![]() "If you feel as though you're being dismissed, if you feel like they are not taking your complaint seriously, then you need to find another provider," she said. ![]() Women in particular need to take steps to make sure they are working with a health care provider that takes their concerns of painful sex seriously, Landry noted. "It's not necessarily you'll do something on a Monday and on Tuesday you'll be all better all the time." "Honestly, it may take some time," she said. In cases where there is not an identifiable cause for painful sex, doctors will likely try therapies such as a topical anesthetic applied before and after intercourse or pelvic physical therapy, Landry explained. In cases where there is an underlying condition, like a sexually transmitted infection, doctors are going to treat the underlying condition first. MORE: How life changes like childbirth and menstruation affect women's mental health "A lot of times, your health care provider can help you find your treatment option that is non-surgical, and that's ideal." "The big thing to remember is your treatment is going to depend on what's causing your painful sex, and because there can be so many different causes, the treatment plans can vary greatly," Landry said. Not every woman experiencing painful sex is going to need to undergo surgery, as Wilson did, according to Landry. "You could be in a situation where there's an underlying medical condition that needs to be treated, or you may be in a category where you don't have an underlying condition that's really going to have a negative impact on your health, however, it's having a negative impact on you because you're having painful sex." "You definitely need to see a qualified health care provider so you can figure out what's going on," Landry said. It can also be caused by everything from skin disorders and hormonal changes to tears in the perineum caused by childbirth, sexually transmitted diseases, inflammation of the vagina, vulvodynia (a pain disorder in the vulva) and vaginismus (tightening of the muscles at the opening of the vagina), according to ACOG. Pain during sex may be a sign of a gynecologic problem, such as ovarian cysts or endometriosis. In those cases, a woman would want to reach out to their health care provider as well as a mental health care provider, experts say. "That's going to play a huge role in how much you're going to enjoy sex, or it could be anxiety, depression, a history of sexual abuse." "I can't tell you how many patients will say, 'I'm having painful sex,' and I ask them about their relationship, and they say, 'You know, it's not that good,'" she said. When going to a health care provider about painful sex, the provider will want to take a detailed history and do a physical exam. While there are many symptoms of painful sex, there are also many causes, some physical and some psychological, according to Landry. "At the end of the day, it just means that it is uncomfortable for you," she said. Some people describe their pain as sharp or burning, whereas others have more of a crampy pain." "For instance, some people will experience pain with penetration, whereas other people will have pain with deep thrusting. ![]() "It's important to realize that different people will describe that pain differently," Landry said. Some women may also feel pain when they insert tampons or undergo a gynecological exam, as was the case with Wilson's condition. It also includes pain during other sexual activities, like any type of stimulation of the clitoris, vagina, vulva and perineum (the area between the anus and the vulva), according to Landry.ĭuring sex, for those with dyspareunia, pain may be felt in the vulva, within the vagina or the perineum or in the lower back, pelvic region, uterus or bladder, according to ACOG. Painful sex, known medically as dyspareunia, is defined as persistent or recurrent discomfort that happens just before, during or after sexual intercourse. Persistent or recurrent discomfort that happens just before, during or after sexual intercourse
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