“Sex is not just for procreation as some perceive but also for couples to enjoy, so if your woman is not enjoying it because she experiences painful sex, it must be a cause for concern to seek help.”

Ms Anna Hughton, Clinic Director of the Accra Physiotherapy and Sports Injury Clinic at Abelempke, Accra, who specialises also in men and women’s health disclosed this in an interview with The Spectator Gender on painful sex (dyspareunia) condition of women.

She adivsed men to be “patient with their female partners and coax them during sexual intercourse because unlike men who are easily aroused, sexual acts can be painful for some women and if they are not mentally aroused it could put them off”.                                         

Advice to men

“A man can be ready for sex just like that but females take longer time before they are sexually aroused so men must be patient with women.

“Sex is not about come and lie down, finish, thank you madam; no it should be pleasurable for the woman as well’, she said and advised men to engage in longer initial foreplay with their women to get them stimulated properly before the sexual acts.

She reiterated that, being a supportive husband to your wife could be very vital in improving the relationship, though painful sex was a woman’s condition, men were part of sexual activity and therefore it was important for men to help their wives to seek help from professionals.   

Effects

Among many effects painful sex has on marriages, Ms Hughton said failure for women to enjoy sex due to painful sex created the tendency of making women have low self-esteem and low self-confidence.

Again, she said, women could be emotionally stressed with the feeling of not being able to satisfy their men as equal partners in sexual acts. The stress could inturn lead to women associating sex with pain and would turn sexual advances from their male partners down.

Seek medical help

Ms Anna Hughton said, in a lot of instances, treating painful sex was multifaceted because it’s not only about medication, but also physical, mental and phychological treatment.

“Because one cannot pinpoint what exactly is their cause of painful sex, it is very important to seek professional help to know the cause and what treament to offer, she said.

Advice to women

“Womanhood is not only about managing a home or your profession well but having control of your body in terms of how you look and how you function sexually is also important as well and every woman must experience that”.

“Treament for painful sex is available so women should not put up with the pain, they must seek professional help”, she stressed.

Last week we highlighted on the subject of painful sex and it causes.

By Portia Hutton-Mills