Patient's question:
Hello! I've been married to my husband for a year, but every time we have sex, there's a noticeable pain in my external genitalia during penetration. Is there any good way to solve this?Doctor's answer:
Hello,I. Etiology and Pathology:
(1) Western Medicine: Sexual pain can be caused by intrinsic organic lesions, such as inflammation of the genital organs or accessory glands, changes or abnormalities in genital morphology. It can also be secondary to other diseases, such as lack of lubrication in elderly or surgically menopausal women. It can also be caused by psychological factors, such as marital discord, lack of sexual knowledge, or insufficient foreplay.
(2) Traditional Chinese Medicine: Traditional Chinese medicine believes that the primary site of this condition is the liver and kidneys. The causes include insufficient constitutional strength, excessive sexual activity, external exposure to damp-heat, internal injury to the seven emotions, and irregular diet. The main pathogenesis involves damp-heat descending, cold congealing in the liver channels, liver qi stagnation, and yin deficiency of the liver and kidneys.
II. Main Symptoms:
1. Psychological sexual pain: The female experiences depression, fear, anxiety, and resistance toward sexual activity. When she is forced to have intercourse with her husband, sexual pain occurs.
2. Organic sexual pain: Sexual pain can be classified as superficial or deep based on the location of pain. Superficial pain occurs when the penis enters the vaginal opening, while deep pain occurs when the penis reaches the deeper part of the vagina. Different organic diseases are accompanied by corresponding symptoms, such as vaginal itching and increased leukorrhea during urinary tract infections.
III. Key Diagnostic Points:
1. Sexual pain caused by psychological factors is often associated with multiple factors, including mental, social, psychological, and marital discord.
2. Sexual pain during the first intercourse after marriage is usually due to hymen injury; postmenopausal sexual pain often suggests vaginal atrophy.
3. Excessive vaginal discharge with a foul odor suggests vaginal inflammatory diseases.