Painful sex is never ok. Whether it’s your first time or 100th - sex should be enjoyable and pleasurable. However, various conditions can cause you to experience pelvic pain and put your sex life on hold. With these specially chosen sex positions to reduce pelvic pain and plenty of lube, you’ll be able to find a way to reduce pain and enjoy sex again.
What is pelvic pain?
Pelvic pain is any pain you may have below your belly button but above your legs. This can not only put your sex life on hold but also stop you from embracing your sensual self fully. The technical name for painful intercourse is known as dyspareunia and it is more prevalent in women than men. From vaginismus, trauma, lack of lubrication to endometriosis - plenty of conditions can cause your sex life to feel not as sexy as it should.
You should begin your journey to non-painful sex by understanding why you suffer pain during intercourse. This can help you address the problem and make it easier for you to manage that pain - we would always recommend talking to your doctor if you’re suffering during sex.
In the meantime, you don’t want your sex life to be nonexistent. So to manage pelvic pain during sex you can make it more pleasurable by adjusting sex positions, using lubrication, and adding sex toys into the equation.
How can sex positions reduce pelvic pain?
If your routine sex positions are hitting all the wrong spots, then achieve the sex life you deserve with specially chosen sex positions to reduce pelvic pain.
Everybody is unique and individuals feel pelvic pain differently. But generally, it has been found that the best sex positions to reduce pelvic pain emphasize shallower penetration and/or non-penetrative sex, whilst steering clear of deep thrusts and deep penetration. There are even specially designed sexual aids to help you control penetration depth. Ohnut works to buffer and adjust how deep penetration is, to help you enjoy penetrative sex without sacrificing sensation.
Align your tastes with your partner and determine which positions are comfortable rather than painful. Tweak them with your favorite additions - think waterproof vibrator in the bath, plenty of lube or shifting the angle of penetration slightly.
Listen to your body and what it’s telling you. And most importantly make sure you communicate clearly with your partner. If they don’t know that sex is painful they will just keep sticking to the same old - as they don’t know it’s not working for you.
5 sex positions to reduce pelvic pain
If sex is causing you pelvic pain - a couple of things can help from the get-go. Thoroughly warming your body up to start with will ensure you are relaxed and in the right mindset. This can involve using a vibrator to target your erogenous zones to make you feel all turned on and sexy, whilst also keeping the vaginal passage stretched. And ensuring you are generously applying lube to reduce friction and have you feeling wet, wet, wet.
Cowgirl
This sex position is ideal for taking control of penetration by showing your partner what’s pleasurable and what’s not. This involves whoever is being penetrated to sit on top of their partner or sex toy. This allows them to control the speed, depth and action of their partner leaving no room for guessing what feels good and what doesn’t. This position also gives access to your clitoris for clitoral stimulation - helping you reach a climactic ending. For extra stimulation, using a vibrating cock ring like Tenuto can amplify pleasure for both partners increasing arousal, lubrication and pleasurable sensations during sex.
Reverse Cowgirl
This simple variation of the rodeo offers lots of room for pleasure without too much effort - just face the other way whilst on top. This variation lets you reap all the rewards such as the ability to set the pace and rhythm of what feels best. However, this one might be slightly trickier when it comes to the angle of penetration - as certain spots can be painful. Allow yourself to ease into it here, you might feel stimulation on different spots of your body, so really take the time to let these new sensations land before you commit to a rhythm.
Spooning Sex
Lie on your side and try facing each other, or position yourself to permit entry from behind. If you’re facing your partner, you can take reign of your sex toy. Create the angle that feels best by lifting your leg or propping pillows underneath you. You can even use your butt to control the speed of penetration by having your partner remain still whilst you thrust into them.
Amended Doggie Style
Take your favorite pillow and put it underneath your pelvis for increased support. Bend your knees, bring your pelvis upward, and spread your legs apart enough to allow for them to thrust behind you. This position is perfect for controlling the depth of penetration and promoting clitoral stimulation.
Penetration Boycott
Penetration shouldn’t be the center of your sexual universe especially if you’re still experiencing pelvic pain. Focus on other ways of experiencing pleasure explore some lesser-known erogenous zones, an erotic massage with your partner and focus on your pleasure journey rather than performance. When was the last time you mutually masturbated or talked dirty with your partner? Involve acts you feel comfortable with and that get your heart racing.
Helpful tips to reduce pelvic pain during sex:
- If you would rather stick to your tried and tested sex positions but are feeling more discomfort then try tweaking them very slightly. Using pillows as props can help you and your partner find the angles of penetration that work best for you.
- Everybody is unique and sex positions aren’t an exact science - more of a trial and error situation. What works for someone else might not work for you. Experiment on your own with vibrators to uncover what angles feel good and what to avoid. Vibration technology has even been found to reduce pelvic pain - so that in itself could help you manage painful sex.
- Talk. Talk to your doctor. Your partner. You friends. It may feel a little embarrassing but ⅓ of women experience pain during sex in their lifetime. Communicating to people in your life what is going on may help you feel sexy in the bedroom again.
- Use lubrication generously and add vibrators into the mix. These sexual aids can help you enjoy sex again.
Before you go and try out these sex positions to reduce pelvic pain, remember that the best sex is where feelings and desires are expressed freely. And have a look at our playbook of sex positions for some extra fun.