by EBSCO Medical Review Board
(Painful Sexual Intercourse)

Definition

Dyspareunia is repeated or lasting pain with sexual activity.

Causes

Some causes are:

Risk Factors

The risk of this problem is higher in women after menopause. The risk is also higher in women who have any of the causes listed above.

Other things that may raise the risk are:

  • Taking medicines that result in vaginal dryness
  • Prior vaginal surgery

Symptoms

A person who has pain during sex may feel:

  • Pain during any or all phases of sexual contact
  • Stabbing or aching pain
  • Itching and burning

Pain may also be felt when placing a tampon.

Female Reproductive System
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Diagnosis

The doctor will ask about your symptoms and health history. You will also be asked about your sexual history. A pelvic exam will be done. This is often enough to make the diagnosis.

Other tests may be done to look for a cause.

Treatment

The cause will need to be treated. Some choices are:

  • Lubricants or estrogen to ease pain and dryness
  • Stopping or changing medicines that are causing problems
  • Mental health therapy

Prevention

The risk of this problem may be lowered by managing chronic health problems, such as endometriosis .

RESOURCES

American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists  http://www.acog.org 

Family Doctor—American Academy of Family Physicians  http://familydoctor.org 

CANADIAN RESOURCES

The Canadian Women's Health Network  http://www.cwhn.ca 

The Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada  http://www.sogc.org 

References

American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) Practice Bulletin 119 on female sexual dysfunction can be found in Obstet Gynecol 2011 Apr;117(4):996-1007.

Female sexual dysfunction. EBSCO DynaMed website. Available at: https://www.dynamed.com/condition/female-sexual-dysfunction. Accessed February 2, 2021.

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