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Dyspareunia

Dyspareunia is the term given to experiencing pain during sexual intercourse. It is mostly experienced in women, and can be caused by physical or psychological factors. It is an unusual disorder, but when diagnosed and treated properly it can be managed and often cured.

Many women will visit their GP or gynaecologist complaining of pain during intercourse. This can be down to any number of causes. Women going through menopause may experience vaginal dryness, and this could potentially cause pain. Physical cases of dyspareunia often involve diseases or infections inside the vagina or other kinds of damage inside the pelvic region. A GP or gynaecologist will ask questions to determine where the patient is experiencing pain. It may be at the opening of the vagina, inside the vagina or even deeper than this. Some women will experience pain in all of these areas during intercourse.

If an injury or infection has been causing pain, it may have a lasting effect on the patient. For example, if a woman had surgery or an injury that meant she felt pain during intercourse, the problem would soon heal. But she may still expect the pain, and the problem then becomes psychological. It is difficult for a specialist to determine whether this is the case, but after exhausting all the possible physical causes, it is often the only answer.

The gynaecologist will perform many tests in an attempt to pinpoint the exact cause of pain. The patient may be penetrated to allow the gynaecologist to determine exactly where the pain is being caused. Once it has been decided whether the cause is physical or psychological, the problem can be treated. If the pain is physical it can often be treated as an injury or illness. When it has healed, the patient will no longer experience the pain any more. A psychological problem can often be resolved after therapy with a trained professional.
If the pain is caused due to vaginal dryness, the patient may be told to undergo hormonal therapy. Taking oestrogen can help with this problem. If this solution is not effective, the patient can resort to lubrication during intercourse. Women who are recovering from injuries or diseases can choose to abstain from intercourse until their problem has been dealt with, or they can change their lifestyle slightly. Different sexual positions result in different amounts of vaginal penetration, something that can aggravate an underlying problem.