Did you ever feel painful or unpleasant sensations after sexual intercourse? It could be a dull pain in the vagina, a stinging sensation near the vulva, or even stitching pain deep in the pelvic area. No matter where the pain occurs, this is not normal. Sex should be amazing, not make you frown.
Pain after sex is a common symptom for many women. Every third woman experiences pain during or after sexual intercourse. This is one of the main problems that gynecologists help patients cope with. But there are many reasons for pain, as well as treatment methods that can help. The first thing you should do is to understand what is causing the pain you experience and consult your doctor about it. Here is a list of five possible causes of pelvic pain after sex.
Ovarian cysts are usually benign fluid-filled formations that grow on the ovaries. They usually decrease in size after a few months and you may not even notice that you have cysts.
But in some cases, ovarian cysts can cause aching pain in the lower part of the pelvic area near ovaries. Most ovarian cysts are less than 4 inches, but some can grow much bigger. If they become too big, they tend to cause pain and cramps in the lower abdomen during and after sexual intercourse. Large cysts can also twist which can cause severe pain and the best cure in this case is their surgical removal.
Inflammation from a urinary tract infection usually causes pain in the pubic area and cramps in the muscles near the pelvic organs. During sexual intercourse, the penis touches the vaginal wall repeatedly and the cramps can worsen and cause pain. It has a simple explanation. When somebody constantly hits you in the same spot on your shoulder, muscles in that area begin to ache and cramps are a natural response to this. The same is actually happening during sex, so the vagina and pelvic organs become sore. If there are other symptoms of this infection like unpleasant urine odor or pain during and after urination, make an appointment with your doctor to get proper treatment.
It is quite a rare occasion, but some women really suffer from semen allergy. The symptoms of this allergy can be local, like itching and swelling, or general. Women can feel a strong burning sensation, significant discharge, and even full-body reactions such as chills and fever. Observe whether you don’t have these symptoms when you have sex with a condom. If there are no signs, then you can blame an allergy.
Your doctor can make skin tests to get a more accurate diagnosis. Medication and desensitizing injections are the most common treatment methods. Of course, this is just a rumor, but many women say that their symptoms decrease over time.
Pelvic inflammatory disease is an infection that occurs in the organs of the upper genital tract. It is usually caused by untreated sexually transmitted infections, like chlamydia or gonorrhea. PID is an inflammatory condition that can lead to pelvic pain, scars, and even infertility. With this infection, you can feel pain deep in the pelvis near the upper reproductive organs. If you think that the cause of pain is PID, you should have a pelvic examination as soon as possible.
You probably have heard the statement that size doesn’t matter. Surely it does because the anatomical features of every person are unique. If your partner’s penis is too big for you, the muscles surrounding your vagina and pelvic organs may cramp and remain the same after sexual intercourse.
The average size of a vagina is approximately five inches while the average length of a penis is six inches. This mismatch can cause significant pelvic floor injury, which can lead to cramps after sex. If the intercourse brings you pain because of your partner's penis size, try different positions that will decrease those painful sensations.