Sexual intercourse - painful

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Causes of painful intercourse

Painful sexual intercourse; Dyspareunia

• 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 diseases.

National Institutes of Health. National Institutes of Health State-of-the-Science Conference statement: management of menopause-related symptoms. Ann Intern Med. 2005;142(12 Pt 1):1003-1013.

Klein MC, Kaczorowski J, Firoz T, Hubinette M, Jorgensen S, Gauthier R. A comparison of urinary and sexual outcomes in women experiencing vaginal and Caesarean births. J Obstet Gynaecol Can. 2005; 27(4): 332-339.

Mahutte NG. Medical management of endometriosis-associated pain. Obstet Gynecol Clin North Am. 2003; 30(1): 133-150.

Review Date: 08/08/2005
Reviewed By: Sharon Roseanne Thompson, M.D., M.P.H., Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Brigham and Women's Hosptial, Boston, MA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.