What You Should Know About Sex With Fibroids

While up to 80% of women live with fibroids, many women have no symptoms of the fibroids at all. Many women seek medical treatment for the very first time because suddenly they are experiencing painful intercourse. Pain with sex is never a good sign, and it can be frustrating when a new discomfort derails or pauses a sexual relationship. So how do you know when to seek treatment for painful sex from fibroids?

What are Fibroids?

Fibroids are extra tissue that grows in the cavity of your uterus. These masses are made from connective and muscle tissue and are sometimes called tumors even though they are almost always noncancerous. You can have one fibroid or a cluster of fibroids and their size can range from a sunflower seed to a grapefruit. Sex with fibroids may be painless — but some women experience pain that causes them to lose interest in sex.

What are the Symptoms of Fibroids?

Fibroids can cause general pain in the pelvic area. Most commonly, women with fibroids complain of abnormal periods — periods that are much longer, heavier and more painful than a normal period. Some women don’t notice their fibroids until they start feeling a lot of pressure, discomfort or pain during sex – pain they’ve never had before with their current partner.

How Do Fibroids Cause Pain During Sex?

Pain during sex is most likely caused by large fibroids. As the fibroid grows, it places pressure on the uterus. Then, when the penis enters the vagina, more pressure is placed on the uterus. This may be more pressure that you can take and you make feel sharp pain.

Fibroids can also grow on the cervix, the part of your uterus at the end of your vaginal canal. If you have this type of cervical fibroid, it can be intensely uncomfortable when your partner puts his penis inside your vagina. His penis may even come into contact with your cervical fibroid, causing sharp pain, pressure and heavy bleeding.

Making Sex with Fibroids More Enjoyable

You deserve a pain free life – and you also deserve a satisfying sexual relationship. If fibroids are getting in the way of either, it’s time to seek medical treatment. You can work in partnership with a doctor you can trust to find a treatment plan that works for you. Some women find that a diet for fibroids along with an exercise and weight loss plan can relieve fibroid symptoms. Fibroids are sometimes treated with medications or hormones. More advanced cases may require minimally invasive surgery like uterine artery embolization, myomectomy or hysterectomy.

Content Sponsored by: MIRI Women – The Minimally Invasive Reproductive Surgery Institute (MIRI) brings together highly skilled, board-certified specialists who are focused on women’s health. Our team of professionals is trained in advanced gynecology, specifically hysterectomy surgery. Philosophically, our partner physicians take a “less is more” approach to health care, by first treating patients with the most conservative therapies. MIRI focuses on physical healing, while emphasizing that a patient’s emotional well-being is just as important.