Sexual Pain
Sexual pain (dyspareunia) is genital pain that’s experienced just before, during or after sexual activity. It’s extremely common, with up to 75% of people experiencing it at some time in their lives and 20% of people experiencing it persistently. Sexual pain affects more females than males / people with vaginas than people with penises (women than men), but it can affect anyone at any life stage. For some people, sexual activity has always been painful, but for others, it starts after an infection, at a time of stress, after childbirth or during menopause.
Due to its intimate nature, sexual pain often goes unspoken. Many quietly put up with it for years, too embarrassed to confide in someone or ask for help, wrongly thinking nothing can be done. Left untreated, it's distressing and leads to withdrawing socially, avoiding relationships and intimacy and reducing self-esteem. You might feel isolated, fearful of sex and anxious or depressed.
But it doesn’t have to be this way.
Help is available.
You’ll be happy to know that help is available. Our postgraduate-qualified pelvic health physiotherapists can help treat this condition, so there’s no need to suffer in silence. Most people experiencing sexual pain can be helped, and at Pelvic Health Matters, we’re here to help you.
Due to its intimate nature, sexual pain often goes unspoken. But up to 75 per cent of people experience it at some time in their lives. Fortunately, our postgraduate-qualified pelvic health physios can help.
Common signs & symptoms of sexual pain
We all feel pain in different ways, but if you suffer from sexual pain, the following is probably familiar to you:
- Pain with any genital touch
- Pain with sexual entry or penetration
- Feeling too tight or blocked with penetration
- Pain with deep thrusting
- Pain with arousal or erection
- Pain with orgasm or ejaculation
- Pain that lasts for hours after sex
- Feeling worried or fearful about sex
- Reduced sexual desire and arousal
Risk factors & causes of sexual pain
- Infections such as thrush or STIs
- Pelvic floor muscle spasm
- Overuse of core muscles
- A sensitised nervous system
- Emotional factors such as anxiety, stress and relationship problems
- Poor arousal
- Things that have occurred in the past, such as trauma or abuse
- Vulval skin conditions such as eczema, dermatitis and lichen sclerosis
- Endometriosis and adenomyosis
- Hormonal changes, e.g. while breastfeeding or at menopause
- Perineal trauma, e.g. from childbirth or an accident
Our Proven Pathway for Treating Sexual Pain
Discover what matters
You’re assessed as a whole person
We start by taking the time to learn all about you as a whole person, not just a patient. So, your postgraduate qualified pelvic health physiotherapist will gather the following information:
- QUESTIONNAIRE: You’ll complete a pelvic health questionnaire online before your first visit. This helps us understand about your history, current health concerns and what matters to you.
- 1-on-1 CONSULTATION: Here, we’ll take the time to learn about you and your sexual pain. We believe a holistic approach enables us to understand how your specific physical, emotional and lifestyle factors influence your pelvic health.
- THOROUGH ASSESSMENT: This includes back and pelvic joints and muscles, abdominal and pelvic floor examination, and questionnaires to understand thoughts, feelings and environment.
- CONNECTING THE DOTS: Now we’ve discovered so much about you and your sexual pain, we can explore how it all fits together. Perhaps an STI or unaroused sex triggered a pain cycle of muscle tension, sensitised nerves and fear of pain.
- SET GOALS: We’ll help you set meaningful pelvic health goals, such as:
- Feel excited to start dating
- Enjoy pain-free and pleasurable sex
- Feel confident in my body and sexuality
Restore what matters
You’ll have a personalised pelvic health plan.
Step 2 is where we roll up our sleeves and get to work. Together, we’ll choose the most effective, research-backed treatment options that suit your lifestyle. You’ll learn fascinating facts about pain science and sexual function – including how your nervous system and body work together, what might not be working so well and what you can do to reduce sexual pain.
We’ll guide you through strategies to help break the pain cycle by calming your nerves, relaxing your muscles and supporting the connection between your body, thoughts and emotions. This may include techniques like mindfulness or breathing exercises. And if you’re comfortable doing so, we’ll also explore ways to improve libido and arousal.
Pelvic Floor Muscle Training will also begin at this stage. You’ll develop new skills and learn how to connect with essential muscles you may not even have been aware of. Your personalised program will focus on your unique needs, including learning how to relax and coordinate these muscles effectively. You’ll also receive excellent tools and resources to support your progress – everything you need to feel empowered and move forward with confidence.
ABOUT YOUR APPOINTMENTS: Together, we’ll work out how often we should see each other. We’ll agree on what works best for you, your commitments and your finances.
Enjoy what matters
You’ll be living your best life.
The final step is ensuring you achieve all the meaningful goals you set at the start of your journey. You might also find that you can embrace new possibilities you hadn’t considered, such as online dating or a different position. You’ll have all the valuable skills to ensure painfree sex in all situations – without running back to appointments all the time.
Sometimes, though, life’s twists and turns can throw things off track, and you might find yourself needing a little reset. A new relationship or hormonal changes that come with childbirth or menopause can all make sexual function more difficult. No matter what’s going on, just know – we’re always here for you, ready to help whenever you need it.
Read about Emma 29 yrs, Lisa 30 yrs, Fiona 38 yrs, Geoff 41 yrs
More info on genital & sexual pain
Blog Articles
Other Related Conditions
Pelvic Health Matters
New name.
Same exceptional care.
Formerly known as Women’s & Men’s Health Physiotherapy, our new name reflects both what we believe in and what we do. We have an unwavering belief that pelvic health matters for everyone, at every stage of life.
Same phone number: 03 8823 8300
New email: physio@pelvichealth.com.au