Hormonal changes from giving birth or from menopause
Infections, such as vaginal yeast infections and urinary tract infections
Atrophic vaginitis —when vaginal tissues become thin, dry, and inflamed
Endometriosis —when tissue that lines in the inside of the uterus grows outside of it
Herpes or genital warts
Pelvic inflammatory disease —severe infection of the female pelvic organs
Past trauma, such as sexual abuse
Mental health issues, such as depression and anxiety

Risk Factors

The risk of this problem is higher in women after menopause. The risk is also higher in women who have any of the causes listed above.

Other things that may raise the risk are:

Taking medicines that result in vaginal dryness
Prior vaginal surgery

Symptoms

A person who has pain during sex may feel:

Pain during any or all phases of sexual contact
Stabbing or aching pain
Itching and burning

Pain may also be felt when placing a tampon.

Female Reproductive System

Diagnosis

The doctor will ask about your symptoms and health history. You will also be asked about your sexual history. A pelvic exam will be done. This is often enough to make the diagnosis.

Other tests may be done to look for a cause.

Treatment

The cause will need to be treated. Some choices are:

Lubricants or estrogen to ease pain and dryness
Stopping or changing medicines that are causing problems
Mental health therapy

Prevention

The risk of this problem may be lowered by managing chronic health problems, such as endometriosis.

RESOURCES:

American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists
http://www.acog.org

Family Doctor—American Academy of Family Physicians
http://familydoctor.org

CANADIAN RESOURCES:

The Canadian Women's Health Network
http://www.cwhn.ca

The Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada
http://www.sogc.org

References:

American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) Practice Bulletin 119 on female sexual dysfunction can be found in Obstet Gynecol 2011 Apr;117(4):996-1007.

Female sexual dysfunction. EBSCO DynaMed website. Available at: https://www.dynamed.com/condition/female-sexual-dysfunction. Accessed February 2, 2021.

Last reviewed December 2020 by EBSCO Medical Review Board Beverly Siegal, MD, FACOG
Last Updated: 02/25/2021

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