All About Dyspareunia

Dyspareunia is a unique health condition that many women are suffering from. The difficult thing about this is the fact that only few women are willing to admit they may be suffering from the condition. As a result, most women continue to endure dyspareunia, which is one of the many sexual problems that women may encounter.

Defining the Condition

Dyspareunia is a sexual condition where a woman experiences pain during sexual intercourse. As a result, the woman is not able to fully enjoy satisfying sexual activity. The good news with dyspareunia is that the condition is easily reversible even in cases when the condition has been present for a long time. All that it takes to reverse the condition is to identify the root cause of the problem. Unfortunately, most women do not report the condition and it is very common among the female gender—affecting one out of five women.

Knowing the Causes of the Condition

Although there are various cases when a woman may experience pain during sexual intercourse, dyspareunia is different in that the condition is not usually caused by an underlying disease or medical condition. In fact, most studies reveal that some women who suffer from dyspareunia self-perpetuate the condition. As a result, even though the original cause of the condition has been treated, a woman may continue to suffer from it. On the other hand, aside from self-perpetuating the condition, the following are the common causes for having the disorder:

1) Physical causes. Every diagnosis and treatment of dyspareunia initially focuses on the physical health of the woman. The most common culprit for pain during sexual intercourse is vaginal dryness. Being unable to produce enough lubrication for the vagina can make sexual intercourse a painful experience. On the other hand, vaginal dryness can also be caused by other underlying factors that should not be ignored.

2) Due to diseases or an existing medical condition. If a woman has a medical history of certain diseases, there is the possibility that such condition can cause dyspareunia. A common factor is viral and bacterial infections to any of a woman's reproductive area such as in the urinary tract, in the fallopian tube, or in the cervix. When any of these parts are affected, one is likely to suffer from dyspareunia.

3) Due to radiation therapy. If a woman has a malignant condition in the pelvis being treated through radiation therapy can also cause dyspareunia.

4) Due to psychological problems. If a woman is saddled with psychological burden, the impact of the condition can also manifest in her suffering from dyspareunia. While this remains an intriguing side to analyzing the causes of dyspareunia, there is no doubt that some women induce suffering or at least perpetuate them. What remains unclear is why some women do that to herself. Initial studies to that end suggest that it is a means for some women to grapple with certain problems that they may not be able to handle themselves.