Dyspareunia Health Dictionary

The condition in which the endometrium (the cells lining the interior of the UTERUS) is found in other parts of the body. The most common site of such misplaced endometrium is the muscle of the uterus. The next most common site is the ovary (see OVARIES), followed by the PERITONEUM lining the PELVIS, but it also occurs anywhere in the bowel. The cause is not known. Endometriosis never occurs before puberty and seldom after the menopause. The main symptoms it produces are MENORRHAGIA, DYSPAREUNIA, painful MENSTRUATION and pelvic pain. Treatment is usually by removal of the affected area, but in some cases satisfactory results are obtained from the administration of a PROGESTOGEN such as NORETHISTERONE, norethynodrel and DANAZOL.... endometriosis

A thin rubber or plastic sheath placed over the erect PENIS before sexual intercourse. It is the most e?ective type of barrier contraception and is also valuable in preventing the transfer between sexual partners of pathogenic organisms such as gonococci, which cause GONORRHOEA, and human immuno-de?ciency virus, which may lead to AIDS (see AIDS/HIV). Sheaths are most e?ective when properly used and with spermicides.

The female condom might be suitable for contraception when a woman misses a day or two of her contraceptive pill; if there is DYSPAREUNIA; when the perineum needs protection, for example, after childbirth; or in cases of latex allergy to traditional condoms. Used properly with spermicide, it provides an e?ective barrier both to infections and to spermatozoa. Failure may result if the penis goes alongside the condom, if it gets pushed up into the vagina, or if it falls out. (See CONTRACEPTION.)... condom

Inadequate sexual response may be due to a lack of sexual desire (LIBIDO) or to an inadequate performance; or it may be that there is a lack of satisfaction or ORGASM. Lack of sexual desire may be due to any generalised illness or endocrine disorder, or to the taking of drugs that antagonise endocrine function (see ENDOCRINE GLANDS). Disorders of performance in men can occur during arousal, penetration and EJACULATION. In the female, DYSPAREUNIA and VAGINISMUS are the main disorders of performance. DIABETES MELLITUS can cause a neuropathy which results in loss of erection. IMPOTENCE can follow nerve damage from operations on the PROSTATE GLAND and lower bowel, and can be the result of neurological diseases affecting the autonomic system (see NERVOUS SYSTEM). Disorders of satisfaction include, in men, impotence, emission without forceful ejaculation and pleasureless ejaculation. In women such disorders range from the absence of the congestive genital response to absence of orgasm. Erectile dysfunction in men can sometimes be treated with SILDENAFIL CITRATE (Viagra®), a drug that recent research suggests may also be helpful to women with reduced libido and/or inability to achieve orgasm.

Sexual dysfunction may be due to physical or psychiatric disease, or it may be the result of the administration of drugs. The main group of drugs likely to cause sexual problems are the ANTICONVULSANTS, the ANTIHYPERTENSIVE DRUGS, and drugs such as metoclopramide that induce HYPERPROLACTINAEMIA. The benzodiazepine TRANQUILLISERS can reduce libido and cause failure of erection. Tricyclic ANTIDEPRESSANT DRUGS may cause failure of erection and clomipramine may delay or abolish ejaculation by blockade of alpha-adrenergic receptors. The MONOAMINE OXIDASE INHIBITORS (MAOIS) often inhibit ejaculation. The PHENOTHIAZINES reduce sexual desire and arousal and may cause di?culty in maintaining an erection. The antihypertensive drug, methyldopa, causes impotence in over 20 per cent of patients on large doses. The beta-adrenoceptorblockers and the DIURETICS can also cause impotence. The main psychiatric causes of sexual dysfunction include stress, depression and guilt.... sexual dysfunction

Pain during sexual intercourse, known medically as dyspareunia, which can affect both men and women. Pain may be superficial (around the external genitals) or deep (within the pelvis).

In men, superficial pain may be due to anatomical abnormalities such as chordee (bowed erection) or phimosis (tight foreskin). Prostatitis may cause a widespread pelvic ache, a burning sensation in the penis, or pain on ejaculation.

Scarring (after childbirth, for example) and lack of vaginal lubrication, especially after the menopause, may cause painful intercourse in women. Psychosexual dysfunction may also cause pain during intercourse. Vaginismus, a condition in which the muscles of the vagina go into spasm, is usually psychological in origin. Deep pain is frequently caused by pelvic disorders (such as fibroids, endometriosis, ectopic pregnancy, or pelvic inflammatory disease due to sexually transmitted infections), disorders of the ovary (such as ovarian cysts), and disorders of the cervix. Other causes are cystitis and urinary tract infections.Treatment is directed at the underlying cause of the pain.

If the discomfort is psychological in origin, special counselling may be needed (see sex therapy).... intercourse, painful

n. inability to have penetrative intercourse due to physical discomfort, *vaginismus, or an underlying psychological problem. See dyspareunia.... apareunia

n. incision of the hymen at the entrance to the vagina. This operation may be performed on a young girl if the membrane completely closes the vagina and thus impedes the flow of menstrual blood. It is also carried out to alleviate dyspareunia (painful intercourse).... hymenotomy

pain on entry or touch of the vulva, with redness of the *vestibular glands, tenderness on pressure, and dyspareunia. The pain, which is localized, is described as a severe burning sensation; itching is not usually a feature (compare vulvitis). The condition seems to be more common in premenopausal Caucasian women with a history of anxiety and related disorders. See also vulvodynia.... vulval vestibulitis