Feeling sore after sex can be uncomfortable, but it isn’t always a sign of a serious problem. Most often, pain during or after sex is caused by muscle cramps in the area around the anus called proctalgia fugax and can be relieved by using lubrication and sitting in hot water.
Causes
Many reasons for pain after sex include muscle aches and minor injuries. Rough sex or the use of a foreign object, such as a dildo, can tear tissue inside the vagina or anus and cause a painful injury. This is usually an easy fix: Just apply some lubricant and have shorter sessions to avoid friction and discomfort.
A condition called proctalgia fugax causes cramp-like pain deep in the anal canal. It occurs in both men and women, but mostly in older adults and can last seconds to half an hour. It often wakes you at night, and may make it hard to defecate. It also can cause other symptoms, such as a feeling that you need to urinate immediately and blood in your urine.
Another common cause is a sexually transmitted infection, such as chlamydia or gonorrhea. This can lead to inflammation that makes penetration painful. These infections can also cause other symptoms, such as vaginal itching and thick white discharge.
Emotions like anxiety or stress can also trigger pain after sex. These feelings can cause the pelvic and abdominal muscles to tighten during orgasms, which can cause soreness in the butt and anus. For this reason, it’s important to talk to your doctor about your sexual health if you are feeling uncomfortable or hurting during and after sex.
Misconceptions
Using anal lube, even just water-based lube, can help prevent pain during and after anal sex. It’s also important to remember that sex doesn’t have to hurt at all, and if it does, then there’s usually something wrong that needs to be addressed. Pain during anal sex could be caused by a medical condition like endometriosis, an infection, interstitial cystitis (painful bladder syndrome), or if one of your pelvic organs—such as the uterus, bladder, or prostate—is enlarged or injured. In addition, it’s important to note that women and people who identify as non-binary can also experience anal sex pain. Lastly, spitting is not an adequate lubricant for anal penetration!
Treatment
In some cases, butt pain after sex is not a problem and can go away on its own. However, it is important to seek professional treatment if the symptoms continue or get worse. Seeking treatment will help prevent long-term complications and improve quality of life.
The first thing you should do is identify the cause of your pain. You can do this by speaking with a healthcare professional or doing some online research. They will likely refer you to a gynecologist (OB-GYN), urologist, or sex therapist depending on the underlying cause.
If your pain is in the vagina, it could be caused by a yeast infection or STI. These infections cause inflammation and can make penetrative sex painful or itchy. Treating the yeast infection with prescription or over-the-counter antifungal medication should relieve the pain.
Another common cause of sex pain is a condition called proctalgia fugax, which is an attack in the anal canal. This is typically a severe cramp-like pain, and it can occur in both men and women. Some treatments for this include sitting on a tennis ball or taking two paracetamol tablets.
A pelvic injury could also be causing your pain. For example, thrusting too hard can strain muscles in the abdomen and back. And, if you have a condition like endometriosis, which is when tissue from the uterus grows outside of the uterus, this can cause pain in the abdomen, pelvic area, or lower back.
Prevention
Often, pain after sex is due to inflammation of the anus or rectum. While it may be annoying, it isn’t necessarily serious and can often be resolved with a good lubricant. However, it is important to seek treatment if the pain persists or gets worse. Leaving pain untreated can lead to further complications, including infection and chronic butt pain that interferes with sexual function.
Inflammation can be caused by anal sex, friction and stretching in certain sexual positions or an unprotected vaginal intercourse. Hemorrhoids are also common causes of pain in this area. Inflammation and pain during sex can also be caused by a bartholin gland cyst or abscess, a tender retroverted ovaries, pelvic inflammatory disease, a uterine fibroids or abnormal uterine tissue in the pelvic area (Levator ani syndrome).
To prevent butt pain after sex, it’s best to use an appropriate amount of lubricant during sex. Avoid sex with a partner who doesn’t use a condom and be sure to clean anything that comes into contact with the anus or rectum after an orgasm, such as hands, fingers or sex toys. Be sure to thoroughly wash the anus and rectum after each sex session and before using anything else, such as a toothbrush or toothpaste. In addition, it is helpful to communicate with your partner and explore sexual positions that are comfortable for both of you.