Sexual intercourse - painful

Sexual intercourse - painful

For both men and women, pain can occur in the pelvic area during or soon after sexual intercourse. It can happen at any time during sex -- for example, at the time of penetration, erection, or ejaculation -- or after sexual activity.

Eventually, ongoing pain may cause a person to lose interest in any sexual activity.

The medical term for this is dyspareunia

Causes

• A diaphragm that does not fit properly
• Genital irritation from soaps, detergents, douches, or feminine hygiene products
• Hemorrhoids
• Herpes sores, genital warts, or other sexually transmitted infections (STIs)
• Intercourse too soon after surgery or childbirth
• Menopause
• Ovarian cysts
• Prostatitis -- inflammation of the prostate
• Reaction to the latex of a diaphragm or condom
• Sexual abuse or rape
• Urinary tract infections
• Use of certain medications
• Vaginal dryness or too little lubrication (for example, from not enough foreplay)
• Vaginal infection

Home Care

For painful intercourse in women after pregnancy:

• Wait at least 6 weeks after childbirth before resuming sexual relations.
• Be gentle and patient.
• Use lubrication as needed.

For vaginal dryness/inadequate lubrication:

• Try water-based lubricants.
• If you are going through menopause and lubricants don't work, talk to your doctor about estrogen creams or other prescription medications.

For painful intercourse caused by prostatitis:

• Soak in a warm bath.
• Drink plenty of fluids, but avoid alcohol and caffeine.
• Take acetaminophen or ibuprofen.
• Take antibiotics as prescribed.

For hemorrhoids, try stool softeners. Antibiotics may be required for urinary tract infections, sexually transmitted infections, or vaginal infections.

Other causes of painful intercourse may require prescription medications or, rarely, surgery.

Sex therapy may be helpful, especially if no underlying medical cause is identified. Guilt, inner conflict, or unresolved feelings about past abuse may be involved which need to be worked through in therapy. It may be best for your partner to see the therapist with you.

When to Contact a Medical Professional

Call your doctor if:

• Home remedies are not working.
• You have other symptoms with painful intercourse, like bleeding, genital lesions, irregular periods, discharge from penis or vagina, or involuntary vaginal muscle contraction.

If you have been sexually assaulted, report the crime to the police and go to the emergency room immediately. Get a trusted friend to accompany you. Do NOT change, bathe, shower or even wash your hands before the ER evaluation. The temptation to do so will be great, but it is important to not lose any evidence in order to help find, charge, and convict the suspect.

What to Expect at Your Office Visit

Your doctor will take your medical history and perform a physical examination.

Medical history questions may include:

• When did the pain begin or has intercourse always been painful?
• Is intercourse painful every time that it is attempted?
• Is it painful for your partner as well?
• At what point during (or after) intercourse does the pain begin? Upon entry/penetration? During ejaculation?
• Where, specifically, is the pain?
• Does anything make the pain better?
• Do you have any other symptoms?
• What are your attitudes towards sex in general?
• Have you had a significant traumatic event in the past (rape, child abuse, or similar)?
• What medications do you take?
• What illnesses, diseases, and disorders are you being treated for?

• Have you had a significant emotional event recently?
• Have you ever had pain-free sex with this partner? With any partner?

It may be best to see the doctor together with your partner. Physical examination may include a pelvic examination (for women), a prostate examination (for men), and a rectal examination. If a physical problem is suspected, appropriate tests will be ordered.

Antibiotics, painkillers, or hormones are amongst the treatment options that may be considered.

Prevention

• Good hygiene and routine medical care will help to some degree.
• Adequate foreplay and stimulation will help to ensure proper lubrication of the vagina.
• The use of a water-soluble lubricant like K-Y Jelly may also help. Vaseline should not be used as a sexual lubricant because it is not compatible with latex condoms (it causes them to break), it is not water soluble, and it may encourage vaginal infections.
• Practicing safe sex can help prevent sexually transmitted infections.

Alternative Names

Painful sexual intercourse; Dyspareunia

Magic of Making Up Review

                               Magic of Making Up Review – How It Works

The Magic of Making Up is a book written by the reverend TW Dubb. It is widely known as guide that you should read if you are trying to get your ex-girlfriend or ex-boyfriend back, save your marriage or stop a divorce.

TW Dubb claims that nearly all failed relationships can be salvaged. This is regardless of what you have done to make the relationship end. If you have cheated on your partner, lied to them, gone to prison, “The Magic of Making Up” claims that no matter what you have done you can win your ex back. If you are like me, you are skeptical of the claims that this book makes. I am fairly sure that if you have hurt your girlfriend or boyfriend enough, that they dump you, then there is no way that you can convince them to take you back. “The Magic of Making Up” claims otherwise. That is why I decided to buy the book and put what it tells you to do into practice!

I had recently been dumped because my ex told me that I was too needy and he wasn’t too sure if he wanted a girlfriend. I was annoyed to be dumped, I was also hurt and it definitely did a number on my self confidence. This was the perfect opportunity to put the system described in the “Magic of Making Up” into play!

TW Dubb claims that his methods are unconventional and that is a fact that I can confirm. I had never read advice of this type anywhere else. I was extremely nervous when I got started. I was afraid that the method would not work and that I would look like an even bigger fool but I dove straight in anyways. I guess if you never try something then you will never know if it works (I also looked at this experience as practice for if I was ever dumped by a man that I consider my soul mate). When I meet that guy I want to have all the tricks up my sleeve!

The result: My ex called me a week and a half later. All he could say was that he made the biggest mistake of his life when he dumped me and that he wanted me back. He said he could not imagine his future without me. So in conclusion “The Magic of Making Up” by TW Dubb is spot on. The method works perfectly. It is completely original compared to all of the other get your ex back books out there!

10 Steps to a More Intimate Relationship

                        10 Steps to a More Intimate Relationship

10: Be Present When You're with Your Partner

When using a cell phone while driving can be so dangerous -- but according to a study conducted at the University of lugano, it may also put your family relationships at risk .Here's why. Using your cell phone may seem like no big deal, but it can make you less available to your partner. When you're multitasking -- driving and talking on the phone, for example -- you're not focusing on the conversation and are unable to pick up on important social cues, which can lead to misunderstandings and a partner who is left feeling emotionally isolated and hurt. You're not present with your partner. You're dividing your time between the phone, the road and the conversation. To build and maintain intimacy, choose one thing at a time.

So, think about it. Does your iPhone get more attention than your partner does? Do you reach for it despite the fact that you're sharing a meal with your spouse or good friend? Do you bring your BlackBerry to bed? If so, you may find that unplugging gives you more attention to devote to your relationship.

9: Maintain Eye Contact

 The eyes are the window to the soul -- or is it that the eyes are the window to intimacy? When you gaze into the eyes of your partner from across the table, you're doing more than just being attentive in the conversation: You're being intimate.

Eye contact is a key component to how we socialize with other people, and it's one of the most important pieces of creating an intimate relationship, romantic or otherwise. Known as the "anchoring gaze," face-to-face, eye-to-eye communication is a subtle, non-verbal way of making yourself vulnerable to another person. Eye contact shows trust and emotional openness, and it also increases our feeling of being understood by another person.

8: Be Physically Affectionate

To be  physically affectionate not only feels good, but it also triggers our bodies to increase the amount of oxytocin produced. Oxytocin is often affectionately known as the "love hormone" because of that feel-good effect, but it also helps to promote a monogamous romantic relationship. And physical affection isn't limited to sexual intercourse -- even small gestures like holding hands or hugging count.

In addition to oxytocin, sex also increases the level of a specific neuropeptide -- a molecule in the brain that helps regulate areas such as learning, memory and reward -- called arginine vasopressin (AVP), which also facilitates bonding with your partner. Both substances play an important role not only in promoting intimacy between you and your partner but also in socialization skills.

7: Be Spiritual Together

By sharing your faith -- either a particular  religion or general feelings of spirituality -- with another person opens life in not only a secular way but spiritually as well. A belief in a specific higher power isn't a requirement: On its own, a shared life philosophy can help build a connection to something greater.

Research has also found correlations between some religions and the romantic relationships of their adherents. For example, according to data collected between 1991 and 2004 by General Social Survey (GSS), couples who identified themselves as Catholic or with a conservative religious faith had a lower likelihood of cheating on their partner than their peers who had no particular religious affiliation 

6: Pay AttentionTo be emotionally, mentally or physically intimate with a partner begins with listening to what he or she is saying and paying attention to his or her actions. It sounds simple, but it's not. To properly pay attention, you need to tune everything else out ... from your work stress and to-do list to your thoughts about what you'd like for dinner. Tune out your personal immediate needs, and then listen.

 Regular listening means being attentive, not thinking about what you'd like to say next. Look your partner in the eye. Be silent while your partner is talking, and when you do speak, be courteous and reassuring.

5: Be Emotionally Available

If you aren't emotionally available to your partner, you're withholding the intimate details of your life: the very opposite of what you should be doing to build a more intimate connection. What comes along with that is a decreased feeling of appreciation and value -- that specialness that comes along with an intimate relationship -- on your partner's behalf. After a while, that can have detrimental effects not only on emotional intimacy but also on sexual intimacy as well.

Do it a priority to share the daily details of your life with your partner, such as what's going on in your work life, as well as your secrets. Sharing the feelings and dreams that are unique to you shows your vulnerability as well as how much you trust your partner to accept the real you.

4: Accept Unconditionally

It is easy to jump into a relationship with the idea that you'll be able to encourage your partner to change -- just a little -- to be closer to your ideal. But that idea isn't usually realistic or very fair to you or your partner. On top of that, the little projects you have in mind, like getting your partner to get a haircut, become a fan of your favorite band or stop wearing those awful shirts, are an obstacle to intimacy.

Acceptance goes hand-in-hand with encouraging another person to share the most intimate details of his or her self: hopes, dreams, goals, feelings and personal history. Your partner needs to feel confident that you'll accept and appreciate all those thoughts and feelings, not dismiss or make fun of them. And the same goes in reverse: Your partner should accept your thoughts and feelings, too.

Of course, there are times when change is necessary and important, like if you want to become thriftier so you can save up enough to buy a house, or if you or your partner's habits are causing health problems. But even then, your work should be based on trust and acceptance rather than criticism and judgment.

3: Be Supportive

In a 5-year study, researchers  found that newlyweds describe four different types of support, what they've labeled:

·       Physical and emotional support: Sharing and listening as well as hand holding and hugging

·       Esteem: Offering self-esteem boosts and confidence

·       Informational: General advice-giving

·       Tangible: Helping with additional responsibilities or problem solving

The trick is to supply the right kind and level of support as needed -- and to watch out for too much informational support. No one likes to feel they're being told what to do. Everyone has a different idea of the perfect amount -- and type -- of support. So, be sure to let your partner know what type and how much fits your bill -- and listen to what he or she tells you about the support you provide.

2: Laugh Together

Laughter is contagious, and when we hear it, our brain automatically wants to get in on the action. According to multiple studies, including studies at the Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, we naturally mimic the gestures and facial expressions of those we talk to, a trait that is now also thought to include laughing We laugh when we hear a funny joke, when we play, when we're tickled … but laughing isn't just an indication we think something is funny. It's also one of the ways we bond with other people. Laughter is universal and a social lubricant, so go ahead and see that new Seth Rogen movie on date night -- not only will your laughter boost your mood, but it just might boost your bonding.

1: Find Common Interests and Pursue Them Together

The seven-year itch, the witching hour when couples are said to lose interest in their relationship, isn't necessarily a myth. According to 2001 data released by the U.S. Census Bureau, first marriages that ultimately end in divorce last an average of eight years, with separation happening after seven years of marriage And researchers at the University of Michigan and Stony Brook University found that couples who were growing bored with their relationship after seven years together were less close to each other and less satisfied with their marriage