Many women don't realize painful sex is common, treatable condition
Many women suffer from dyspareunia, or painful intercourse, but they may not realize the condition has a name and more importantly treatments. Women "often feel like it's their fault," Dr. Lynne T. Schuster, a physician at Mayo Clinic's Women's Health Clinic in Rochester, Minn., said to CBSNews.com. "There could be so much less suffering." Dyspareunia -- which can occur just before, during or after intercourse -- can be caused by many physical and psychological conditions. Schuster estimates that the condition is so pervasive that at least 40 percent of all women will experience it in their lifetime. For many women of all ages, vulvodynia may the culprit for their condition. Women with vulvodynia experience chronic burning or irritation at the opening or inside of the vagina. This could be caused by involuntary contractions of the vaginal muscles. Yeast infections or pelvic inflammatory disease can lead to painful sex as well. Women who have just given b...