Gosh! There’s nothing as frustrating as consciously killing the sex vibe in you because every sexual experience leaves you in a bad shape with pain all over your genital region and body. This just disorients and discourages one from participating in the act at all. No one deserves to go through this pain as sex is meant to be enjoyed and not serve as a source of pain and discomfort.
If you are in this boat, stay glued to this piece as it contains all you need to know about this condition, its causes, and how you can effectively deal with it head-on. Cheers to your success in advance.
Dyspareunia; What Is It?
The concept sounds vague or somewhat ambiguous. Of course, it does, it’s not the kind of word you find in everyday parlance. However, despite how sophisticated it sounds, its meaning is not far-fetched. It simply describes a condition where there is a recurring pain in the genital region and this could happen before, during, and after sex. The pain associated can either be sharp or intense. No wonder it is has been designated ‘Painful Intercourse’. It’s a condition that is explicit to women more than men but treatable.
Several factors are responsible for painful intercourse. These factors can be further divided into physical and emotional factors. Physical factors include skin disorder in form of blisters on the penis, itching and burning sensation on the genital area, ulcers and crack; urinary tract infections; injury from sexual molestation, an accident or surgery; irritable bowel syndrome; chemotherapy; pelvic inflammatory disease, cystitis which is the inflammation of the bladder; the list goes on and on
Emotional factors responsible for painful intercourse include; shame, fear, and sexual anxiety related to premature ejaculation; traumatic antecedence of sexual abuse or rape; body shaming or self-identity issues; stress, and so on.
Pain before, during, and after intercourse is a major symptomatic indication of the presence of dyspareunia in the body. It should be pointed out that the intensity of pain varies from person to person. However, pain is present on the penis or vagina as penetration occurs. Or after intercourse may have ended.
How to deal with dyspareunia
Before this condition can be treated effectively, it must be diagnosed. Several tests such as the urine test or pelvic ultrasound can be carried out to know the exact cause of painful intercourse. Where the pain is felt, what determines the pain and at what frequency are likely questions your doctor may ask just to be able to pinpoint the exact cause of the condition. Another way of diagnosing dyspareunia is through pelvic examination where the doctor takes a look at the external and internal area of the pelvic for signs of inflammation, redness, tenderness, ulcer, genital warts, and the likes.
After the exact cause is discovered, the appropriate treatment procedure is then adopted. Dyspareunia can be treated with medication or other psychotherapy.
Where pain is caused by an infection or other underlying conditions, antibiotics, injectable corticosteroids, and antifungal medicines might be administered by the doctor.
Where friction during intercourse causes painful intercourse, lubricants can be adopted to ease penetration. Lubricants help to make sexual intercourse less stressful and more enjoyable at the same time.
Dyspareunia can also be managed using home care methods. Some of these include; the use of water-based lube; taking a warm bath before and after sex, engaging in sexual activities when you and your partner are relaxed; emptying bowels before sex; and lastly, the use of pain relievers before sex.
Alternative therapies can also be used to treat painful intercourse. Such exercises like Kegel and Yoga are introduced to help master relaxation strategies that can decrease pain.
Sex therapy where partners learn how to reignite sexual intimacy and passion can also be used to treat painful intercourse.
Communicating adequately with one’s sexual partners also goes a long way in helping to manage the situation. Ensure they are aware of your situation so that they don’t request for sex aimlessly until you have been able to treat yourself.
Having looked at how to deal with dyspareunia, let’s also see how to prevent painful intercourse from happening to you in the first place.
Protect yourself against Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STIs) by using a condom when you want to engage in sexual intercourse.
Also, make use of lubricants. This will help you ensure that the condom does not break during intercourse.
Encourage lubrication of the vagina naturally using foreplay and stimulation techniques
Ensure adequate proper hygiene of your body and most importantly genitals.