How to reduce pain during sex

Sep 12, Cedars-Sinai Staff. Jennifer Anger. Anger says. Kelly Wright.

The following situations and conditions can contribute to or cause pain during intercourse or other forms of penetration. The first few times you have intercourse or experience vaginal penetration, you may feel a small to moderate amount of pain at the entrance to the vagina. There can be some bleeding or no bleeding at all—both are normal. The reasons for the pain are not always clear, but it is typically temporary.

Subscriber Account active since. Feeling some sort of physical pain during intercourse is incredibly common — according to The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, nearly three out of four women experience painful sex at some point in their lives. Though it might make you feel slightly better to know you're not alone, this fact likely offers little comfort when you're in the middle of a sexual encounter and things just aren't feeling right. Whether you're dealing with muscle aches due to a position that doesn't work for your body, irritation or burning on your skin, or a gynecologic condition like vaginismus or vulvodynia , there are definitely ways to help ease your pain so you can enjoy the pain-free, happy sex you deserve.

Q: Sex just hurts for me, even when I go overboard on lubricant. On top of that, I also feel extremely sore and itchy down there. Help, what can I do? First things first.