Hundreds
of women experience painful sex, new research has found.
According
to a study of more than 1,200 UK adults carried out by Durex, sexual discomfort of varying degrees affects 73 per cent of
women.
One
third say the pain is hindering their libido and one in 10 say it’s having an
adverse effect on their relationship with their sexual partner.
The
findings also reveal that nine per cent of women have faked an orgasm with
a partner and a further 15 per cent have purposefully hurried their partner
towards climax due to feeling uncomfortable.
Despite these figures, just 57 per cent of
men surveyed said they've noticed a female partner feeling uncomfortable during
sex
One of the primary causes of sexual
discomfort for women is vaginal dryness, which Dr Moses Batwala, consultant
gynaecologist at The Evewell Clinic in London, says affects 20 to 40 per cent of women aged
17 to 50.
Speaking
to The Independent, Batwala explains dryness occurs when
there are decreased levels of oestrogen in a woman's body and can lead to
itchiness, irritation and decreased elasticity, all of which can render sex
uncomfortable.
"Many
women are embarrassed to talk about vaginal dryness, even with their
partners," he says. "Nor do they seek help about vaginal dryness yet
it is a very common symptom and cause of morbidity and there is a lot of help
and options at hand."
Consultant
gynaecologist Amanda Tozer adds that this is
condition most commonly experienced by menopausal women.
"This
is because oestrogen is no longer produced by the ovaries of women when they
reach the menopause," she tells The Independent.
Younger
women may also experience dryness due to hormonal reasons, says Mr Narendra
Pisal, consultant gynaecologist at London Gynaecology. He explaine these may include hormonal
changes due to breastfeeding or a progesterone-only contraception. But the
study found that most women experiencing dryness (42 per cent) thought it meant
they weren't "turned on enough".
As
for treatments, Tozer says one of the simplest solutions is to use either
water or oil-based lubricants during sex.
According
to Durex's research, just one third
of women would use lubricants with a partner despite the fact that nine in
10 said that sex felt better when they used them.
Other
reasons for painful sex cited by female respondents in Durex's survey include
the sex position (42 per cent) and blaming their partner for "not knowing
how to pleasure them".
Sex
and relationships vlogger and writer Hannah Witton explains that the
research sheds a light on the need for women to be honest about what is
and isn't enjoyable during sex.
"Sex
can be uncomfortable, and that’s totally normal, but it’s just about being
confident enough to find solutions that work for you as an individual,"
she tells The Independent.
"If
I experience any discomfort or pain during sex, I would certainly pause and use
lube."
But
Chidera Eggerue, blogger and founder of the #SaggyBoobsMatter movement,
tells The Independent that Durex's findings are
reflective of a systemic societal problem about gender dynamics.
“When
it comes to intimacy between men and women, the goal for the latter is to be as
exciting as possible in order to impress your partner. But the sad and ironic
thing is the guy is doing nothing to impress you because he’s been socialised
to put himself first," she says.
“So
it completely makes sense that in a situation where a woman and a man have sex,
there is a strong likelihood that she will compromise her needs.”
The
24-year-old added that this may explain why a large number of men said they
haven’t noticed a female partner experiencing discomfort during sex.
In
terms of what can be done to combat the issue, Eggerue explains
that improving sex education in schools is vital, but that it’s not enough
to really change the behavioural attitudes between men and women with regards
to sex.
“We
need to extend beyond the conversation regarding sex and involve autonomy,” she
said.
“Women
need to feel comfortable taking control of their bodies and putting their
wellbeing first.”
Courtesy,
The Independent.
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