I was all of 10 when I got my first period. No one educated me about what periods are. Neither did they warn me about the crippling pain that was to come my way. I had a few episodes when the pain was unbearable and everyone around me thought I was suffering from an acute gastric problem. Just as my periods would return every month, so would the pain, like clockwork. But no one cared enough to have me checked. Fortunately, for me, the pain waned away.
The problem is that women have been ingrained with the idea that pain, whether it’s during sex or periods, is very normal.
Over the years, we have taught our kids the same thing, passing on the suffering of being a woman. Now, they have learned to bear the pain. They slap on a smile, moan a little and continue about their lives without a trace of discomfort.
Having sex for the first time and experiencing pain is supposed to be normal, and while I agree with it, given that it’s the first time something foreign is entering your privates, the problem arises when the pain constantly hitchhikes onto every sexual encounter, and period cycle.
And that, dear ladies, is not normal at all.
When, or if, a woman decides to talk about it, she’s either told that she has an overactive imagination or that it’s a result of some psychotic problem stemming from something scarring that happened in their childhood.
Pain during periods and penetration is downplayed because a lot of medical journals believe it to be an attempt by women to hijack the ED market. The idea is not only plain stupid but ludicrous.
Just like men suffer from erectile dysfunction, women suffer from female sexual dysfunction (FSD).
The symptoms can range from painful intercourse, inability to orgasm to inability to become aroused at all.
In some cases, FSD might be because of a painful incident in the past that limits and makes women averse to sex. But a lot of women are just misdiagnosed and suffer from curable ailments. Owing to the subject, FSD doesn’t get its due in medical circles and there’s barely any research on the subject. While on the other hand, the market is inundated with Viagra to treat erectile dysfunction in men.
Female sexual dysfunction is as real as erectile dysfunction and it needs proper care and treatment.
FSD can be subdivided into desire, arousal, orgasmic and sexual pain disorders. Sexual pain disorders can include dyspareunia, vulvodynia or vestibulodynia, endometriosis, and vaginismus. All the above four are actual physical problems and the cure can range from anything between surgery to hormone treatment.
Mood swings, a hot bath and a few wine glasses, are the usual pain-reliever tactics that are suggested when women mention discomfort in their vaginas. And when it comes to sex, they’re told that all they need is a special massage to get the juices flowing. But, guess what? These suggestions are not only stupid, but also impractical.
Pain is not a fate that you have to live with, there is a cure and it might help you. So ladies, if you too experience intense pain during sex or periods, it’s time you consulted a doctor.
