Can You Have Sex With a Prolapse?

Yes, you can have sex with a prolapse. It is more about feeling comfortable and finding positions that do not cause you any pain. From a medical point of view, it will not cause you any harm and cannot make a prolapse worse or damage your uterus, bladder or rectum.

Feeling Self-Conscious

Psychologically women can feel less attractive, feelings of being self-conscious or embarrassed. However, rather than making it a taboo subject, it is better to be open and honest with your partner. This can help with feelings of closeness, and the fact that they understand will make them feel more able to ensure that having sex with a prolapse is a positive experience for both of you.

Will Sex with a Prolapse Hurt?

Most women say that there is no pain during sex when they have a prolapse, but there is always a chance of discomfort, and of course, this can affect libido. Experimenting with positions can usually lead to the discovery of a better position that does not cause any pain.

A lot of women report finding the missionary position the most difficult, so changing to side-by-side or having the woman on top can change the confidence level and make sex more enjoyable again.

Can Sex Cause Prolapse?

No, sex can’t cause a prolapse or make an existing prolapse worse.

With a prolapse, the area involved has dropped down from its position, the complete opposite of the process of sex. Because sex involves pushing into the vagina, it can actually help push the prolapse back into postion.

In many cases, a partner will not even notice your prolapse as it does not affect the way sex feels for them, unless, it is so severe that the prolapse has protruded outside of the vagina.

It will not affect their feelings. It should not change the pleasure for a woman either, as the clitoris, which is where the bundle of nerve endings sit, is not involved and continues to react as normal.

Sex can actually help you feel better and has many benefits if you are suffering from a prolapse.

Oxytocin is released during sex, and this is known as the love hormone. Dopamine increases feelings of pleasure, and endorphins are also involved, and they help you by naturally increasing pain relief and bringing down stress levels.

There is also prolactin which is a satisfaction hormone that boosts bonding with your partner, and serotonin, which is amazing for your sleep and your mood as well as your appetite.

Sex also causes the blood flow into the vagina and pelvic regions, and this increases the oxygen nation of the tissue in this area and carries some pretty impressive hormones, as listed above. This is a really important part of healing, and sex relieves stress.

Stress can contribute to any medical condition, including prolapse, especially if you are feeling anxious about having sex with a prolapse. So the more you can do to positively reinforce to your brain that it is still a good experience, the better.

What Else Can Help?

Aside from experimenting with positions, there are other things you can do to try and make sex with a prolapse more enjoyable. First, it is important to have good lubrication, so don't be embarrassed about using a lubrication product, as the natural secretions of the vagina get less as we age. This is because there is a decrease in oestrogen as we head towards and through menopause. So you don't want to allow dryness to cause irritation or sore patches.

Ensure that you use specific water-based lubrication, as these have been shown to resist bacteria. Although KY Jelly is touted as the standard, it actually dries out the vagina tissue, so we recommend you find something more suitable. If you are feeling anxious, relaxation and using mindfulness techniques can help you relax and start to enjoy yourself again.

What Causes Vaginal Prolapse?

There are many reasons for a prolapse to occur. As we age, it becomes inevitable that the muscles in the pelvis get weaker, and this can be exacerbated by carrying children and having vagina deliveries. However, women who have C-sections are not any less likely to suffer from prolapses in later life.

Prolapse can also be caused by carrying excess weight, lifting an object that is too heavy, chronic constipation over many years, and even a constant cough from lung disorders. But the most common is ageing and childbearing, which means at some point, most women will have pelvic floor weakness unless they remember Kegel exercises and make them a regular part of their life.

Prolapses can affect the uterus, bladder or bowel, and it slips down from the normal position and, in some cases, protrudes outside of the vagina.

Sometimes surgery is needed, but in most cases learning the correct pelvic floor exercises and making healthy life changes can manage and improve the condition.

So, Go For It!

The bottom line is that sex is not a problem for most women who have a prolapse.

If you are finding that having sex with a prolapse is causing you any discomfort or stress, you should check with your healthcare provider.

Sometimes a prolapse can get worse over time, which, as we discovered, is nothing to do with sex but may impede your pleasure and may need a different course of action. So, don't let it get any worse. Start taking action now to improve your pelvic floor strength. 

It is important to maintain your pelvic floor exercises, and you may even find that sex is beneficial and helps strengthen your pelvic floor. Sex will not be a cure for prolapse, but it will not do any harm, cause a prolapse or make an existing prolapse worse.

Most partners will not even notice a prolapse, so women should try not to be embarrassed or put off, provided that having sex does not cause you any pain.

If you would like to learn more how our Pelvic Floor Exercise Weights can help you strengthen your pelvic floor in as little as 15 minutes a day.

➡️ You can also join our fabulous womens only private Facebook Group

➡️ Fancy a FREEBIE? Download our FREE guide The easy way to get a stronger pelvic floor

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