Nonoxynol-9 (an ingredient in spermicide) can irritate the vagina and penis.

Treatment: Do not use scented cleansers or douches to clean the inside of your vagina. They can irritate sensitive vaginal skin and increase your risk of infections.

3. Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs)

Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) include chlamydia, gonorrhea, herpes, and trichomoniasis. They cause vaginal inflammation that makes sex painful.

Treatment: A doctor will prescribe antibiotics to treat STIs caused by bacteria. There’s no cure for herpes. However, antiviral medications can lower your risk of spreading it and having an outbreak.

Using barrier methods, like condoms, helps prevent STIs.

4. Yeast and Bacterial Infections

Infections that can cause inflammation and pain or burning after sex include:

• Bacterial vaginosis (BV)
• Urinary tract infections (UTIs)
• Yeast infections

Treatment: You can treat a yeast infection with antifungal medications. Antibiotics typically treat UTIs and BV.

Urinate after sex, stay hydrated, and avoid baths or scented products on your genitals to help prevent UTIs.

5. Vaginal Dryness

Chafing from penetrative sex can lead to vaginal pain if you do not have enough lubrication.

Hormonal changes can also lead to dryness and pain. Causes of lower estrogen levels include:

• Breastfeeding
• Menopause
• Pregnancy

Treatment: A doctor may suggest vaginal estrogen, moisturizers, or lubricants to help with hormone-related dryness. You can also try more foreplay if a lack of arousal causes dryness.

6. Genital Injury

Tearing during childbirth or an episiotomy can cause pain during sex, especially if you are still healing.

Damage to the penis head, foreskin, or shaft can also cause painful rubbing or tearing.

Treatment: You may abstain from sex while injuries heal to avoid irritation and pain. Perineal massage or lidocaine gel on sensitive scar tissue may treat lingering pain.

Check with a doctor before trying topical treatments.

7. Allergic Reactions

An allergy to latex condoms can cause itching, burning, and pain that worsens during sex.

Some people are also allergic to semen. However, this is rare. Human seminal plasma (HSP) hypersensitivity can cause vaginal inflammation and pain in response to proteins in sperm.

Treatment: You can use polyurethane condoms or natural lambskin condoms to avoid pain. Lambskin condoms do not protect against STIs.

8. Endometriosis

Endometriosis can cause deep, sharp pain inside the vagina or pelvis during or after sex. It happens when tissue similar to the uterine lining grows outside the uterus. These tissue growths can cause inflammation and pain.

Other symptoms of endometriosis include:

• Digestive discomfort
• Infertility
• Irregular bleeding
• Painful menstrual cramps
• Pelvic floor dysfunction

Treatment: Surgery removes tissue growths and eases pain, but growths can return. Hormonal birth control and pain relievers can be helpful.

9. Penis Shape and Size

You may have pain during and after sex if you have a vagina and your partner has a very thick or long penis.

Having an extremely curved penis can make sex painful. A curved penis is most often due to peyronie’s disease , in which scar tissue causes the penis to bend.

Piercings along the shaft or on the head of the penis may cause pain during sex. This can also cause tearing inside the vagina that may require medical care.

Treatment: Try using lubrication and taking things slowly to prevent pain. Communicating with your partner about what does and does not feel good can also help.

Treatment for a curved penis may include injections to break down scar tissue. Severe cases may require surgery.

10. Tilted Uterus

Having a retroverted uterus, or a uterus that tilts backward, can cause pain during sex. The cervix is angled closer to the vaginal canal, which irritates the cervix.

Treatment: Having a tilted uterus does not mean sex has to be painful.16 Communicate with your partner, and focus on positions that allow for shallow penetration.

How Can Your Mental Health Play a Role?

Psychological causes, such as stress, anxiety, and trauma, may contribute to pain after sex.

11. Stress or Anxiety

Stress and anxiety have been shown to cause distress during sex, which may lead to pain. Both may cause vulvodynia (vulva pain), which causes pain, burning, and stinging.

Treatment: Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) can help ease negative thoughts. You may also try relaxation techniques like meditation.

12. Trauma

You may have vaginismus (involuntary vaginal muscle spasms) if you have had previous sexual trauma. This can make vaginal sex painful or impossible.

Treatment: Clitoral stimulation may help you get aroused. You may also try counseling, physical therapy, pelvic floor exercises, and medications.

When Should You See a Doctor?

Reach out to a doctor if you have signs of an infection or if painful sex lasts for a long time.

Painful sex can negatively affect your mental health and cause low self-esteem or poor body image. Let a doctor know if you develop anxiety or increased pain awareness.