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Having abdominal pain after sex and wondering if it’s from your partner’s semen? Or perhaps something else?
First of all, you’re not alone in this struggle. Nearly 75% of women have pain during or after sex at one point or another.
And second, yes, male semen can cause pain after sex. But there are quite a few other reasons you could experience pain around the time of sexual intercourse. So let’s dive in and talk about exactly what could be going on.
How can sperm cause abdominal pain in females?
First, a quick clarification! Sperm refers to the male reproductive cell. Semen, on the other hand, is the fluid that contains sperm. While you may have heard it being used interchangeably, it’s important to differentiate between them.
Semen (not sperm) is what occasionally causes pain or discomfort in women. Most often, this discomfort is caused by the female body’s reaction to prostaglandins, which are present in semen.
But to understand why this happens, let’s better understand what prostaglandins are:
- Prostaglandins act similarly to hormones.
- They’re naturally released in both the male and female body.
- They help regulate a variety of bodily functions like blood flow and inflammation.
- For women, they also play a role in ovulation, menstruation, and inducing labor.
But how does this translate to pain during or after sex?
When this hormone-like substance is released in the uterus, it can cause uterine contractions and cramping. It can also cause small blood vessels within the endometrial tissue to constrict. This is why many women experience menstrual cramping and painful periods.
Semen actually contains a very high concentration of prostaglandins too. This means that when a male partner ejaculates inside the vagina, the female is exposed to prostaglandins.
So even if the female’s body isn’t releasing the hormone-like compound by itself, her body will still respond as though it was. Hence, the abdominal cramping or pain after sex.
Another potential reason for painful sex is having a semen allergy. This is also known as seminal plasma hypersensitivity. Basically, specific proteins within the seminal fluid cause an allergic reaction for the female.
No need to sound the alarms though. This allergy is very rare. In fact, only about 40,000 women in the U.S. have been diagnosed with this underlying medical condition.
For those who are affected though, the symptoms could look like:
- Redness, burning, or pain around the vulva or vagina
- Deep pelvic pain
- Swelling of the labia (sometimes with fluid-filled pockets called vesicles)
- Sudden itching, rash, or trouble breathing (like wheezing)
For the small few who suffer from this allergy, the solution when it comes to sex is to use a condom. This can help ensure that the seminal fluid doesn’t make contact with the vagina and uterus.
Besides seminal plasma hypersensitivity and prostaglandins, there are other scenarios that can lead to sex-related pain. Keep reading to learn more about these other pain-inducing culprits.
What else can cause abdominal pain after sex?
Not having adequate lubrication
It’s no secret that foreplay can be fun. But it also has a physiological purpose too. And that is creating enough lubrication to ensure your safety.
When the vaginal canal isn’t lubricated enough, it can lead to chafing during sexual intercourse. This irritation can then lead to pelvic pain after sex.
Engaging in deep penetrative sex
Sometimes rough or deep penetration can lead to pain after sex. This pain is usually felt around your lower abdomen or your cervix. You may even experience light bleeding.
A retroverted uterus
All women have a tilted uterus. But the way that your uterus tilts can impact the sensation that you feel with intercourse. The “normal” tilted position for the uterus is a slight forward tilt, aka anteverted. But about 20% of women have a uterus that tilts backward, aka retroverted.
With a retroverted uterus, the penis can create extra pressure on the uterus and pelvic region. That’s why nearly 2 in 3 women with a retroverted uterus have pain during or after sex.
The phase of your menstrual cycle
During ovulation and menstruation, you’re more likely to experience pain with sex. This is because these two phases of your cycle can already cause abdominal cramping and discomfort.
Need help with keeping better tabs on what phase of your cycle you’re in? Using a fertility monitor like Inito can help.
By measuring all 4 fertility hormones (LH, estrogen, PdG, and FSH), Inito helps you accurately predict your fertile window and confirm ovulation. Having this clear picture of your cycle can help you know when to expect certain symptoms like cramping and pain.
Using an intrauterine device (IUD)
Even if you’re not sexually active, you may experience cramping the first few weeks after you insert an IUD.
If you do have sex during this time though, you are more likely to experience cramping after intercourse. While this can be uncomfortable, it’s normal and not a cause for concern.
Having an underlying infection
Lower abdominal pain can sometimes be a sign of an infection such as:
- Urinary tract infections (UTIs)
- Sexually transmitted infections (STIs)
- Pelvic inflammatory disease
If you do have an infection, your cramping will likely be accompanied by other symptoms. These could include abnormal discharge, bleeding, painful urination, or itching around the vagina.
Having endometriosis
Women with endometriosis have uterine tissue that grows outside of their uterus. This abnormal scar tissue can cause pain while:
- Menstruating
- Ovulating
- Having sex (during or after)
- Going to the bathroom
As you can see, there are a lot of potential reasons for experiencing painful sex. Being in tune with when your pain begins and noticing other symptoms that accompany it may help you pin down what’s going on.
And in case you’re looking for relief from sex-related pain, let’s talk about ways you can manage your symptoms.
How can I manage abdominal pain after sex?
Dealing with any sort of discomfort during or after sex can be a total buzzkill. But thankfully, there are ways you can deal with most cases of sex-related pain.
Here are some steps to try if you’re having lower abdominal pain post-intercourse:
- Use a warm compress or take a warm bath
- Use an over-the-counter painkiller
- Get plenty of rest to help your body heal
- Make sure you have enough lubrication the next time you have sex
- Consider avoiding deep penetration and opt for different sex positions that are less intense
If you have severe pain or stomach pain that doesn’t go away, seek medical attention.
Your doctor can give you more guidance on how to treat your symptoms. And if necessary, they can also help you diagnose the root cause.
Takeaways
- Semen can cause abdominal pain in females. This is because of its high concentration of hormone-like substances called prostaglandins.
- When a woman’s uterus is exposed to prostaglandins, it can lead to uterine cramping and pain. This is why a woman may feel abdominal pain after sex that ends in ejaculation.
- Abdominal cramping and pain after sex can also have other causes. Some of these include deep penetration, sex with vaginal dryness, a backward-tilted uterus, inadequate lubrication, or pelvic inflammatory disease.
- If the pain is severe or doesn’t go away, it’s best to call your healthcare provider. They can diagnose the underlying condition and treat you.
- If you’re having sexual pain, try OTC painkillers and warm compresses. You can also try other sexual positions that don’t cause as much pelvic pressure, and avoid deep thrusting.
FAQs
Sperm is just one component of male seminal fluid. On their own, sperm don’t cause pain for females.
But semen contains a hormone-like substance called prostaglandins. And exposure to prostaglandins can cause abdominal cramping.
It’s not the amount of sperm (or rather, semen) ejaculated that causes the female partner to have abdominal pain. Instead, it’s the exposure to the prostaglandins found in semen that can lead to pain after sex.
If you have cramping caused by semen, it may feel like mild pain or discomfort in your abdominal area. In some cases, it could also be accompanied by very light bleeding.
Was this article helpful?
- When Sex Is Painful | ACOG
- Sexual intercourse for cervical ripening and induction of labour – PMC
- Seminal Plasma Hypersensitivity Reactions: An Updated Review
- Deep Dyspareunia: Review of Pathophysiology and Proposed Future Research Priorities – ScienceDirect
- Menstrual pain: its origin and pathogenesis – PMC
