Painful Intercourse
Free Symptom Checker
with Physician-supervised AI

Reviewed By:

Ravi P. Chokshi, MD

Ravi P. Chokshi, MD (Obstetrics and gynecology (OBGYN), Critical Care)

Current Maternal Fetal Medicine Fellow with Dual board certification in Obstetrics & Gynecology and Critical Care Medicine. | 5+ years experience managing a general Ob/Gyn practice and working in the Intensive Care Unit. | Previously Physician Lead of a large single specialty practice with 8 Physicians and 10+ Advanced practitioners. | Member of the Society of Maternal Fetal Medicine Patient education committee. | Frequent Medscape Consult contributor.

Seiji Kanazawa, MD, PHD

Seiji Kanazawa, MD, PHD (Obstetrics and gynecology (OBGYN))

Dr. Kanazawa graduated from the Niigata University Faculty of Medicine and received his Ph.D. from the Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine. He is working on the front line of the General Perinatal Center, including the Tokyo Tama General Medical Center and the National Center for Research in Fertility Medicine, where he provides maternal and fetal care and undertakes clinical research. At Ubie, Dr. Kanazawa has been designing the Ubie AI Symptom Checker and has taken on the role of general obstetrics and gynecology consultation at FMC Tokyo Clinic by providing fetal ultrasound and prenatal consultation.

From our team of 50+ doctors

Please choose the symptom you are most concerned about.

It will help us optimize further questions for you.

By starting the symptom checker, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use

Find another symptom

How Ubie can help you

With an easy 3-min questionnaire, Ubie's AI-powered system will generate a free report on possible causes.

  • Trained and reviewed by 50+ doctors, our AI Symptom Checker utilizes data from 1,500+ medical centers

  • Questions are customized to your situation and symptoms

Your symptoms

Input your symptoms

Our AI

Our AI checks your symptoms

Your report

You get your personalized report

Your personal report will tell you

✔︎  When to see a doctor

✔︎  What causes your symptoms

✔︎  Treatment information etc.

People with similar symptoms also use Ubie's symptom checker to find possible causes

  • Vagina feels like burning during sex (painful sex)

  • Have pain when having sexual intercourse

  • Painful penetration sex (painful sex)

  • Pain during sexual intercourse

  • Have pain during intercourse

Just 3 minutes.
Developed by doctors.

Learn More

Content updated on Oct 10, 2023

About the symptom

Pain with vaginal intercourse. Refers to female genital pain related to sexual activity.

When to see a doctor

Seek professional care if you experience any of the following symptoms

  • Pain during sex

Possible causes

  • Descent of uterus / uterine prolapse

    Uterine prolapse is when the uterus (womb) falls down the vagina or protrudes outside the body. This occurs as the supporting muscles and tissues become weakened and less elastic and are unable to maintain the uterus in its normal position. This condition is more common after multiple childbirths or with increasing age. Depending on the degree of prolapse, this can cause pelvic pain, problems with urination and with bowel movements.

  • Uterine fibroids

    Fibroids are non-cancerous tumors (growths) of the uterus. They can grow in the muscle layer, or in the lining itself. Other names for fibroids are leiomyomas or myomas. They are fairly common in the general population. While they are most diagnosed for women in their 30's and 40's, they can occur earlier as well. Their exact cause is not known, but the female hormones (estrogen and progesterone) do play a role. Family history of fibroids makes it more likely for them to occur. Certain ethnicities are also more prone. While fibroids are not dangerous by themselves, they can significantly increase pain and bleeding during menstruation, and can thus cause medical issues. If they are in the uterine lining, they can cause problems with getting pregnant or miscarrying as well.

  • Candida vulvovaginitis

    This is a fungal infection by Candida that affects the vaginal area. Candida normally exists on skin and vaginal linings without issues. An infection occurs when the skin or vaginal lining changes in character, promoting Candida overgrowth. People with weakened immune systems or on birth control pills may be at increased risk.

  • Endometriosis
  • Functional dysmenorrhea
  • Bartholin's gland cyst
  • Menopausal syndrome
  • Trichomoniasis

Related serious diseases

  • Ovarian hemorrhage

    RPC reviewer comment - Title should be "Ovarian hemorrhagic cyst" or bleeding from ovarian cyst) 'Ovarian hemorrhage' is not a typically used medical term in this context. Some ovarian cysts can enlarge with fluid or blood and then break open (rupture). This can on occasion cause bleeding from the ovarian surface which can cause significant pain, and in rare cases cause enough blood loss to require medical or surgical treatment.

  • Sexual trauma

Questions your doctor may ask about this symptom

Your doctor may ask these questions to check for this symptom

  • Do you feel pain during sexual intercourse?

Other Related Symptoms

Symptoms from similar body parts

References

  • Am Fam Physician. 2011;84(6):705-709

    https://www.aafp.org/pubs/afp/issues/2011/0915/p705.html

  • Dyspareunia in Women, Am Fam Physician. 2014;90(7):465-470

    https://www.aafp.org/pubs/afp/issues/2014/1001/p465.html

  • Tayyeb M, Gupta V. Dyspareunia. [Updated 2023 Jun 5]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2023 Jan

    https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK562159/

  • Female Sexual Dysfunction ACOG Practice Bulletin Clinical Management Guidelines for Obstetrician–Gynecologists, Number 213

    https://journals.lww.com/greenjournal/fulltext/2019/07000/female_sexual_dysfunction__acog_practice_bulletin.45.aspx

Reviewed By:

Ravi P. Chokshi, MD

Ravi P. Chokshi, MD (Obstetrics and gynecology (OBGYN), Critical Care)

Current Maternal Fetal Medicine Fellow with Dual board certification in Obstetrics & Gynecology and Critical Care Medicine. | 5+ years experience managing a general Ob/Gyn practice and working in the Intensive Care Unit. | Previously Physician Lead of a large single specialty practice with 8 Physicians and 10+ Advanced practitioners. | Member of the Society of Maternal Fetal Medicine Patient education committee. | Frequent Medscape Consult contributor.

Seiji Kanazawa, MD, PHD

Seiji Kanazawa, MD, PHD (Obstetrics and gynecology (OBGYN))

Dr. Kanazawa graduated from the Niigata University Faculty of Medicine and received his Ph.D. from the Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine. He is working on the front line of the General Perinatal Center, including the Tokyo Tama General Medical Center and the National Center for Research in Fertility Medicine, where he provides maternal and fetal care and undertakes clinical research. At Ubie, Dr. Kanazawa has been designing the Ubie AI Symptom Checker and has taken on the role of general obstetrics and gynecology consultation at FMC Tokyo Clinic by providing fetal ultrasound and prenatal consultation.

From our team of 50+ doctors

User testimonials

Just 3 minutes.
Developed by doctors.

Ubie is supervised by 50+ medical experts worldwide

Maxwell J. Nanes, DO

Maxwell J. Nanes, DO

Emergency department

Waukesha Memorial Hospital, Waukesha Wisconsin, USA

Caroline M. Doan, DO

Caroline M. Doan, DO

Internal medicine

Signify Health

Benjamin Kummer, MD

Benjamin Kummer, MD

Neurology

Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

Charles Carlson, DO, MS

Charles Carlson, DO, MS

Psychiatry

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs

Dale Mueller, MD

Dale Mueller, MD

Cardiothoracic Surgery, Vascular surgery

Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgery Associates

Ravi P. Chokshi, MD

Ravi P. Chokshi, MD

Obstetrics and gynecology (OBGYN), Critical Care

Penn State Health

View our medical experts