Definition and research guide
This page combines a MeSH definition, publication statistics and selected research abstracts. It is a starting point for reading the literature, not a medical textbook or a systematic evidence review.
Content available: 4 complete abstracts (1,159 words), 10 references. Full article text is not stored or reproduced here; follow the PMID, DOI or PMC links to read the original sources and their access terms.
Definition
Recurrent genital pain occurring during, before, or after sexual intercourse in either the male or the female.
Definition: NLM Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) scope note (Public domain (U.S. National Library of Medicine); attribution requested). View the MeSH record.
Where it fits in the MeSH classification
- Broader topics
- Genital Diseases, Female; Genital Diseases, Male; Sexual Dysfunction, Physiological; Sexual Dysfunctions, Psychological
- See also
- Vulvar Vestibulitis
Related concepts
Research landscape
PubMed indexes 2,769 records tagged with the MeSH heading “Dyspareunia” (counts retrieved 2026-10-31). 630 of them (22.8%) were published from 2020 onward, and the busiest period so far is 2010-2019 with 1,048 records.
Reviews account for 495 records (17.9%) and meta-analyses for 67. Randomized controlled trials number 209 (7.5%) as a share of all records on the topic.
Show the data
| Period | Records |
|---|---|
| through 1999 | 527 |
| 2000-2009 | 564 |
| 2010-2019 | 1,048 |
| 2020 onward | 630 |
Publication-type chart data
| Type | Records | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Reviews | 495 | 17.9% |
| Meta-analyses | 67 | 2.4% |
| Randomized controlled trials | 209 | 7.5% |
Method: PubMed query "Dyspareunia"[MeSH Terms] with publication-type and date filters, retrieved 2026-10-31.
Reading the evidence in kidney, urology and women's health
Kidney, urinary and reproductive health research uses lab markers (such as creatinine), imaging, symptom scores and registry data on pregnancy and birth. Findings about pregnancy are especially sensitive to who was studied and when in pregnancy exposure occurred. Nothing on this page is advice about treatment, fertility or pregnancy; speak to a qualified clinician. Check the population, the outcome measured and whether the study accounted for other health differences between groups.
Evidence from open-access studies
These open-access studies come from PubMed’s best-match results for this heading (papers whose main topic it is), ranked here by citation count, with one recent addition. Each abstract is reproduced in full under its recorded open licence so that you can read the authors’ own words. They illustrate the literature; they are not a systematic summary of it. Citation counts measure attention, not reliability or clinical benefit.
| Study / authors | Year | Source label / design | Europe PMC citations | Licence / source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pelvic floor rehabilitation in the treatment of women with dyspareunia: a randomized controlled clinical trial | 2019 | Randomized controlled trial Design not recorded in structured metadata | 63 | cc by PMID 31286158 · DOI · PMC6834927 |
| Painful sex (dyspareunia) in women: prevalence and associated factors in a British population probability survey | 2017 | Research article Design not recorded in structured metadata | 59 | cc by PMID 28120373 · DOI · PMC5638059 |
| Association of Central Sensitization Inventory Scores With Pain Outcomes After Endometriosis Surgery | 2023 | Research article Design not recorded in structured metadata | 55 | cc by PMID 36848090 · DOI · PMC9972194 |
| Non-menstrual pelvic symptoms and women's quality of life: a cross-sectional observational study | 2025 | Research article Design not recorded in structured metadata | 2 | cc by PMID 40299924 · DOI · PMC12040126 |
Pelvic floor rehabilitation in the treatment of women with dyspareunia: a randomized controlled clinical trial [1]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- Introduction and hypothesisDyspareunia, the symptom of painful sexual intercourse, is a common sexual dysfunction in reproductive-aged women.
- Closing excerpt
- All of the changes were statistically significant (p ConclusionsAccording to the results, pelvic floor rehabilitation is an important part of a multidisciplinary treatment approach to dyspareunia.
- Interpretation limits
- Verbatim excerpts from the authors’ abstract; the closing excerpt may describe a finding, limitation or recommendation. Design, population, effect size and uncertainty have not been independently extracted or appraised. Read the complete abstract and linked paper before interpreting the findings.
Read complete abstract (242 words)
Introduction and hypothesisDyspareunia, the symptom of painful sexual intercourse, is a common sexual dysfunction in reproductive-aged women. Because of its multifactorial etiology, a multidisciplinary approach may be required to treat it. Musculoskeletal factors play an important role; thus, rehabilitating the pelvic floor and modifying the tone of the pelvic floor muscles (PFMs) may be an effective way to treat this dysfunction. The aim of this randomized controlled clinical study was to evaluate the effects of pelvic floor rehabilitation techniques on dyspareunia.MethodsOf 84 women, assessed for eligibility, 64 women with dyspareunia were randomized into two groups: the experimental group (n = 32) received electrotherapy, manual therapy, and PFM exercises and the control group (n = 32) had no treatment while on the waiting list. Evaluations of PFM strength and endurance, sexual function, and pain were made directly before and after 3 months of treatment and at the 3-month follow-up.ResultsBetween-group changes showed significant improvement in the experimental group in comparison with control group. Mean difference in the PFM strength (according to the 0-5 Oxford scale) between groups was 2.01 and the mean difference of endurance was 6.26 s. Also, the mean difference in the Female Sexual Function Index score (the score ranges from 2 to 95) was 51.05, and the mean difference in the VAS score was 7.32. All of the changes were statistically significant (p ConclusionsAccording to the results, pelvic floor rehabilitation is an important part of a multidisciplinary treatment approach to dyspareunia.
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 31286158 · DOI · PMC6834927
Painful sex (dyspareunia) in women: prevalence and associated factors in a British population probability survey [2]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- ObjectiveTo estimate the prevalence of painful sex among women in Britain, and to explore associated sexual, relationship and health factors that should be considered in assessment.
- Closing excerpt
- 5% of women in Britain-is linked to poorer sexual, physical, relational and mental health.
- Interpretation limits
- Verbatim excerpts from the authors’ abstract; the closing excerpt may describe a finding, limitation or recommendation. Design, population, effect size and uncertainty have not been independently extracted or appraised. Read the complete abstract and linked paper before interpreting the findings.
Read complete abstract (262 words)
ObjectiveTo estimate the prevalence of painful sex among women in Britain, and to explore associated sexual, relationship and health factors that should be considered in assessment.DesignMulti-stage, clustered and stratified population probability sample survey, using computer-assisted self-interview. Sample frame was the British Postcode Address File.SettingParticipants interviewed at home between 2010 and 2012.SampleA total of 15 162 adults aged 16-74 years (8869 women). Data reported from 6669 sexually active women.MethodsAge-adjusted logistic regressions to examine associations between painful sex and indicators of sexual, relational, mental and physical health.Main outcome measurePhysical pain as a result of sex for ≥3 months in the past year, plus measures of symptom severity.ResultsPainful sex was reported by 7.5% (95% CI 6.7-8.3) of sexually active women, of whom one-quarter experienced symptoms very often or always, for ≥6 months, and causing distress. Reporting painful sex was strongly associated with other sexual function problems, notably vaginal dryness (age adjusted odds ratio 7.9; 6.17-10.12), anxiety about sex (6.34; 4.76-8.46) and lacking enjoyment in sex (6.12; 4.81-7.79). It was associated with sexual relationship factors [such as not sharing same level of interest in sex (2.56; 1.97-3.33)], as well as with adverse experiences such as non-volitional sex (2.17; 1.68-2.80). Associations were also found with measures of psychological and physical health, including depressive symptoms (1.68; 1.28-2.21).ConclusionPainful sex is reported by a sizeable minority of women in Britain. Health professionals should be supported to undertake holistic assessment and treatment which takes account of the sexual, relationship and health context of symptoms.Tweetable abstractPainful sex-reported by 7.5% of women in Britain-is linked to poorer sexual, physical, relational and mental health.
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 28120373 · DOI · PMC5638059
Association of Central Sensitization Inventory Scores With Pain Outcomes After Endometriosis Surgery [3]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- ImportanceA subset of people who undergo surgery for endometriosis have persistent pain, suggesting that other factors besides the endometriosis, such as central sensitization, may play a role in this pain.
- Closing excerpt
- The Central Sensitization Inventory could be used to counsel patients with endometriosis on their expected outcomes after surgery.
- Interpretation limits
- Verbatim excerpts from the authors’ abstract; the closing excerpt may describe a finding, limitation or recommendation. Design, population, effect size and uncertainty have not been independently extracted or appraised. Read the complete abstract and linked paper before interpreting the findings.
Read complete abstract (417 words)
ImportanceA subset of people who undergo surgery for endometriosis have persistent pain, suggesting that other factors besides the endometriosis, such as central sensitization, may play a role in this pain. The Central Sensitization Inventory, a validated self-reported questionnaire of central sensitization symptoms, may identify individuals with endometriosis who have more pain after surgery due to pain sensitization.ObjectiveTo examine whether greater baseline Central Sensitization Inventory scores are associated with postsurgical pain outcomes.Design, setting, and participantsThis prospective, longitudinal cohort study performed at a tertiary center for endometriosis and pelvic pain in British Columbia, Canada, included all patients aged 18 to 50 years with diagnosed or suspected endometriosis and a baseline visit between January 1, 2018, and December 31, 2019, who underwent surgery after the baseline visit. Individuals who were menopausal, had a prior hysterectomy, or were missing data for outcomes or measures were excluded. Data analysis was performed from July 2021 to June 2022.Main outcomes and measuresThe primary outcome was chronic pelvic pain at follow-up measured on a scale of 0 to 10, with 0 to 3 indicating no pain or mild pain, 4 to 6 indicating moderate pain, and 7 to 10 indicating severe pain. Secondary outcomes were deep dyspareunia, dysmenorrhea, dyschezia, and back pain at follow-up. The main variable of interest was baseline Central Sensitization Inventory score (measured from 0 to 100, consisting of 25 self-reported questions rated from 0 to 4 [never, rarely, sometimes, often, and always, respectively]).ResultsA total of 239 patients (mean [SD] age, 34 [7] years; 189 [79.1%] White [11 (5.8%) identified as White mixed with another ethnicity], 1 [0.4%] Black or African American, 29 [12.1%] Asian, 2 [0.8%] Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, 16 [6.7%] other, and 2 [0.8%] mixed race or ethnicity) with follow-up data at more than 4 months after surgery were included in this study (71.0% follow-up rate). The mean (SD) baseline Central Sensitization Inventory score was 43.8 (18.2), and the mean (SD) follow-up was 16.1 (6.1) months. Higher baseline Central Sensitization Inventory scores were significantly associated with higher chronic pelvic pain (odds ratio [OR], 1.02; 95% CI, 1.00-1.03; P = .02), deep dyspareunia (OR, 1.03; 95% CI, 1.01-1.04; P = .004), dyschezia (OR, 1.03; 95% CI, 1.01-1.04; P Conclusions and relevanceIn this cohort study of 239 patients with endometriosis, higher Central Sensitization Inventory scores at baseline were associated with worse pain outcomes after endometriosis surgery, when controlling for baseline pain scores. The Central Sensitization Inventory could be used to counsel patients with endometriosis on their expected outcomes after surgery.
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 36848090 · DOI · PMC9972194
Non-menstrual pelvic symptoms and women's quality of life: a cross-sectional observational study [4]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- BackgroundEndometriosis-related pain duration and burden are associated with poorer psychological well-being and health-related quality of life (HQoLife).
- Closing excerpt
- Moreover, the presence of significant positive intercepts (PConclusionDDyspareunia was the most important non-menstrual pelvic symptoms for the EHP30Sex domain, but NMPelvic Pain and NMDyschezia were the most important for overall HQoLife.
- Interpretation limits
- Verbatim excerpts from the authors’ abstract; the closing excerpt may describe a finding, limitation or recommendation. Design, population, effect size and uncertainty have not been independently extracted or appraised. Read the complete abstract and linked paper before interpreting the findings.
Read complete abstract (238 words)
BackgroundEndometriosis-related pain duration and burden are associated with poorer psychological well-being and health-related quality of life (HQoLife). This study aimed to compare the relative burdens of 4 different non-menstrual pelvic symptoms on HQoLife: Deep dyspareunia (DDyspareunia), non-menstrual pelvic pain (NMPelvicPain), non-menstrual dyschezia (NMDyschezia) and non-menstrual dysuria (NMDysuria).Subjects and methodsThis is a pre-planned cross-sectional interdisciplinary retrospective observational study. The sample consists of 369 consecutive patients referred for minimally invasive surgery at a private institution. DDyspareunia, NMPelvicPain, NMDyschezia and NMDysuria were assessed with a self-reported 11-point (0-10) numeric rating scale (NRS). The Short Form 36 (SF36) and Endometriosis Health Profile 30 (EHP30) full questionnaires were applied to assess HQoLife. Multiple linear regression models were used to compare the 4 explanatory variables (correlates), which were tested for 19 different HQoLife domains.ResultsMultivariate exploratory analyses indicated that NMPelvicPain and NMDyschezia may be the non-menstrual pelvic symptoms that most impact the HQoLife of women with endometriosis, an association that was observed in practically all domains of both the SF36 and the EHP30 questionnaires. DDyspareunia was the most important symptom for the sexual intercourse EHP30 domain. Despite the biological plausibility and statistical significance found in virtually all models, their low explanatory power suggests the existence of additional major covariates (not contemplated in this study). Moreover, the presence of significant positive intercepts (PConclusionDDyspareunia was the most important non-menstrual pelvic symptoms for the EHP30Sex domain, but NMPelvic Pain and NMDyschezia were the most important for overall HQoLife.
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 40299924 · DOI · PMC12040126
Key reviews and meta-analyses
The most cited review-type papers among PubMed’s best-match results for this heading, listed with bibliographic details only. Follow the links for the full text and access terms.
- Research article WHO systematic review of prevalence of chronic pelvic pain: a neglected reproductive health morbidity [5]
- Research article Genitourinary syndrome of menopause: an overview of clinical manifestations, pathophysiology, etiology, evaluation, and management [6]
- Research article Incidence and management of graft erosion, wound granulation, and dyspareunia following vaginal prolapse repair with graft materials: a systematic review [7]
- Research article Vulvodynia: Assessment and Treatment [8]
- Research article The menopause and sexual functioning: a review of the population-based studies [9]
- Research article Women's sexual pain disorders [10]
References
- Ghaderi F, Bastani P, Hajebrahimi S, Jafarabadi MA, Berghmans B. Pelvic floor rehabilitation in the treatment of women with dyspareunia: a randomized controlled clinical trial. . 2019. PMID 31286158 · DOI · PMC6834927
- Mitchell KR, Geary R, Graham CA, Datta J, Wellings K, Sonnenberg P, et al.. Painful sex (dyspareunia) in women: prevalence and associated factors in a British population probability survey. . 2017. PMID 28120373 · DOI · PMC5638059
- Orr NL, Huang AJ, Liu YD, Noga H, Bedaiwy MA, Williams C, et al.. Association of Central Sensitization Inventory Scores With Pain Outcomes After Endometriosis Surgery. . 2023. PMID 36848090 · DOI · PMC9972194
- Fonseca MF, Sessa FV, Crispi CP, Filho NN, de Oliveira BRS, Garcia RF, et al.. Non-menstrual pelvic symptoms and women's quality of life: a cross-sectional observational study. . 2025. PMID 40299924 · DOI · PMC12040126
- Latthe P, Latthe M, Say L, Gülmezoglu M, Khan KS. WHO systematic review of prevalence of chronic pelvic pain: a neglected reproductive health morbidity. BMC Public Health. 2006. PMID 16824213 · DOI · PMC1550236
- Gandhi J, Chen A, Dagur G, Suh Y, Smith N, Cali B, et al.. Genitourinary syndrome of menopause: an overview of clinical manifestations, pathophysiology, etiology, evaluation, and management. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2016. PMID 27472999 · DOI
- Abed H, Rahn DD, Lowenstein L, Balk EM, Clemons JL, Rogers RG, et al.. Incidence and management of graft erosion, wound granulation, and dyspareunia following vaginal prolapse repair with graft materials: a systematic review. Int Urogynecol J. 2011. PMID 21424785 · DOI
- Goldstein AT, Pukall CF, Brown C, Bergeron S, Stein A, Kellogg-Spadt S. Vulvodynia: Assessment and Treatment. J Sex Med. 2016. PMID 27045258 · DOI
- Dennerstein L, Alexander JL, Kotz K. The menopause and sexual functioning: a review of the population-based studies. Annu Rev Sex Res. 2003. PMID 15287158 · DOI
- van Lankveld JJ, Granot M, Weijmar Schultz WC, Binik YM, Wesselmann U, Pukall CF, et al.. Women's sexual pain disorders. J Sex Med. 2010. PMID 20092455 · DOI
About this article
- Sources
- NLM Medical Subject Headings (definition, synonyms); NCBI PubMed (counts, identifiers); Europe PMC (open-access abstracts and citation counts).
- Verification
- Every reference was resolved against PubMed on 2026-11-04; title, year and DOI matched.
- Review state
- automated source verified; no human expert review has been recorded yet.
- Version
- 1, last updated 2026-11-04.
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Evidence strength
EvidenceHelix's computed view of the study designs behind this topic: how common meta-analyses, randomized trials and reviews are, how recent the literature is, and a plain-language reading. It describes the design mix of the literature. It is not a quality appraisal of any study, and it is not medical advice.