Painful intercourse may be a sign of an STD

Some physicians say that a healthy sex life is key to overall well-being. However, individuals who experience discomfort during intercourse may avoid sexual encounters without seeking to discover the underlying cause of their pain.

A recent article published by the Omaha World-Herald highlighted several reasons why women may experience discomfort during sex.

"If you have pain with sex, you're not going to have a sex drive," said urogynecologist and urologist Dr. Michael Feloney, quoted by the news source.

The newspaper reported that painful sexual intercourse, or dyspareunia, may be a result of ovarian cysts, urinary tract infections, hemorrhoids or sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), to name a few. Another possibility is that a woman does not have adequate vaginal lubrication, which may not only increase her odds of experiencing pain during intercourse, but also her chances of contracting an STD through tears in the skin that may develop during sex.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, pain during intercourse is one of the most common symptoms of chlamydia, the most frequently reported bacterial STD in the U.S.