Pain during sex is common. You don’t need to be worried if you’re experiencing it because you are not the only one. Painful sex is mostly caused due to deep penetration. But, you may also be experiencing it due to any gynecological conditional.[1]
Not only women, but men experience lower abdominal pain during sex too. But the article solely focuses on women for now.
Painful sex isn’t something to be worried about and can be easily treated. If you have felt that the pain is excessive, you will need to get in touch with your healthcare providers. The healthcare provider will either consult your therapies or provide necessary medicines to treat the overall problem.[2]
Common causes for lower abdominal pain in females
You may be experiencing pain either due to sex position pr the uterus’ position.
Sexual position
The sexual positions play an important role in determining the penetration depth for vaginal and anal sex. If the penetration is too deep, it can trigger pain.[3]
If you have been experiencing pain during sex for quite some time now, you will need to avoid uncomfortable positions and too much thrusting, especially on the sides. You should rather switch to positions that have greater control over the penetration. Cowgirl, can be one great position to try to avoid painful sex.
Tilted uterus
In the case of a tilted uterus, the uterus leans backward rather than flipping forward. Studies have shown that 1 out of every 4 women has a tilted uterus. This isn’t really a problem but it can make sex painful.[4]
Your gynecologist can suggest ways to overcome the pain of the tilted uterus. You may try different positions that can help you avoid painful sex.
Endometriosis
Endometriosis is a serious condition that needs to be addressed immediately. The uterine tissue grows either outside the uterus but not as per normal. The overgrowth can often cause pain around the pelvis, stomach, and back during sex.
If you have endometriosis, some of the other aspects that you will be suffering from include
- Heavy period
- Painful bowel movement
- Bleeding between period
- Worst period pain
Ovarian cyst
Ovarian cysts are common and many women are affected by it. The fluid-filled pockets develop either on the surface of your ovaries or on the inside. Although they are painless, sometimes the presence of these cysts can be very painful. The pain, however, improves or worsens after sex.[5]
Other symptoms of ovarian cyst include
- Bloating
- Heaviness in stomach
- Pain around thighs and lower back
Fibroids
The non-cancerous growth around the uterus is prevalent in 1 out of 3 women. Some of the other symptoms of fibroid include constipation, painful sex and heavy period.[6]
Uterine adhesions
Uterine adhesions are also referred to as Asherman syndrome, which is the development of scar tissue across the uterus and cervix.
Uterine adhesions may mostly be caused due to radiation therapy, infection, endometriosis, and more. You may also go through a light period, severe cramps or even no period at all.[7]
Sexually transmitted infections
Sexually transmitted infections such as Chlamydia and gonorrhea may not exhibit symptoms in the initial stages. But, in the later stages, it can cause problems such as foul smell, unusual vaginal discharge, lower abdominal pain, and bleeding during sex.
Interstitial cystitis
Interstitial cystitis is also referred to as bladder pain syndrome and is prevalent for everyone. This type of cystitis can cause excessive pain around the bladder area. When your bladder fills, the pain will become more prevalent.[8]
One may suffer from pain around the pelvis or even lower abdomen due to this. The bladder gets filled during sexual activities, which lead to orgasm. Owing to a filled bladder, pain in the lower abdomen is common. The intensity of pain would, however, vary depending on the degree of thrusting.
Can other infections cause pain in the lower abdomen?
There’s absolutely no necessity of only sexually transmitted infections to cause pain in the lower abdomen during or after sex. Some of the common infections that do not cause pain include pelvic inflammatory disease and urinary tract infection.[9]
The pelvic inflammatory disease affects the upper genital tract. This kind of infection is mostly observed in women who are very sexually active. But STIs can also lead to PID. However, certain practices can worsen the condition such as douching or even the use of intrauterine devices.
Initially, people may not be able to notice the symptoms of PID. However, the most common symptoms include the following
- Painful urination
- Bleeding during and after sex
- Deep pelvic pain after sex
Urinary tract infection is also caused by the urinary tract when the bacteria infects the tract. It is more common in women than in men. Since the urethra of women is smaller as compared to men, the bacteria won’t have a hard time getting in the tract. But men have a long urethra, which is why UTI isn’t really found in men.[10]
Some of the common symptoms of UTI include the following
- Lower abdominal pain that intensifies with sex
- Painful urination
- Foul smell
- Frequent urination
Do males experience lower abdominal pain?
There are very limited causes of lower abdominal pain in men.
Prostatitis
Prostatitis is a condition in which the prostate of males swells up. The prostate gland is like a walnut in size and is placed right below the bladder.[11]
The prostate has one of the most important sexual functions of producing semen and eventually propel it during ejaculation.[12]
Prostatitis may be acute or chronic. Age is one of the main causes of prostatitis. Usually, men above the age of 45 have prostatitis. But, chronic prostatitis becomes common in men below the age of 50.
In the case of prostatitis, men suffer from back pain and lower abdominal pain. Indulging in sexual activities can be equally painful. Hence, men experiencing prostatitis may have a tough time ejaculating because it is painful.
Other common symptoms of prostatitis
- Painful urination
- Pain around the perineum
- Inability to urinate or less urination
- Dripping from penis despite urination
Lower abdominal pain does not always need to be due to sexual activities. But, it can hamper your sexual life, which is why you need to be careful with it.[13]
Rarely do people experience lower abdominal pain during or after sex, and it is considered normal. However, if you have been experiencing it frequently, you will need to visit your doctor.
Apart from painful sex, if you notice any other symptoms, it could be a sign of any underlying condition. Hence, make sure to check your condition before reaching out to the doctor thoroughly.
As said above, not
only women but men too suffer from lower abdominal pain. This can make sex
extremely uncomfortable. However, there are certain homemade remedies too
that can be of great help.[14]
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