Sexual Pain Disorders in Women

What is sexual pain conditions in women?

There are two main types of sexual pain disorders in women:

• Painful intercourse (dyspareunia) is the persistent or recurrent pain on effort or obtained penetration (penetration) of the penis in the vagina (vaginal). The condition can be primary – that is, that there has always been pain during sexual activity – or secondary, where the woman previously worked normally sexually
• Vaginismus is persistent or recurrent difficulty with vaginal penetration by penis, finger or other objects, despite her expressed desire sex

How common is sexual pain conditions in women?

Painful intercourse occurs in various studies in 2-20% of the population. Among postmenopausal women, the figures 9-21%. Vaginismus is reported to occur in 0.5-1% of the population.

What can cause sexual pain conditions in women?

Painful intercourse

There are three main types of pain conditions:

• Superficial pain in the groin area (vulva)
• Pain in the vagina
• Deep painful intercourse

The main reasons for superficial pain is inflammation outside the vagina or in the outer parts of the vagina. The explanation may be that the vagina is dry or that woman reacts to irritants like spermicide or rubber in a condom (latex).

Pain in the vagina is a more rare cause of painful intercourse. Such pain is experienced primarily at the vaginal entrance. Common causes are dry vagina, infection of the vagina, irritants (spermicides and latex), issues from the urethra, formerly engaged in connection with the birth or gynecological problems, radiation therapy and damage caused by violent sex.

Deep painful intercourse are quite frequent and can have many causes. The main reasons are pelvic inflammatory disease, sequelae of surgery (adhesions), endometriosis, tumors, irritable bowel, urinary tract infection or ovarian cyst. In many cases, tenderness triggered by deep penetration (collision pain) when the penis hits against the muscles of the pelvis, or ovaries. Tense sore muscles in the abdomen is a frequent cause of deep pain during sexual intercourse. Muscle tension can be unconscious and can be induced by other disease in the abdomen.

Vaginismus

This pain is an expression of an emotional reaction, where the woman associate sexual activity with pain and fear. There arose a phobia against any penetration of the vagina. The thought of or attempted intrusion provide involuntary muscular contractions around the entrance to the vagina. Why some women develop vaginismus and others do not is not known.

In some cases, the condition can occur after a period of pain in the vagina – for any reason and may be due to all causes of painful intercourse, as mentioned above. Physical abuse or sexual abuse can also cause phobia against penetration of the vagina. The same applies scary medical procedures experienced in childhood, painful first intercourse fear of the vagina is too small, problems in relationships and fear of pregnancy.

Read more about Vaginismus here.

What are the symptoms of sexual pain conditions in women?

• Painful intercourse (dyspareunia) is the persistent or recurrent pain on effort or obtained penetration (penetration) of the penis in the vagina (vaginal). The condition can be primary – that is, that there has always been pain during sexual activity – or secondary, where the woman previously worked normally sexually
• Vaginismus is persistent or recurrent difficulty with vaginal penetration by penis, finger or other objects, despite her expressed desire sex

How common is sexual pain conditions in women?

Painful intercourse occurs in various studies in 2-20% of the population. Among postmenopausal women, the figures 9-21%. Vaginismus is reported to occur in 0.5-1% of the population.

What symptoms should you pay particular attention to?

It is the severity of the listed symptoms in relation to your quality of life that determines when to react to symptoms

How is it diagnosed?

The diagnosis is based on medical history and by gynecological examination. As part of the examination and treatment, it is important for the doctor to get knowledge of how the pain is, where it is located, how strong it is, how it all started, how long you’ve had it, and whether there are other accompanying symptoms.

Repeated experiences of painful sex can create fear and lead to avoidance of sex, which in turn can lead to loss of pleasure. Reduced ignition and possible orgasm disorders. The result is sexual abstinence and possible prevention of other types of endearment, which can create problems in the relationship.

Muscle tension may occur – not only in attempting penetration of the vagina, but also at the thought of it or during foreplay. Intrusion leads to pain, fear, humiliation and frustration, and the woman sitting often left with a sense of inferiority and of being abandoned. The discomfort and reactions to it can lead to chronic muscle tightening in the pelvis, thighs and stomach.

Women with vaginismus will also have problems gynecological examination and may have difficulties with using tampons.

What treatment is there?

Clarifying the cause is the first step in treatment. If the cause is unknown or difficult to handle, it will be appropriate to involve different specialists and consider interdisciplinary handling. Unless there is an underlying medical cause, the limited data that supports the effect of the drug treatment of sexual pain disorders.

A sex therapist or specialist physiotherapist can advise on practical techniques, biofeedback, pelvic floor exercises, stretching exercises, use of vaginal dilators with increasing sizes can help by sexual pain disorders like vaginismus.

Treatment conversation is another alternative. This treatment adapted to individual patient needs and are encouraged to partner participant. By vaginismus treatment is directed against the patient’s fear of penetration of the vagina and allows her to gain increasing familiarity with his genitals and finally vaginal penetration.

Cognitive behavioral therapy can be given as group therapy. Treatment focuses on pain correlation with anxiety and muscle contractions. It also general sexual training. Exercises can reduce the pain during intercourse and increase sexual satisfaction in women with vulvar vestibule.

Desensitisation treatment may be performed as a staged gynecological examination performed by a doctor. It is carried out with great care and feeding of only one finger, later more fingers, gradually a dilator or a gynecological. The woman is instructed to relax the pelvic floor muscles. Such treatment has only a modest effect.