5 Best Ways to Stop Your Sore Vagina After Sex
There’s a lot of talk about sex needing to be rough, and even hurtful, for it to be passionate. Books like 50 Shades of Gray and songs like Ariana Grande’s Side to Side have only reinforced that belief, making so many believe that it’s okay if sex is painful. However, this couldn’t be further from the truth. Sex isn’t supposed to hurt…it’s supposed to feel good for all parties involved. If your vagina is sore after sex, this may be a problem that has underlying comfort issues that need to be addressed. You shouldn’t feel uncomfortable after the act, but you should be on cloud nine, thinking life can’t get better than this!
There may be a ton of reasons why you’re feeling sore after intercourse, but there are a few common ones that most women go through. We assembled a list of them so that you can figure out exactly what’s wrong and what you can do to fix it.
5 Reasons Why Your Vagina May Be Sore
Not Enough Lubrication
One of the biggest problems that women face is that there isn’t enough lubrication before penetration. This can be due to many things. The human body is an incredible thing because it produces its own lubrication, but that only happens when there is enough foreplay involved and when hormones are just right. So if you notice that there is too much friction between you and your partner, then you might want to make time for more foreplay. Apart from being essential for lubrication, it is also incredibly fun and increases the enjoyment you get from sex itself. There are also a ton of ways that you can practice foreplay, so it gives you the opportunity to see what you like, what you don’t, and what really gets you both going.
If foreplay doesn’t work, then you can always opt for artificial lubricants. You can use artificial lubricants in a ton of different ways, which makes it fun. One thing to keep in mind, though, is that your lube should never have alcohol as an ingredient. There’s a very simple reason for that. The female vagina is extremely sensitive and is prone to microscopic tears. These tears happen during intercourse and there’s very little you can do about them. They usually won’t bother you because they generally heal extremely quickly, but if you use a lubricant that has alcohol in it, you’ll find these tears becoming aggravated. It is not a fun feeling and can be extremely painful. Use water-based lubricants instead, because they are pH neutral so they don’t affect the biochemistry of your vagina and won’t cause any problems during intercourse.
You should also keep in mind that everyone produces varying amounts of lubrication. This is affected by age, birth control methods, and the medications that you are on. This gives you another reason to try artificial lubrication to prevent dryness and pain. If you’re feeling sore after sex and you know it was because of inadequate use of lubrication, you now know a simple tool to fix this issue.
If you’re interested in a more permanent solution, check out Julva vaginal moisturizer. This wonderful cream works to heal the vagina by soothing vaginal dryness, burning, and itching. The best part is that this is a natural, long-term solution for your dry, irritated vaginal area.
The Sex You Had Was Too Rough
You knew this was coming. If you had a particularly rough sexual encounter, this is bound to be a problem. There are multiple things that could have contributed to this, and there are many things you can do about it.
If you’re feeling sore after using a dildo then it might be time to get a smaller one. It might be less fun but, look at it this way, you can work your way up instead of just shooting directly to the top. You should also think about using more lubrication if you’re feeling sore after using a dildo.
However, the best thing you can do to prepare for any type of sex is foreplay. The vagina expands when it is stimulated, and it becomes longer, wider, and bigger. Now you have an excuse to perform more foreplay! It’ll not only feel much more comfortable, but it will also elevate the pleasure that you get from sex.
In addition to the above suggestions, it wouldn’t hurt to change up positions now and then. Positions such as missionary and doggy style allow for the deepest penetration. You might be better off with positions such as cowgirl or reverse cowgirl so that you have control during the entire act. That allows you to control the depth of the penetration, the speed, and the force.
As for when it is too late and you’re already feeling sore, there are a bunch of things that you can do. The first thing that you can try is a warm bath. The warm water should soothe your muscles and help you relax. If that doesn’t work then you can try a heating pad. Don’t place the heating pad directly on your skin, though. It’s best to wrap it with a cloth or place it over your undergarments so that it feels warm rather than hot. This will relax your skin and will ease the pain. If that doesn’t seem to help, then you can always try over the counter pain medications. You can use them without a prescription just to ease the pain, but they should be used as a last resort.
The pain you are feeling could just be because of the amount of friction that was generated. Generally, friction is great for sex, as it’s fun and definitely essential for a good romp, but it can be disastrous if there’s too much friction. The main reason why this happens is because, yet again, there wasn’t enough lubrication.
If too much friction is causing problems for you each time you have intercourse, then you need to visit your doctor for recommendations. Through foreplay you can ‘warm up’ the vagina and make sure that it produces enough natural lubrication, you may benefit from a vaginal moisturizer instead. Although you can use any water-based lubrication to help you out during times when you just don’t have the time for foreplay or a visit to the doctor, a vaginal moisturizer is going to be the answer for a long-term solution.
Your Birth Control is Getting in the Way
The most commonly used birth control method is latex condoms. Sadly though, there are a lot of people that are either sensitive, or even downright allergic, to latex. It can cause rashes inside your vagina if you are sensitive to it and it can be hard to get rid of the pain without any anti-allergy medication. If you feel that it actually is sensitivity to latex, then you should consult your doctor to confirm that it is, in fact, a product that you are sensitive to that is causing the pain. Fear not though, since latex sensitivity and allergy is quite common, there are a lot of alternatives that you can use instead.
The first thing that you should think about using is a female condom. It may come with a higher price tag but it is hypoallergenic and is almost as effective as a latex condom for preventing pregnancy. It also works well at preventing STIs so it might be the way to go. Keep in mind, though, that it is quite ineffective if you don’t follow the instructions exactly.
A lot of people also mention lambskin condoms as an alternative. We personally do not advise them because, even though they work just like latex condoms, they do not stop all STDs. Lambskin condoms are not as good at preventing infections and are more prone to breakage and leakage than other condoms. They are great at preventing pregnancy, though, so if you are just looking for that feature lambskin condoms have you covered.
Latex sensitivity and allergy might not be the only thing that is causing you to feel sore. You could be noticing fluctuating hormones due to your oral birth control. Medications such as oral birth control can dry you out and make it more difficult for your body to produce the natural lubrication it needs during sexual intercourse. You’ll want to discuss any birth control options with your doctor.
You Might Have an Infection
Now for the more severe reasons. Typically a sore vagina after sex doesn’t imply that you have contracted an infection, but it can start out that way. If your vagina is feeling sore and it leads to itching, burning, or abnormal discharge then you might have a yeast infection, bacterial vaginosis, an STI, or something completely different. We’ll go through each of these step by step, what you can do to alleviate the pain, and ultimately what the treatment is.
A yeast infection typically happens when the natural fungus in your vagina starts growing uncontrollably. Potential causes include antibiotic use, hormonal changes, and a compromised immune system. Yeast infections are actually really common…so common that about 3 in every 4 women get them at least once in their lifetime. It’s actually quite easy to treat, though. You can purchase over the counter anti-fungal vaginal creams or suppositories. You should go to the doctor if this is your first time getting a yeast infection or if you start developing symptoms that do not relate to a yeast infection.
BV, or bacterial vaginosis, is one of the rare vaginal diseases that still remains quite mysterious. There has been no definitive cause cited for this disease, although it is widely believed that it happens when there is an imbalance in the pH level in the vagina, which results in the growth of harmful bacteria. The reason why that imbalance happens is still unknown, even though there are many reasons for such an imbalance. The disease starts out as a soreness in the vagina but quickly turns into a burning sensation, especially when urinating or during intercourse.
BV usually happens after intercourse with a new partner. It can also spread to other women through intercourse with the same male partner. It is also possible to get BV without any intercourse involved at all, but cases of that are incredibly rare. BV eventually leads to abnormal vaginal discharge, and if you notice this you should immediately go to the doctor. They will prescribe antibiotics which will take care of the problem.
STIs are more difficult to diagnose because there are just so many of them out there. There is no telling which one you might have, so if you feel like something is wrong it’s time to head to your doctor for a proper diagnosis. It is always better to be safe rather than sorry.
For all of these, the prevention is pretty easy. Make sure that you’re taking care of your vaginal area by not using fragranced soaps, alcohol based lubrication, or other irritants. Also, find a great vaginal moisturizer, such as Julva, to keep your vagina area healthy and well lubricated.
You Might Have a Medical Condition
If your vagina is feeling sore after sex, then it might be something more severe than just an allergy or not enough lubrication. It could be another medical condition, such as uterine fibroids. You might have fibroids if you have:
- Heavy menstrual bleeding
- Menstrual periods that last longer than a week
- Pelvic pain or pressure
- Constipation
- Back or leg pain
- Frequent urination
- Difficulty emptying the bladder completely
Uterine fibroids are non-cancerous tumors that can grow inside of a woman’s body. The reasons behind their growth are currently unknown but there are certain links that have been established as to why they might happen. The first is that they might be genetic because of the fact that women of African descent are at three times the risk of developing them than women of other races. It could also be hereditary, because if your sister or mother has uterine fibroids you have a higher chance of developing them. There could also be environmental factors that can affect the growth of these tumors such as diet, use of birth control, and even vitamin D deficiency.
In any case, they are mostly harmless because they are usually so minute that they are not even visible easily. They can become a problem, however, if they grow larger. They can cause heavy bleeding during periods, more painful periods, and added sensitivity during periods. Other than that, they do not cause problems to women that are not pregnant. They can, however, cause a lot of problems during pregnancy. They may lead to premature birth and even miscarriages. They are also liable to cause complete infertility so, if you think you have fibroids, go to the doctor immediately.
There is no prevention of this disease so there is nothing you can do against them except try to have a healthy balanced life. Eating right and maintaining proper weight can be helpful in preventing them in the first place. Below we’ll discuss a few other simple tips for avoiding soreness after sexual intercourse.
5 Best Ways to Stop Your Vagina Being Sore
- Use a Cool Compress. We love this tip because a cool compress can really go a long way in relieving any symptoms of pain or irritation after sex. The use of a compress can ease itchiness, burning and soreness associated with sexual intercourse. This particular cool compress may be for eyes, but we suggest trying it for your vaginal area.
2. Use a DHEA Cream. This is an important recommendation to use before sex, and even on a daily basis, because it can help prevent much of the discomfort you’re experiencing due to dryness. It can help to better lubricate the area, even better than water based lubrication. DHEA cream lead to the improved synthesis of estrogen, which is responsible for better lubrication, reduced burning sensation, improved sex drive, and overall sexual pleasure. We recommend trying out the Julva Vaginal Moisturizer. Please note that if you actually have an infection, this cream should not be used to treat it.
3. Avoid tight fitting clothes, such as Yoga pants. If you’re always in yoga pants or tight-fitting clothing, you’re susceptible to fungal infections, yeast infections, and other pathogens that can cause pain or irritation. It is healthier to opt for loose cotton clothing because they allow the skin to breathe, so the vaginal area does not get warm. Such an environment makes it difficult for any harmful microbes to take root and overpopulate the vaginal area.
4. Find the cause for your soreness! Take a look at the different causes for vaginal soreness above, and take into account some of the treatment options mentioned. The best thing you can do for vaginal soreness after sex is to prevent it in the first place.
5. See your doctor. We know you don’t want to hear this one, but if your vagina is always sore after sex, and you’ve tried some of the prevention measures above, it’s time to see your gynecologist. They can not only test your hormone levels, but they can also ensure that you’re not suffering from an infection. It’s best to get a diagnosis before beginning any treatment regimen.
As always, we would like to remind our readers that this is merely written to provide basic knowledge about what you might be going through. It is not to be considered a substitute for actual professional help. We encourage all of our readers to see an actual medical professional if they feel that they might have a serious problem. Diagnosing and treating yourself can come with harmful consequences, so visit your doctor if you have any questions.
Have you experienced pain after intercourse? What helped you find relief? Let us know in the comments!
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