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Women's health

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Painful sex, feeling tight, soreness and burning. Is it my age?

2 replies

LondonLady1980 · 19/05/2025 23:25

Evening all, I’m just after any useful thoughts.

I’m 42 and I have noticed over the last 6 months, possibly longer, that sex is becoming quite uncomfortable.

I’m sorry if any of this is TMI but sadly it can’t be avoided.

I find that when my husband inserts himself into me (penis or fingers) I feel like everything is really tight and that my vagina is having to really stretch to accommodate him and it’s actually quite painful. As we are having PIV I have the constant feeling of burning as I can feel my skin stretching. I don’t feel like I am as lubricated as much as I used to be either.

After sex I will feel in pain…..I just have this really uncomfortable burning sensation across my vulva. Tonight has been particularly bad and my post-sex wee was excruciating and upon wiping there were small spots of blood, which has now become normal for me. I actually took some pain killers after my wee and although that was about an hour ago, the burning hasn’t really subsided and I’m now lying here with a hot water between my legs and over my vulva to try and relieve the discomfort.

I saw a GP about 6 months ago due to vulval pain, to the point where my husband couldn’t even touch me, and she provided me with a 2 week course of steroid cream as she said my outer labia were inflamed. The cream worked wonders and a normal sex life resumed afterwards.

I have been googling (as you do) and information about vaginal atrophy keeps appearing but I don’t know if I’m too young for this? The symptoms are almost exactly what I’m experiencing though.

My husband is being really understanding and we always goes at my pace, and we stop whenever it becomes too much for me and tonight has said that as tonight has been the worst it’s been (we had to stop before climax again) then I need to go and see the GP, even if it’s just for lubrication and more creams etc.

Has anyone else been in this situation?

OP posts:
thecrispfiend · 19/05/2025 23:31

Yes and you are not too young (I’m 43) it sounds like atrophy and you need vaginal estrogen in the form of a cream or pessary, the sooner you treat it the better as it will stop it getting any worse and keep the tissue moist and plump. GP should prescribe with no issues it’s not like HRT as very low localised dose if you’re anything like me it should start to work within 2 weeks good luck x

uncomfortablydumb60 · 20/05/2025 01:07

Yes It is Vaginal atrophy. Approaching menopause the hormonal changes cause dry thin vaginal walls and shrinkage.
i had a scan to confirm mine and was given Vagifem pessaries which are topical Oestrogen

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