\n
An estimated 6-14% of women suffer from s*xual pain and many more postmenopausal women do. It may be menopause-related or it may be vulvodynia, but there are many other potential causes, from dermatological diseases to bladder conditions. Deep (abdominal) pain with penetration could be due to endometriosis, fibroids, or previous pelvic surgery.<\/p>\n
Here are a few other causes you and your doctor may want to consider:<\/p>\n
1. The Pill
Hormonal birth control can cause the same kind of s*xual pain due to lack of lubrication and vaginal atrophy that is normally seen in postmenopausal women, says Andrew Goldstein, MD, an associate professor at George Washington University and a specialist in vulvar pain. He says he\u2019s been seeing \u201ca ton of it\u201d in the newer birth-control-pill formulations that have very low estrogen and a type of progestin that can lower testosterone. \u201cI\u2019m seeing 25-year-old women who have low desire and need lubricants, which is ridiculous!\u201d he says.<\/p>\n
That doesn\u2019t mean the pills are bad\u2014\u201dfor a large percentage of women, they\u2019re great,\u201d Dr. Goldstein says. But it does mean that women should be aware that there may be s*xual side effects to hormonal birth control methods, which they can discuss with their doctor.<\/p>\n
2. Cancer treatment
\u201cFor women who have cervical or vaginal cancer and radiation, the whole v**ina can become a rock-hard scar,\u201d says Irwin Goldstein, MD (no relation to Andrew), director of San Diego s*xual Medicine and the editor in chief of The Journal of s*xual Medicine.<\/p>\n
Also, \u201ctamoxifen stops estrogen from working,\u201d Dr. Goldstein adds, so chest cancer patients can have issues with vaginal dryness and atrophy, same as postmenopausal women and some birth control pill users. It\u2019s a tough situation, because systemic hormone replacement is not an option, as it may encourage the cancer. Some doctors, meanwhile, say local estrogen is relatively safe. Other treatments may include physical therapy and s*x therapy.<\/p>\n
3. Skin problems
Problems with the skin in the private part area may be another reason for s*xual pain. Common issues include childbirth lacerations or episiotomy scars, as well as dermatological diseases such as lichen sclerosus, or sexually transmitted infections such as herpes. One of Dr. Irwin Goldstein\u2019s patients came in with pain that ended up being traceable to a simple ingrown hair: \u201cOne of the pubic hairs grew into the skin and she had an infection of the cli**ris,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n
4. Physical abnormalities
Dr. Andrew Goldstein says there are women who have imperforate hymens, but counsels a second opinion from a vulvar specialist before getting surgery. Many women who go in for hymenectomies actually have vulvar vestibulitis syndrome (VVS), which is often diagnosed by touching the area lightly with a Q-Tip. \u201cIf the hymen is too tight, the vestibule shouldn\u2019t hurt,\u201d he says. Women with VVS feel excruciating pain when specific areas are touched.<\/p>\n
5. Vaginismus
This is an involuntary tightening of the vaginal and pelvic floor muscles that makes penetration painful or even impossible. Some women experience pain with any sort of penetration, including medical; for others, only s*xual penetration hurts.<\/p>\n
Vaginismus can be a result of r*pe or other s*xual abuse, but it can also develop as an aversive reaction to physical pain. \u201cIf you keep trying to have s*x or insert a tampon and it\u2019s painful every time, eventually you tense your muscles; you\u2019re gonna flinch,\u201d says Christin Veasley, 32.<\/p>\n
The source of the pain must first be identified, and then the vaginismus can be treated with s*x therapy, biofeedback (so the patient learns what her body is doing and can better control it), and dilator therapy.<\/p>\n
Is it in your head or your body?
Doctors used to believe that women\u2019s complaints of s*xual dysfunction were 90% psychological, 10% biological. \u201cNow the thinking is 90% psychological, 75% organic,\u201d says Irwin Goldstein.<\/p>\n
What he means is that most s*xual pain has a biological cause, but it usually also causes psychological issues. It makes sense: If s*x hurts, you learn to fear it and avoid it. That\u2019s why the ideal is for s*xual medicine doctors to work hand-in-hand with s*x therapists.<\/p>\n
source: Health<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
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5 Reasons for Women's S**ual Pain, If It's Not Vulvodynia or Menopause - Ghanamma.com<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2017\/08\/01\/5-reasons-for-womens-sual-pain-if-its-not-vulvodynia-or-menopause\/\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:title\" content=\"5 Reasons for Women's S**ual Pain, If It's Not Vulvodynia or Menopause - Ghanamma.com\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:description\" content=\"An estimated 6-14% of women suffer from s*xual pain and many more postmenopausal women do. It may be menopause-related or it may be vulvodynia, but there are many other potential causes, from dermatological diseases to bladder conditions. Deep (abdominal) pain with penetration could be due to endometriosis, fibroids, or previous pelvic surgery. 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