{"id":30560,"date":"2020-07-11T13:00:54","date_gmt":"2020-07-11T11:00:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lelo.com\/blog\/?p=30560"},"modified":"2026-02-18T06:04:59","modified_gmt":"2026-02-18T05:04:59","slug":"painful-penetration-dyspareunia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lelo.com\/blog\/painful-penetration-dyspareunia\/","title":{"rendered":"Painful Penetration – What You Need To Know"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"lelo<\/a><\/p>\n

Surrendering to the call of our innermost desires is the collective pulse of our humanity. Those moments when we lose ourselves in time with our partner\u2019s tempo transports us beyond ourselves.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

But when penetration hurts, the transcendent potential of a sexual encounter with your partner can elude you. When attempting penetration, one may feel that their body is betraying them. You may be thinking that everyone else seems to lap it up and relish the moment. For your friends, sex comes easy. They dish about new sex toys<\/a> or their partner\u2019s strap-on<\/a>, while you sit on the sidelines, unsure of how to join in on the sex talk without being a killjoy. When penetration hurts, even hearing about acts that didn\u2019t interest you before (like fisting<\/a>) might lead to FOMO.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Painful penetration, formally known as dyspareunia, can put your sex life in the garrote. When everyone else is sailing on the bliss of getting railed, it\u2019s easy to feel like you\u2019re alone. Very few women feel comfortable talking about their painful sex life over cocktails with friends. But the truth is, more people understand your pain than you think. It\u2019s tough to wrangle down the exact number, but as anywhere from 3 – 18% of women worldwide suffer from this, and studies in the U.S. find anywhere from 7 – 46% suffering from painful penetration.<\/span><\/p>\n

It may feel like a death knell to intimacy, but you have options. Through both expanding your relationship to sexuality and seeking professional help, there is much you can do to reclaim your sex life.<\/span><\/p>\n

What Does Painful Penetration Feel Like?<\/span><\/h2>\n

Although dyspareunia goes by one name, the pain itself takes on many different shades. Every single body is unique, and one person\u2019s experience will look nothing like another\u2019s. Some folks with dyspareunia may even experience this pain in new ways throughout their life.<\/span><\/p>\n

That being said, there are a few common <\/span>breeds of pain<\/span> people report feeling, including:<\/span><\/p>\n