Tips for Getting Proper Healthcare as a Woman

Should You See a Gynaecologist When Experiencing Painful Intercourse?

Experiencing pain while having sex is not uncommon. Typically, this will come about due to insufficient lubrication that causes friction. Alternatively, you could be stressed or anxious, which leads to the tightening of your pelvic floor muscles, resulting in an uncomfortable experience. Fortunately, both these causes tend to pass so painful intercourse should not be an issue that you contend with routinely. However, the moment you notice that this is a recurring problem and sex is no longer enjoyable for you due to how physically agonizing it is, you should consider seeing a gynaecologist as pain could be a symptom of an underlying health problem that will need medical attention. Check out the following article to discover a few of the possible reasons why you would need to see a gynaecologist because of experiencing painful intercourse.

You have acquired a sexually transmitted infection

While some sexually transmitted infections tend to be asymptomatic, others can cause severe discomfort during sexual intercourse. Genital warts, for example, are usually accompanied by symptoms such as painless bumps around the vagina, itchiness in the vagina and pain during intercourse. Genital herpes, on the other hand, is typically accompanied by symptoms such as blisters or bumps on the vagina, tenderness in your vagina and pain when urinating as well as during sex. It is vital to see a gynaecologist so that they can test for various STIs and determine which one you have acquired if any. Your gynaecologist will then either treat the infection or provide you with a suppressive treatment to manage incurable STIs like genital herpes.

You have developed the pelvic inflammatory disease

Customarily abbreviated to PID, this disease occurs when one's pelvic tissues become infected and consequently become inflamed. This inflammation tends to be noticeable during sex since the pressure that is applied onto the pelvis during intercourse will make you feel pain. It is mandatory to see a gynaecologist so that they can determine what underlying infection causes the pelvic inflammatory disease and treat it accordingly. Treatment mostly entails a course of antibiotics as well as abstaining from sex for a specified duration.

You have endometriosis

Endometriosis is a disorder that occurs when the tissues on the uterine lining start to emerge out of the uterus. Generally, this tissue will begin to grow on the fallopian tubes, overlies and in some cases, a woman's intestines. Not only does it cause severe menstrual irregularities but it is also characterised by excruciating pain when one is on their period. The inflammation caused by endometriosis can also make intercourse agonizing. Considering that endometriosis can also result in infertility, it is best to see a gynaecologist and discuss treatment options such as excision surgery or hormone therapy.