Causes of vagina hurting after sex

The vulva comprises the labia, clitoris, vaginal opening, and urethral opening. The labia are the lips, or folds, of skin around the vaginal opening. If you experience pain in your vagina or vulva after sexual penetration, there are several reasons why it could be happening. You can treat or prevent most causes. Rarely the pain may be a sign of an emergency.

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Vaginal swelling can be concerning and uncomfortable, but it rarely indicates severe illness. People with vaginal swelling often assume that they have a yeast infection, but this is just one of many possibilities. Vaginal swelling can be caused by allergies, sexually transmitted infections STIs , cysts , or rough intercourse.

The following situations and conditions can contribute to or cause pain during intercourse or other forms of penetration. The first few times you have intercourse or experience vaginal penetration, you may feel a small to moderate amount of pain at the entrance to the vagina. There can be some bleeding or no bleeding at all—both are normal. The reasons for the pain are not always clear, but it is typically temporary. An unstretched hymen vaginal corona has typically been blamed for this pain at first penetration, but new understandings of the hymen suggest otherwise.