Does Sex Hurt for Men? – 10+ Causes

Why Sex Could Hurt for Men

By Jerry Kennard
Updated on July 12, 2023
Medically reviewed by Jamin Brahmbhatt, MD

This article is a repost which originally appeared on verywell health

Edited for content. The opinions expressed in this article may not reflect the opinions of this site’s editors, staff or members.

Key Points

‧ There may be one or more causes to pain during sex for men.

‧ Refrain from sexual activity if you suspect you have an injury which needs attention.

‧ STIs can interfere with sexual performance and pleasure.

Pain during sex happens to both males and females, regardless of gender identity. When sex hurts, it can cause anxiety and affect sexual pleasure.

Sex can hurt for men for a variety of reasons, including sexually transmitted infections, foreskin problems, and being allergic to chemicals in birth control methods (such as latex condoms).

This article explores some common reasons sex can hurt for men. It also offers guidance for when to seek medical care.

For the purpose of this article, “male” refers to people born with penises, irrespective of whether they identify with one or more genders or no gender at all.

Why Does Sex Hurt for Males?

Some of the reasons sexual intercourse can hurt for men include:

Sexually Transmitted Infections

Some sexually transmitted infections (STIs) can cause pain during sex. Infections such as herpes and gonorrhea can cause burning and itching if left untreated. They can also cause sores, bumps, or blisters on the penis or anus.

If you think you may have been exposed to an STI, visit your healthcare provider or a clinic to get tested.

The sooner you know if you’re infected, the sooner you can get treatment. Early treatment can limit or prevent some effects of these infections.

Foreskin Problems

Uncircumcised men can develop tight foreskin, or phimosis. When you pull back the foreskin, or when your penis is erect, it can tear, bleed, get inflamed, or be painful.

This problem can usually be treated with an ointment. In some cases, adult circumcision can resolve the problem. Talk to your healthcare provider about your options.

Why Does Sex Hurt For Females?

In general, women are more prone to experience painful sex than men. Here are some of the reasons sex can hurt for females:

‧ Losing their virginity

‧ STIs

‧ Vaginismus

‧ Vulvodynia

‧ Endometriosis

‧ Uterine fibroids

‧ Ovarian cysts

‧ Cervical cancer

Curved Penis

Normal penises vary in length, girth, and shape from one person to the next. Sometimes, a curved penis can cause painful erections or make sex difficult.

Some penises curve because of conditions like hypospadias. That’s where the urethra opens away from the tip of the penis.

In some cases, a curve can develop over time. One cause of this is Peyronie’s disease, which causes scar tissue to form in the penis. Scars from previous traumas or infections can make sex painful, too.

Lesions and Growths

Sometimes a growth on the penis is what’s causing the pain. Some cancers cause growths. Cysts and lesions can also form on the penis or in the ducts and tubes that carry sperm.

If your prostate is enlarged, you may have pain when you ejaculate. It’s also possible that an infected pocket called an abscess can form on the penis.

Any of these growths can cause pain when you’re having sex or ejaculating.

Priapism

Most of the time, erections go away after sex. Sometimes a non-sexual erection lasts much longer than it normally would. This condition is called priapism, and it is often painful.

An Allergy

Some men have an allergic reaction to vaginal fluids or the chemicals in birth control methods. A medical professional can help you find out if you’re allergic to latex condoms or another substance.

Hypersensitivity

The penis can become very sensitive after orgasm and ejaculation. If you keep having sex after that point, it may be painful. This may mean you need to limit how many times you have sex with your partner on a given day or find other ways to experience pleasure together.

A rare condition called pudendal neuralgia affects a nerve in the pelvic region and may cause pain during sex as well.

Medications

Some antidepressants and muscle relaxers can cause pain when you ejaculate.4 It’s important to talk to your healthcare provider if you think a medication may be causing this kind of pain.

However, you should not stop taking your medication without discussing it with your healthcare provider first, because serious health problems can arise if you do.

Skin Disorders

Some skin conditions can lead to painful sex. These include:

‧ Zoon’s balanitis, an inflammation of the foreskin

‧ Erosive lichen planus, which causes an itchy rash or blisters

‧ Lichen sclerosus, which causes itchy white patches

‧ Genital psoriasis, an itchy inflammation of the skin

‧ Penile cancer

Other Causes of Painful Sex

Other possible reasons that a man or woman might find sex painful include:

‧ Sex positions: Some sexual positions are more uncomfortable than others. This can be due to a variety of reasons, including someone’s overall health, weight, flexibility. Some health conditions, such as back pain, can also make some positions painful. Work with your partner on finding the positions that are most comfortable for you. There are also other ways to enjoy sex that don’t involve intercourse.

‧ Lack of lubrication: Vaginal dryness can cause pain for a woman during sexual intercourse. This can also affect men and women during anal sex. Using a lubricant designed to be used during sex can help with this.

‧ Losing your virginity: Having sexual intercourse for the first time can be painful for women. Women are born with a hymen, thin, fleshy tissue that stretches across part of the opening of your vagina. When this tissue is penetrated, it may cause pain or bleeding. Men typically do not experience pain when they have sex for the first time.

‧ Postorgasmic illness syndrome: Postorgasmic illness syndrome (POIS) is a rare condition in which a person develops flu-like and allergy symptoms after orgasm. It is much more common in men than in women. Symptoms typically develop shortly after an orgasm, and can last for up to seven days before going away. It is not known what causes POIS.

When to See Your Healthcare Provider

It is important to see a healthcare provider if you are experiencing pain during sex so it can be treated as soon as possible.

If you don’t feel comfortable talking about it with your current provider, try to find a healthcare professional you can talk. The right diagnosis and treatment can improve your health and your sex life.

Summary

Pain during sex can be a sign that you have an STI, a skin disorder, an allergy, or another health condition. It could also be that the shape of your penis, a medication, a long-lasting erection, or post-orgasm sensitivity could be the reason.

Some conditions that cause this kind of pain can be serious. It’s vital that you seek medical care when sex hurts so that you can protect your own health and your partner’s.

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

1. Urology Care Foundation. What are sexually transmitted infections (STIs) or diseases (STDs)?

2. National Health Service. Tight foreskin (phimosis and paraphimosis). Updated July 26, 2018.

3. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. When sex is painful.

4. Waqar M, Omar K, Moubasher A, Brunckhorst O, Ahmed K. Painful ejaculation: An ignored symptom. Cureus. 2020;12(10):e11253. Published 2020 Oct 30. doi:10.7759/cureus.11253

5. Muneer A, Alnajjar HM, Ralph D. Recent advances in the management of priapism. F1000Res. 2018;7:37. doi:10.12688/f1000research.12828.1

6. Marfatia YS, Patel D, Menon DS, Naswa S. Genital contact allergy: A diagnosis missed. Indian J Sex Transm Dis AIDS. 2016;37(1):1-6.

7. Turley KR, Rowland DL. Evolving ideas about the male refractory period. BJU Int. 2013;112(4):442-52. doi:10.1111/bju.12011

8. Genetic and Rare Diseases Information Center. Pudendal Neuralgia.

9. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Vulvovaginal health.

10. NIH. Genetic and Rare Diseases Information Center. Postorgasmic illness syndrome.

 

Do Eating Disorders Affect Sexual Health?

Yes, Bulimia Can Affect Men’s Sexual Health

This eating disorder may cause a drop in testosterone and lead to a number of issues.

Author: David Hopper
Published: May 18, 2023

This article is a repost which originally appeared on Giddy

Edited for content. The opinions expressed in this article may not reflect the opinions of this site’s editors, staff or members.

Key Points

‧ Eating disorders can have serious repercussions on hormone levels and health.

‧ Many eating disorders in men go unnoticed.

‧ Other risky behaviors often accompany eating disorders.

Chris, a 40-year-old man, had been struggling with body image and shame when he went to see a sex therapist. The body image issues had led to a manifestation of bulimia nervosa, a potentially life-threatening eating disorder marked by overeating or binging and, commonly but not always, self-induced vomiting.

Chris’s partner had made hurtful comments about him “finishing too fast” and threatened to leave the relationship because he was not “man enough,” said Robyn Flores, M.S., L.M.F.T., a sex therapist and doctoral candidate who provides client care in Texas and Colorado for Respark Therapy. She worked with Chris.

Editor’s note: We have changed Chris’ name so Flores could speak freely about his case.

“He feared abandonment and the potential end of the relationship, so he decided to restrict his diet,” Flores explained.

One patient beats his eating disorder

During this time, Chris internalized most of his emotions, fearing expressing them would push his partner away even more. He hit a point when he entered the binge-restrict cycle. He started bingeing on food, then either exercising for several hours or purging for a sense of “relief” from the feelings of shame he incurred by eating the “bad” food, Flores said.

In therapy, Flores explored how Chris’ binge cycle began and what perpetuated it as she guided him in taking steps to break the cycle.

“He was initially shamed for experiencing pleasure through sex, then criticized, and experiencing pleasure with food, and was also criticized,” Flores said. “He was in an invalidating relationship in which his needs for comfort and acceptance were not present.”

Fortunately, through a combination of radical acceptance and mindfulness, as well as care from a registered dietitian, Chris was able to overcome his eating disorder.

What is bulimia?

Eating disorders are a psychiatric category of illnesses in which individuals have maladaptive behaviors regarding their eating, or lack thereof, or harmful behaviors that involve food intake, according to Roberto Olivardia, Ph.D., a clinical instructor of psychology at Harvard Medical School.

“Eating disorders are very dangerous,” Olivardia said. “Eating disorders are psychiatric diagnoses, but they’re also medical diagnoses. They absolutely have a whole host of different adverse and negative consequences.”

Common eating disorders include anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder and avoidant restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID).

Studies show that anywhere from 25 percent to 30 percent of people with eating disorders are male, and approximately 1 percent to 1.5 percent of the United States male population will struggle with bulimia at some point in their lifetime.

“Bulimia nervosa is a condition where someone tries to achieve a certain body ideal by doing things to make up for what they’ve eaten,” said Jason Nagata, M.D., an assistant professor of pediatrics at the University of California, San Francisco and an expert on eating disorders. “The classic bulimic behaviors in women include vomiting, fasting or use of laxatives to prevent weight gain. In men, compensatory behaviors can include excessive exercise and using muscle-building drugs or supplements.”

Bulimia involves repeatedly eating large amounts of food in a short period of time. Nagata pointed out that the volume of food consumption during binge eating episodes may be larger in men than in women.

“For men, eating a lot of food in one sitting might be called a ‘cheat meal’ and seen as a good thing if they are trying to build muscle,” Nagata said.

What causes bulimia?

The causes of bulimia are similar in men to what they are in women. That list includes a complex array of factors, according to Meghan Gillen, Ph.D., an associate professor of psychology at Penn State Abington who studies eating disorders.

Bulimia can be genetic. If a man has a family member who struggled with an eating disorder, he’s more likely to have one. Feelings of depression, stress or anxiety can be contributing factors, too.

“Food can sometimes feel like a form of self-medication to ease someone’s negative emotions,” Gillen said.

Men with bulimia tend to be impulsive and might struggle with impulse control issues, and the disorder often co-occurs with substance use, Olivardia explained.

“It’s often characterized by people who have some emotional dysregulation issues, where it’s very difficult for them to manage their feelings and their emotions,” he said.

What often precipitates bulimia is the dieting behavior of restricting and not eating enough.

“Then nature overrides that and says, ‘We’re gonna eat a lot.’ And then they binge,” Olivardia said.

Athletes are at higher risk for bulimia due to the weight cutting or gaining involved with certain sports. Past experiences or trauma can also contribute to the development of bulimia. For example, being teased or bullied about their body or appearance could lead them to feel worthless.

Compounding these facts is the fact that we live in a culture that dictates certain bodies are more valued and idealized, according to Olivardia.

Bulimia and sexual health

Eating disorders tend to affect sexual function. In men, eating disorders can lead to low testosterone levels and a reduced sex drive.

Low-T and libido

“When a man’s body does not get enough nutrition, the body enters a starvation state, and testosterone production is reduced,” Nagata said.

Bulimia can result in a low body mass index (BMI) because of purging or excessive exercise.

“Their BMI may decrease, and that can lead to lower testosterone, which can affect their libido,” Gillen said. “It can also impact their sperm count as well.”

Risky sexual behavior

Some eating disorder behaviors, such as vomiting, may even be associated with more sexual partners and unprotected sex.

“An explanation for why people with bulimia nervosa engage in purging behaviors is that they may be more impulsive, which can also lead to risky sexual behaviors,” Nagata said. “Men who have impulsive personalities may have a higher chance of developing both disordered eating habits and engaging in more sexual behaviors.”

Men who have bulimia may take muscle-building supplements and drugs such as anabolic steroids. Men who use these performance-enhancing drugs have been found to have more sexual partners and are at a higher risk of getting sexually transmitted infections (STIs) compared to men who don’t use them.

Self-consciousness about sex

Because eating disorders make men feel anxious or self-conscious about their bodies, this can have a psychological impact during sex.

“That can affect men’s confidence,” Gillen said. “If someone is really concerned about their body, they may feel more uncomfortable in sexual situations.”

Does bulimia cause infertility?

Bulimia in men is understudied and underreported. The effect bulimia has on women has received much more attention.

“I think we don’t know as much about men; there’s just not as much work on it,” Gillen said. “For women, when they get to that lower BMI, it affects their menstrual cycles, and that has a number of implications for women’s fertility and general overall health.”

For men, it’s not as clear-cut.

“It’s much more objective for women than for men,” Gillen said. “We need more research on how it impacts men’s fertility.”

Nagata said he’s not aware of any studies specifically examining bulimia and infertility in men.

“However, eating disorders can lead to lower levels of follicle-stimulating hormone [FSH] in men, an important hormone for stimulating sperm production,” he explained.

If you or a loved one are struggling with an eating disorder, Nagata recommends seeking professional help.

“Eating disorders are best supported by an interdisciplinary team, including a mental health, medical and nutrition provider,” he said.

Common and Uncommon Threats to Men’s Sexual Health

3 Common—and 4 Uncommon—Risks to Men’s Sexual Health

You might know some of these threats to your sexual well-being. Others might surprise you.

Author: Kurtis Bright
Published: March 22, 2023

This article is a repost which originally appeared on Giddy

Edited for content. The opinions expressed in this article may not reflect the opinions of this site’s editors, staff or members.

Key Points

‧ Sexual health information is more abundant and easier to access than ever.

‧ Ironically, men are at a greater risk of diseases caused by excess and poor lifestyle choices than ever.

‧ ED is a notorious side effect of common ailments like diabetes and poor cardiovascular health.

Sexual health information is everywhere these days, both quality info and the not-so-high-quality kind that’s widespread on social media platforms. Even with all this access to so much information, though, certain lesser-known threats to our sexual health and fertility may slip under the radar.

At the same time, the seriousness of certain sexual health risks that “everyone knows about” may go ignored.

Here are three of the more common risks to men’s sexual health and fertility, as well as a handful of risks that aren’t always recognized as threats.

What are the biggest risks to men’s sexual health?

When we talk about threats to sexual health, we’re often talking about systemic problems. That is to say, if you’re having a problem with how your penis works, it’s not necessarily about your penis.

In modern society, we tend to view medicine as slapping on a bandage or taking a pill to alleviate the most obvious symptom we can see. In reality, lots of problems you might have in other parts of your body can affect how your penis functions.

“Sexual health is health,” said Justin Dubin, M.D., a urologist and men’s health specialist with Memorial Healthcare System in South Florida. “So sexual health problems, in general, can be a warning sign or a result of other health issues: diabetes, heart issues, infections, depression, anxiety, testosterone issues, obesity, other lifestyle issues—you name it. Having ED is the canary in the coal mine.”

Common sexual health issues

Three of the most common issues that can affect sexual health are cardiovascular disease, obesity and diabetes. They work against us in different ways.

Cardiovascular disease

Heart disease and vascular problems are strongly associated with erectile dysfunction (ED). A vital component of getting an erection is good blood flow to the penis, and issues such as atherosclerosis and high blood pressure hamper it.

Obesity

Obesity is a big risk factor for ED. One study indicated 79 percent of men who presented with ED were clinically obese, and obesity hampers your heart’s ability to pump blood. Plus, it’s a comorbidity for another risk factor, diabetes.

Diabetes

Diabetes causes a condition called diabetic neuropathy, which affects nerve endings and can result in numbness, tingling and loss of sensation. Along with blood flow, nerves are crucial for the penis to receive the signals from the brain and nervous system to get erect.

“You need to have good nerves in your penis,” Dubin said. “People [with diabetes] who have bad sensation in their feet or fingers or their eyesight, well, the nerves in the penis are very small as well, and poorly controlled diabetes can cause ED.”
Less common risks to sexual health

Four of the less obvious issues that can affect your sexual health include smoking, sexually transmitted infections (STIs), Peyronie’s disease and mental health.

Smoking

The dangers associated with smoking often focus on the lungs and heart, and rightly so. However, a lesser-known effect of smoking is that it’s associated with ED.

“Smoking and ED are linked to overall cardiovascular health,” said Neel Parekh, M.D., a men’s fertility and sexual health specialist with Cleveland Clinic. “It’s associated with cardiovascular disease, so that’s another reason why it can make it more difficult to achieve an erection. It can even affect fertility; smoking has a negative effect on how well the sperm swim.”

Indeed, according to some studies, smoking has a negative impact on semen parameters. Luckily, other studies show that quitting can greatly improve them in a short amount of time.

STIs

When it comes to fertility, another little-known issue some guys may encounter is that sexually transmitted infections can affect your sperm. An STI can travel up the urinary tract and cause problems in the rest of your reproductive system in ways that may affect you long after you’ve taken your antibiotics and the symptoms have gone away.

“Chlamydia and different bacterial infections can lead to epididymitis—the inflammation of the epididymis—which is where sperm is stored,” Parekh said. “These STDs can cause scarring of the epididymis or vas deferens and cause blockages for guys, preventing sperm from traveling through.”

Peyronie’s disease

Another issue that can fly under the radar is Peyronie’s disease. It’s a buildup of fibrous plaque or scarring in the penis that may result in a lump or new curvature that wasn’t there before. It’s thought to affect 1 in 10 men and may come on suddenly due to overenthusiastic sexual activity or over time through buildup. It can also cause erections to be painful during the acute phase.

“Peyronie’s disease is another uncommon disease that some guys will let go unchecked,” Parekh said. “A painful lump in the penis can lead to worsening curvature to the point where they can’t penetrate. Some guys will kind of ignore it for a while; maybe they’re embarrassed by it and they don’t want to tell anybody.”

Mental health

It’s an old trope: The biggest sex organ in the body is the brain. If your emotional state isn’t good, it can have a profound impact on sexual function.

Don’t forget that some antidepressants have a negative effect on sexual function, too, so it’s important to talk with your healthcare provider and make sure you address both mental health and sexual health.

“Mental health is health, too, just like sexual health,” Dubin said. “Depression, anxiety and medications that treat depression and anxiety can cause ED. I always quote the great Robin Williams: ‘God gave man a brain and a penis, and only enough blood to control one at a time.’ So if you’re up in your head, your penis is just not going to work. It’s just not.”

Conclusions

A wide variety of health issues can affect your sexual health and fertility. But perhaps the main takeaway should be that instead of trying to list all the possible factors that could specifically affect your penis, try to remember that the penis is just one part of the intricate and complex machine that is your body. Mess with one part of the network and it’s likely to have downstream effects. Take care of your body, and it’ll take care of you.

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Fish oil can boost sperm count and make men’s testicles BIGGER, study claims

Fish oil can boost sperm count and make men’s testicles BIGGER, study claims

  • Scientists in Denmark tested the sperm and testicles of young, healthy men
  • Supplement-takers had bigger testicles and ejaculated more sperm, on average
  • Research only observed the link and could not prove supplements caused this
  • Experts say omega-3 could be a part of general good health, which is beneficial

By Sam Blanchard Senior Health Reporter For Mailonline
Published: 11:00 EDT, 17 January 2020 | Updated: 15:06 EDT, 17 January 2020

This article is a repost which originally appeared on MAILONLINE

Edited for content

Fish oil supplements could make men’s testicles bigger and boost their sperm count, a study claims.

Men who took the pills, which contain omega-3 fatty acids, were found to have testicles 1.5ml larger and to ejaculate 0.64ml more sperm, on average.

The men, who had an average age of 18, were included as regular supplement-takers if they had consumed fish oil for at least 60 out of the past 90 days.

Larger testicles and more sperm creation is linked to higher testosterone levels and better fertility, although the study did not test how fertile the men were.

The experiment was described by scientists as ‘well-conducted’ and ‘insightful’ but it was clear that it did not prove fish oil makes men more fertile.

Fish oil supplements contain omega-3 fatty acids, which are believed to reduce the risks of heart disease and improve brain health.

Researchers from the University of Southern Denmark did their study using 1,679 young Danish men going through military fitness testing.

In Denmark military service is mandatory for all healthy men over the age of 18, so the men in the study were not yet soldiers.

Each of the men were screened for STIs, had physical exams, gave sperm samples and then answered questions about their diets and lifestyles.

If someone was considered a regular fish oil supplement user, the research found, they produced millions more sperm in an average ejaculation.

The researchers wrote in their paper: ‘Fish oil supplements were associated … with higher semen volume and total sperm count, and larger testicular size.’

Ninety-eight men in the study said they took fish oil supplements regularly, while another 95 took vitamin D or C supplements.

Men in the fish oil group were less likely to have fertility problems, which were judged against the World Health Organization’s low sperm count limit of 39 million sperm per ml of semen.

The scientists found that 12.4 per cent of the men who took fish oil supplements (12 out of 98) had sperm counts below the WHO’s measure.

This compared to 17.2 per cent (192 out of 1,125) men who took no supplements.

And the longer someone had been taking supplements for, the more sperm they were likely to produce.

The researchers added that, based on a model fit and healthy 19-year-old: ‘Total sperm count was 147 million for men with no supplement intake, 159 million for men with other supplement intake, 168 million for men with fish oil supplement intake on fewer than 60 days, and 184 million for men with fish oil supplement intake on 60 or more days.’

The study did not give exact measurements for men’s testicle volume or sperm volumes – they only compared the two groups.

And the scientists could not explain why – if it was true – the fish oil improved sperm quality.

It was also not clear whether increased sperm volume was caused by – or caused – the change in testicle size.

Scientists not involved with the research said the study had been well-conducted but it didn’t say how much fish oil the men took.

And nor did it reveal the men’s diets, which may have shown they were getting omega-3 from other sources such as fresh fish.

Professor Sheena Lewis, reproductive medicine expert at Queen’s University, Belfast, said: ‘This is a large well-designed study and the association between fish oil intake and improved semen quality is compelling.

‘However, the study focuses on healthy young men; mostly with sperm counts already in the fertile range.

‘There is no evidence from this study that infertile men with low sperm counts benefit from fish oil.’

Dr Frankie Phillips, of the British Dietetic Association, said missing information about the men’s diets did make the study’s results less convincing.

She added: ‘Antioxidants, including vitamin C, selenium and vitamin A, as well as zinc and omega-3 fats all have a role in the production of healthy sperm.

‘There is much focus on the diets of women who are trying to conceive, ensuring that they are in the best possible position to achieve a healthy pregnancy, but diet might also be a factor involved in men’s reproductive health.

‘Omega-3 is present in a both animal and plant derived foods, but oily fish stands out as an excellent source of long chain omega-3, and the UK population currently consume way below the recommended ‘at least one portion of oily fish per week’.

‘So including omega-3 is already part of current dietary recommendations – this study on its own can’t prove that upping omega-3 will itself improve testicular function.’

The research was published in the journal JAMA Network Open, by the American Medical Association.