Heather Jeffcoat at Cosmo: 7 Reasons Why You Have a Sore Vagina After Sex

Cosmo: Learn Why You Have a Sore Vagina After Sex

Once again Cosmopolitan Magazine's online staff has tapped Heather Jeffcoat

Listen: As someone who enjoys the feeling of soreness post-workout, I can assure you that I do not feel the same way the morning-after a different kind of sweat sesh. And, just a guess, but I'm going to assume that a sore vagina after sex doesn't feel too great for you either. For one, you might not know why or what is causing the soreness—which is, like, super irritating.

Secondly, you may not know how to help or soothe your sore vagina because sex-ed contributed *literally* nothing to your sexual wellness knowledge. And third, you can't easily engage in round two, or three, or four with your S.O. the morning after because, umm… ouch. A sore vagina after sex is no fun!

Excerpts include:

Many women will report they have vaginal pain, when in fact they have vulvar pain. The vagina is internal genitalia. The vulva is what you see on the outside, all the way up to the entrance of the vagina, but not inside,” says physical therapist Heather Jeffcoat, and author of “Sex Without Pain: A Self Treatment Guide to the Sex Life You Deserve.” Got it? Now, let’s continue…

Women with vaginismus or dyspareunia may have overactive pelvic floor muscles, which means that instead of the pelvic floor muscles stretching and relaxing with penetrative intercourse, they are attempting to tighten—and essentially close around the vaginal canal, creating a strain in the muscle and will lead to soreness," says Jeffcoat. Again: Schedule a check-up with your gyno ASAP.

Want to know more about why you have a sore vagina after sex? The full article is here.