What Causes Painful Shallow Penetration During Sex?

Painful shallow penetration during sex can have various causes, ranging in severity from 'troubling' to 'worrying'. Finding the true cause means ruling out or confirming each possibility – in other words, diagnosis.

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Diagnosis is usually a complex process due to the sheer number of possible causes and related symptoms. In order to diagnose painful shallow penetration during sex, we could:

Research the topic
Find a doctor with the time
Use a diagnostic computer system.

The process is the same, whichever method is used.

Step 1: List all Possible Causes

We begin by identifying the disease conditions which have "painful shallow penetration during sex" as a symptom. Here are four possibilities:

Vaginitis/Vaginal Infection
Vulvodynia
Vaginal Dryness
Low Estrogens

Step 2: Build a Symptom Checklist

We then identify all possible symptoms and risk factors of each possible cause, and check the ones that apply:

severe fatigue after slight exertion

vulvar pain

high green tea consumption

severe vulvar pain

chronic vaginal yeast infection

chronic bacterial vaginosis

severe afternoon/evening fatigue

poor concentration during cycle

vaginal dryness

dry eyes

having hot flashes

severe facial burning/tingling

... and more than 10 others

Step 3: Rule Out or Confirm each Possible Cause

A differential diagnosis of your symptoms and risk factors finds the likely cause of painful shallow penetration during sex:

Cause	Probability	Status
Vaginitis/Vaginal Infection	90%	Confirm
Low Estrogens	13%	Unlikely
Vaginal Dryness	2%	Ruled out
Vulvodynia	0%	Ruled out

* This is a simple example to illustrate the process

Arriving at a Correct Diagnosis

The Analyst™ is our online diagnosis tool that learns all about you through a straightforward process of multi-level questioning, providing diagnosis at the end.

If you indicate vaginal problems, The Analyst™ will ask further questions including this one:

Do you find that even shallow/slight penetration during sexual intercourse is painful?

Possible responses:

→ Not applicable / don't know
→ No
→ Yes, occasional pain
→ Yes, frequent pain / occasionally severe
→ Yes, I frequently or always have severe pain

Based on your response to this question, which may indicate painful shallow penetration with sex, The Analyst™ will consider possibilities such as:

Vaginal Dryness

Vaginal Dryness also suggests the following possibilities:

Estrogens Low

The most common cause of vaginal dryness is lack of estrogen.

Vaginitis/Vaginal Infection

Vulvodynia / Vestibulitis

Concerned or curious about your health? Try The Analyst™