Why Your Vagina Burns During or After Penetrative Sex

Details: Written by: Heather Jeffcoat, DPT; Published: 14 April 2021; Last Updated: 31 October 2023; 2525 Views

Have you ever wondered why your vagina burns either during or after penetrative sex? Healthline writer Simone Scully reached out to me for answers to this burning question, and I was glad to reply. Here is a brief synopsis of the article with a link to the full article below.

Heather Jeffcoat, DPT

So You Just Had Great Sex, and Now You're Wondering Why Your Vagina Burns?

Read on for some of the reasons why and what you can do about it.

Sex should be good. Like, really, really good. It definitely shouldn’t be painful or uncomfortable, and yet, for far too many people, it is. And yet according to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), nearly 3 out of every 4 women will experience pain during intercourse at some point in their lives. And one of the most common types of pain is a burning sensation.

If this has happened to you, know that it isn’t “normal” and you don’t have to “put up with it.”

As the article outlines, here are some potential causes if the burning started during penetration:

Hormonal contraception
Childbirth and nursing
Menopause - we have some great articles on how to navigate menopause here!
Hormonal disorders - more info on how hormones affect your sex life here
Allergy medications: As I mentioned to Simone, some allergy medications can also affect the fluids in your vagina. As I mentioned to allergy medications essentially dry you up, and this can mean less moisture in your vagina tissue too, which can contribute to pain.
Irritation
Fissures
Infection
Vaginismus - there is sooo much info on our site, but start here
Vestibulodynia
Interstitial cystitis - here's a video interview I did on navigating painful intercourse with interstitial cystitis

As I mentioned at the outset, this is only a brief overview of everything covered by Simone in the Healthline article. To learn more about why your vagina burns during or after penetrative sex, continue to the full article here.

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Healthline | Why Your Vagina Burns During or After Penetrative Sex