Low Sex Drive in Women Due to Pain (Dyspareunia)

Dyspareunia or painful sexual intercourse is one of the biggest reasons for low sex drive in women. Any part of the female sex organs can potentially cause pain during sex, inside and out. There are many reasons why pain during sex can be experienced, but the bottom line is that it generally causes lack of libido in women.

Some of the most common causes of dyspareunia and painful sex are:

• Vaginismus – vaginismus is the involuntary contraction of the vaginal muscles, which can prevent the penis from being inserted during intercourse and cause low sex drive in women. It is often difficult to diagnose, since it is difficult to separate the physical pain from the anxiety associated with experiencing that pain. This problem can be helped through exercising the muscles of the vagina, natural muscle relaxants such as magnesium, or herbs.  Check with your doctor or natural therapist.

• Vaginal infections – Viral infections, yeast (candida) infections, and bacterial infections can cause painful intercourse and lead to low sex drive in women. Inserting a penis, tampon, or even sitting can cause terrible pain.  Depending on the problem, it can be treated by the doctor or with natural therapies, libido enhancing herbs or nutrients by a natural therapist.

• Vaginal dryness can also be what causes low libido and dyspareunia. Loss of lubrication can be caused by decreased estrogen levels, and can cause a lack of sexual desire and overall sexuality. 

• A significant number of women experience pain during their periods. This can be down to contractions of the muscle in the uterus due to a release of hormones in the lining of the uterus. When pain because severe, even sometimes disabling, it is called dysmenorrhea. This will certainly have an effect on libido and take the enjoyment out of lovemaking and cause low sex in drive women.  

     Eating a healthy diet, getting plenty of exercise, or trying natural therapies (acupuncture, reflexology, and aromatherapy) can all be ways of lessening the affects of painful periods. If the pain becomes very extreme, it is important to talk to your doctor in order to rule out conditions such as pelvic inflammatory disease, endometriosis, polycystic ovaries, or fibroids.

If a doctor or health practitioner cannot identify any conditions that are causing your pain during intercourse, it could be down to an emotional issue. Some women have had terrible past sexual traumas such as rape or abuse that can make sex painful later in life. If you think that this is the cause of low sex drive in women, there is plenty of help out there.  Many women find talking about their feelings to a counselor or therapist very useful in reclaiming their sexuality and libido.

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