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Although sex leads to many positives, including intimacy, improved mood and better overall health, it can have some negatives side effects. One such side effect is burning after sex.
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A burning sensation is actually quite common, and it doesn’t necessarily mean you’ve done nothing wrong. Recognizing this symptom can help you narrow down whether the problem is a urinary tract or bacterial infection, STI or something else entirely, so you can treat it, either at home or with assistance from you doctor.
Below, you’ll find some of the most common reasons that women – and men – experience burning before and after sex. We’ve also got advice from trusted sources, including the Centers for Disease Control and Mayo Clinic, about treatment and prevention of these infections and situations that you may have if it burns after sex, and which may prevent you from enjoying a happy and healthy sex life!
1. Condom Allergy
A condom allergy occurs when you’re allergic to condoms, the main material that most condoms are made from. When experienced in your intimate areas, and especially after repeated thrusting, you can have pain and burning after sex. Swelling and redness are also common indicators of condom allergies. The good news is that you can get condoms made from non-allergenic materials, so you can keep having safer sex without the negative side effects.
2. Lube Allergy
Although lube was created to make you sex life more slippery and fun, it can do quite the opposite if you’re allergic to any of the ingredients. It can be more difficult to pinpoint the exact cause of allergy in personal lubricants, and it may be due to osmolality and not an ingredient at all! More on that here. In fact, the FDA doesn’t even require testing for lubes. Source.
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We do recommend the following steps to cut down on possibly reaction or irritation:
- Use non-lubricated condoms and choose personal lube separately.
- If experiencing reactions to water-based lube, look for one without parabens or glycerin.
- Switch to a silicone-based lube to reduce possibility of reaction; remember that you shouldn’t mix silicone lube with silicone sex toys, however!
- Invest in a hypoallergenic lube such as Sliquid Naturals or ID Moments.
If you believe you’re experiencing an allergic reaction, wash the area free of any lube. Once you remove the allergen, symptoms should subside. Alternatively, take an over-the-counter antihistamine, such as Benadryl, to relieve allergy symptoms. This medication may have a sedative effect, to be warned when taking it. Source.
You also may feel burning after sex in water as water alone does not act as a lubricant and can actually increase the friction you feel.
3. Urinary Tract Infection
A UTI isn’t pleasant, and it’s one of the most common causes of burning after sex. Sexual activity can irritate the urinary tract and urethra, leading to inflammation and uncomfortable burning sensations. According to the Mayo Clinic, most UTIs affect the bladder and urethra, but they can also infect the kidneys, too, leading to internal pain rather than just pain around the vulva and urethra. Source.
Other symptoms include the persistent urge to pee, urinating frequently, cloudy urine, blood in urine or pinkish pee, pain in your pelvic and anal areas and strong-smelling urine. When the infection targets your kidney, you may also experience nausea, vomiting and fever – symptoms similar to the flu. Some of these UTI symptoms are similar to yeast infections, but UTIs do not have the typical discharge of a yeast infection. Yeast infections can be passed back and forth between partners, so treatment is important.
If you’re susceptible to urinary tract infections, you might get several over your lifetime, especially when you’re sexually active. Women are at greater risk of developing this type of infection according to the Mayo Clinic, possibly due to menopause and using birh control. However, you can take a few steps to reduce the likelihood of UTI. This includes washing before and after sex and urinating after sex, which helps to remove bacteria from the vulva and urethra.
When you find yourself with a UTI, you can go to your doctor, who will prescribe antibiotics. The Mayo Clinic recommends contacting your doctor whenever you suspect you have a UTI. You will find over-the-counter cranberry supplements and juices that many swear by for treatment of UTIs. This may stop burns after sex, but a doctor if your best choice for recurring and extreme cases.
4. Sexually Transmitted Infections
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A number of sexually transmitted infections, or STIs, creating a burning sensation after you contract them, after sex and during breakouts. If your pain persists well after sex or after you’ve removed possibly problematic materials from the area, it may be an STI. According to the CDC, a number of infections can cause this burning sensation:
- Gonorrhea
- Chlamydia
- Herpes
- Trichomoniasis
The CDC recommends following basic STI prevention protocol to ensure your sexual health. If you do, schedule an appointment with your doctor right away. Some STIs can even impact your ability to have children in the future or lead to cervical cancer, so there’s far more at risk than an uncomfortable sensation after sex.
5. Bacterial Vaginosis
A bacterial infection of the vagina and cervix is known as bacterial vaginosis. Bacteria always exists within your vagina, but BV introduces more bacteria or harmful bacteria to the area. Sex, including oral and manual, masturbation and even the wrong clothing or laundry detergent can contribute to BV. Studies suggest that having sex with an uncut man increases this risk.
Cleaning your hands and toys well before insertion can reduce the risk of BV and its symptoms, which include vaginal itching, pelvic pain and discharge. You should seek an appointment with your medical provider if you suspect BV. He or she will prescribe antibiotics. Note that this is an infection that commonly recurs in women, so if you’ve had one in the past 12 months, it’s likely you’ll have one again. Source. You can also pass it to your partner and back to yourself, so treat it as soon as possible.
6. Vaginitis
General inflammation of the vagina and vulva is known as vaginitis, and this inflammation can certainly lead to painful intercourse and burning after sex. Itching and discharge are common side effects of this inflammation as well. Vaginitis can result as as upset in the pH balance or bacteria levels in the vagina; although, a doctor may not be able to pinpoint a specific cause.
Technically, bacterial vaginosis, yeast infections, trichomoniasis and vaginal atrophy are all types of vaginosis. However,treatment for each of these infections can vary even if they share some of the same symptoms.
General hygiene and using condoms can help to prevent some of the most common infections that cause burning after sex as well as the transmission of preventable STIs. Not only is burning after sex painful, but it could be a sign of an infection that has far more serious complications down the road, so prevention is definitely worth a pound of the cure when it comes to this uncomfortable sensation.
If you’re at all in doubt, we recommend discussing this symptom with your doctor, who can recommend medication or other treatments and help prevent this from happening to you again.
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This doesn’t help us. She feels like she got an Indian burn down there but it went away? In her HOLE not her pee hole fam you know?? HELP
That means she wasn’t fully aroused enough. Her body wasn’t producing enough of her own lubrication. She should also probably see a doctor, she could be low on a hormone or vitamin….
it could also be that you didn’t take enough time and the proper action to arouse her in the first place. women take longer to warm up. foreplay is extremely important to women. she might be embarrassed to tell you what she likes but that in no way means you go in dry.
that has happened to me before. after sex, the condom had busted inside of me, and his cum went in time and it burned the first time, but afterward it went away, now it happens all the time and never burns anymore
True. .I get dry occasionally and when he inserts it’s rough and painful after aex and the startup
Ouch, this is why lube is such an important part of sex for so many couples.
Im sooo glad im not alone he went in dry yesterday and omg ? I feel sore today!
So I get the feeling and symptoms of a UTI but only after sex and then within a week or so it goes away? What could this be? every single time it happens after intercourse and then goes away
My advice is to talk to your doctor about this Estrella.
When ever I’m done with my dildo my um my front would burn really really bad but it goes away after a little. Is it bc my dildo my be to hard or is it bc I’m not turned on enough?
Hard to tell Kara, but my advice is to talk to your doctor about it if you are worried.
I do that as well and sometimes if I drink too much coffee, tea or soda. I had a scope done on my bladder and my doctor said the arteries in my bladder are enlarged. They get irritated easily by acidic drinks or foods as well as intercourse. If I have my urine tested it will always show blood in my urine which causes doctors to prescribe an antibiotic, which I don’t need. My doctor lets me keep a prescription of Phenazopyridine on hand for flare ups. They help relieve the pain and urgency I feel. Plus I have to drink lots of water for days then it goes away.
First rule out other things with your doctor then you may request to see a urologist and get a scope done. There are so many things that can cause the exact same symptoms.
I got a scope done, and they didn’t see anything. I have had repeated UTIs. I don’t always test positive for them, however. Doc wants to diagnose me with interstitial cystitis, which is a painful bladder; but I know that the UTIs caused the increased sensitivity.
I plan on trying a physical therapist next. I’m afraid my boyfriend will let frustrated with me, but he’s very understanding. I worry that he’ll think I’m making an excuse because I don’t want sex, but I do! It’s frustrating. :-/
Every time after sex my vagina burns.especially when i pee after but then it goes away after 10 mins. And i dpnt feel it again until i have sex again.
Im in the same situation. I started using lube, but that didn’t help much either. :/
When I have sex with my man, after we get done I go pee and I feel this burning, the only way to get rid of the burning is taking a warm bath and I have to sit there for like 15 to 20mins to get rid of the burning, it help but I dont know what else to do… I still go to the bathroom but this burning feeling goes away but it like when I go pee it’s still there so I have to wait the next day which I don’t feel it anymore.. what is this…
My advice is to talk to your doctor about this.
I have the same issue!! Gosh though I was alone feeling this.
I had total hysteroctomy 3 yr ago. Sex hurts when it first penetrates. And ive tried different lubes, they all burn.
Since it’s after a hysterectomy, it could be from the lack of estrogen. Have you talked to your doctor about getting an estrogen cream or ring? That’s something worth looking into. Best of luck!
I just had a c-section 6 weeks ago and started having sex again 5 weeks ago. I notice it stings a little when we do it doggy style so I tried missionary and I was fine. But after sex it stings still and when I go pee it’s uncomfortable but after 5 minutes I’m ok. This only happens when we have sex and this is only the third time we’ve done it. Is it because I’m healing still or maybe it’s just been awhile since we weren’t able to have sex while I was pregnant? We never used a condom before having a baby and we did now. So idk ????
I would talk to your doctor about this Drea.
i had sex three days 4 days ago but my burning started happening yesterday …its like every 10 minuts i have to use the bathrroom but only a little bit of pee comes out but then when i wipe i see sumthing pinkish on the napkin and theni feel better since yesterday but today i pee’d again and it was slighlty painful but when all the pee is empty in my bladder it starts to sting really bad
Please talk to your doctor!
Hi so I just recently started having sex and the first two times I was so tight I ripped a condom and we could barely stick the tip in but I had sex with a different person and they fit but my vagina got swollen in like one spot to where it hurt but we could still have sex and it just felt rly painful and kinda dry even tho I was wet and when I peed after it burnt but the next day in the morning I wasn’t swollen until we had sex again and it only burnt to per when I’m swollen idk why that’s happening to me is it because we aren’t using lube?
Use a good quality silicone lube, use plenty of it to avoid too much inrritation from trusting. My man’s semen tends to burn temporarily, so we avoid it inside of me which is fine wirh both of us. PEE before and after sex, clean area well with a non allergenic soap
I ALWAYS USE ORGANIC COCONUT ON MY VJ AREA AFTER SEX, SOMETIMES EVEN EVERY FEW HOURS. I KEEP IT COLD IN THE FRIDGE ICE CUBE TRAY SHAPE for easy use, mine is GNC extra virgin coconut. IM 63 SO HAVING SEX before using this WAS A CHALLENGE AT FIRST, NOW IS SO PLEASANT I LOVE IT. If in extreme pain GO see a doctor asp
I just got a brand new dildo and I used it and I felt a burning sensation I do not know if somthing is wrong with me but I’m assuming it’s because I have never had anything that big there before
I had sex 4 days ago and I got dry during sec cause he was tough n he got tougher wen I got dry n he tried spitting but Watever damage happened happened and now it burns wen I pee. And shower like my clit it feels like it’s raw and anything that touches it burns. It can’t be a std I was cleared and so was he (so he says) Ik the best thing to do is see a doctor to be sure but I don’t hav the money for transportation so I’m hoping it’s jus a little ripped up from dry sex n it’ll heal soon
Talk to your doctor
This didnt help, sorry. My problem is- since im single I pleasure myself and I clean my toys befofe and after play but my issue is the inside of my legs burn as soon as cum… Im a girl btw. What does this mean? Does it mean I’m allergic or???? Nothing inside burns like cervix or bladder but my legs burn…
Sounds like you should talk to your doctor about this.
I just started having sex and the first time it hurt really bad but then the second time it felt good then the next 5 times about it hurt so bad and the pain kept getting worse so I went to my doctor and I took antibiotics for 10 days then took a yeast infection pill and a couple days later had sec with my bf again and he went in so easy it was like I couldn’t feel it but then we had sex again and it was kind of hurting and that was yesterday and we have had sex twice since then and it was hurting like as if I was dry but then I also felt like I had to go pee during sex then after I went pee and as soon as it touches my vagina hole it burned and when I wipe it hurts to touch around my hole
Burning sensation after my husband release and I orgasm, I was diagnosed of STI and UTI and have been to different hospitals for treatment, taking different antibiotics and injections but still having symptoms.Please help me I am married but not getting pregnant please I need your help
After sex, I go pee and I feel this burning, the only way to get rid of the burning is taking a warm bath and I have to sit there for like 15 to 20mins to get rid of the burning, it help but I dont know what else to do… I go doctors thinking it’s an infection or something but nothing. I have to wait the next day which I don’t feel it anymore.. is it normal? Usually I’m well lubricated, naturally wet