When Sex Gives More Pain than Pleasure

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Harvard Health Publications

Not long after going through menopause, Denise Roberts (not her real name) began to feel severe pain during sexual intercourse with her husband. Penetration, she says, "felt like a knife inside me." The estrogen and vaginal lubricants recommended by the various physicians she saw offered little relief. She felt ashamed, anxious, and inadequate as a wife, and she dreaded having sex.

Denise's pain and frustration persisted for eight years before she heard about pelvic floor physical therapy, a technique that helps relax and strengthen muscles in the vaginal area. After several months of therapy and continued use of estrogen and lubricants, Denise felt much better. "It's like a miracle," she says.

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