Pain during intercourse

If you recognize any of these symptoms, you may be suffering from vaginal atrophy

Itching

Painful sexual intercourse

Itching

Frequent and painful urination

Irritation

Infeções-do-trato-urinário-frequentes_SENSHIO

Frequent urinary tract infections

Discomfort

Hemorragia-após-relação-sexual_SENHIO

Bleeding after sex

Is pain during intercourse a symptom of the menopause?

When it comes to the menopause, most women are prepared for hot flushes, night sweats and fatigue. However, one of the most common symptoms of the menopause is one that is rarely talked about: painful intercourse (dyspareunia).

Pain during intercourse is the second most common complaint during the menopause, after vasomotor symptoms (hot flushes and hot flashes). More than 60% of postmenopausal women suffer from symptoms of vaginal atrophy but only around 7% of these women are treated, according to the REVIVE study(Real women’s views of treatment options for menopausal vaginal changes).

Most women don’t seek help because they’re ashamed to mention that they have pain during sexual intercourse or some kind of lack of interest in sex, even thinking that it’s inevitable and associated with ageing.

What causes pain during sexual intercourse?

Before the menopause, oestrogen helps to keep the vaginal walls thick and elastic, but the drop in oestrogen levels due to the menopause causes the vaginal lining to become thinner and less elastic and the vaginal walls to produce less lubrication. With less elasticity and less lubrication, sexual intercourse becomes painful.

Vaginal tissue before the menopause:
Estrogen keeps vaginal walls thick and elastic

Dor-na-relação-sexual_-vagina-antes-da-menopausa_senshio

Vaginal tissue after the menopause:
The drop in estrogen makes the tissue thin, dry and less elastic

Dor-na-relação-sexual_-vagina-depois-da-menopausa_senshio

Can Vaginal Atrophy affect my relationship?

Vaginal atrophy doesn’t just affect sex life, it also affects relationships with partners, a woman’s self-esteem and her emotional well-being.

Studies show that 62% of women with vaginal atrophy avoid intimacy, 58% have less sex, 35% postpone sexual intercourse and 23% exclude sex from their lives. Concern about the future of their sex life, loss of self-confidence as a sexual partner and the feeling that their body “doesn’t work the way it used to” are common among women suffering from vaginal atrophy.

Communication with your partner is a key element in addressing these problems.