Patient's question:
Hello doctor, I am only 4 months postpartum, and the doctor advised not to have sex for the first 4 months. However, after 4 months have passed, I still feel pain down there when I had sex with my husband a few days ago, and I couldn't even continue. I don't know if it's just in my head or if I haven't fully healed yet. I had a vaginal delivery. Could you please tell me when it is generally safe to resume sexual activity?Doctor's answer:
Hello: The characteristics of dyspareunia are: pain in the vagina or lower abdomen; severe and recurrent pain, often lasting several hours after intercourse; but sometimes pain may not appear until several hours after intercourse.There are many causes of dyspareunia, and sometimes it can be the result of multiple factors interacting. The organic conditions that can cause dyspareunia mainly include retroversion of the uterus, cervical polyps, genital inflammation (such as vulvitis, vaginitis, pelvic inflammatory disease, etc.), pelvic tumors, endometriosis, hemorrhoids, vulvar lacerations, poor healing of episiotomy wounds, vulvar dryness, urethral papillae, rigid hymen, hymen atresia, etc. These pathological factors need to be treated according to the examination results. At the same time, psychological comfort is also necessary, because even after the organic condition is cured, mental tension can still affect sexual life.
Some dyspareunia is caused by allergic reactions, as some women are highly sensitive to male semen and contraceptive tools such as vaginal and condoms. Upon contact, the perineum or even the whole body may experience an allergic reaction, which can sometimes lead to lower abdominal pain during intercourse. Changing the contraceptive method can gradually alleviate or prevent recurrence.
Sometimes, pain is caused by the male inserting into the vagina without sufficient lubrication or forcefully, leading to pain. Alternatively, excessive force by the male may increase intra-abdominal pressure, affecting the movement of the uterus, bladder, and intestines, or even causing reverse peristalsis in the intestines, leading to intermittent abdominal pain.
Treatment for female dyspareunia should first identify the cause and then treat it based on different conditions and reasons:
Due to psychological and emotional factors