Painful sex after biopsy - will it ever be 'normal' again?

LPchick1013
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Hello, I'm new here.

Actually found this site by googling information about if having a biopsy could be a cause of painful sex.

My husband and I have been friends for almost 11 years and started dating almost 2 years ago. We became sexually active with each other about a month after we started dating (we had planned on waiting longer, but we got drunk one night and were horny and one thing led to another and it was great!)

The week before we got married, this past September, I went in for my first gyno exam because I wanted to get on birth control. They did the pap smear and everything. The doctor noticed something when she swabbed, but assured me that it was probably nothing to worry about and probably just a minor yeast infection.

The week after we got back from our honeymoon I got a call from the doctor's office saying that my pap smear showed some abnormalities and they wanted me to come in for a colposcopy and biopsy.

I had the colposcopy and biopsy about a month ago, where they took 3 samples to exam. 1 sample showed nothing, another showed mild dysplasia, and the 3rd showed moderate dysplasia. Because of the moderate dysplasia, my doctor wants to do a LEEP procedure to remove that and the mild just so it doesn't progress worse and turn into cancer. He also informed me that the main cause is HPV.

This shocked me because I have only had 2 partners in my lifetime - my ex of 3 and a half years in college (who had only slept with me and his ex who was a virgin at the time they did it) and my husband (who, even though had been sexually active in the past, got tested for STDs when we first started dating and the results showed up clean). My ex and I always used condoms and while my husband didn't put a condom on until after foreplay, we were always careful. I had no idea you could contract something like HPV while using a condom!

Regardless, I'm having my LEEP in the first week of December.

The problem is though, ever since the biopsy, sex has been painful!

My husband and I have never had a problem with sex before. My doctor said no sex for 2 weeks after the biopsy, which we followed and even went an extra day or so just to be safe and I've had my period twice since then. The first few times it hurt a lot - almost to the point of tears but I figured it was just because I was probably tight due to not having any for 2 weeks and the procedure, so we took it slow and gentle and haven't been having it as much as we were before. But now it's been about a month and it still hurts a lot when we try! Sometimes, once we work him in, the pain subsides after a few minutes, but other times it just plain hurts or we can't get him in at all. It was *never* like this before!

Has anyone else had painful sex weeks after a biopsy?

Do you think it could all just be mental and stress over the whole colposcopy/biopsy and LEEP?

Will sex be normal again after the dysplasia's removed? My doctor said no sex for 4 weeks after LEEP and then to use condoms for 2 months after that if we do...

This couldn't have anything to do with my birth control (Reclipsen), could it? I was on it for a full month before the biopsy and things seemed fine with it.

I'm just really bothered and it's upsetting to me. I really want to have normal sex again with my husband like it was before the biopsy - it really makes me sad when we try and I just can't because it hurts so bad - I know he understands, but I can't help but feel bad and a little upset with myself because it's my body being difficult. I don't think I can live with myself if this is how our sex life is going to be from now. Sex is important in a marriage - part of our pre-marital counseling included reading a book that talked about how important is to make sure you're taking the time and including sex regularly in your marriage. I'm just really worried that it's never going to get better and that this is how it's going to be.

Any suggestions or advice?
Thanks

4 replies

simplynat

Hi there, welcome to this site! There are many informed and supportive women here, so I am glad you found it.
Yes, HPV is the causitve factor for 99.8% of all cervical cancers and dysplasias. It is extremely common and very easily contracted. 80% of the population will have an active infection by the time they are 50. Condoms are only effective 70% of the time, HPV is a contact virus and can be transmitted through skin to skin contact so it is feasible to contract it without even having intercourse but just genital contact. HPV can be dormant in a person's system for years (over 20 even) before becoming active (not having a positive result on an HPV test does not mean a woman doesn't have it - it only means there is not an active infection at the time of testing) Due to virus' ability to lay dormant and the fact that for most people there are usually no symptoms it is just about impossible to know when and from whom a person contracted it. Your husband likely had no idea he had it, there isn't any (FDA approved) HPV test for men - so while he was clear from other std's he wouldn't have been tested for HPV. Furthermore, for men there are usually no symptoms or ill effects.
I haven't heard of a punch biopsy causing pain during intercourse following, but I wonder if you have cervitis (inflammation of the cervix). Do you know if you your biopsy results indicated cervitis? It is common for women with dysplasia and active HPV to have this which could result in pain during intercourse because of the inflamation. I would ask to see if your results indicated this at all. If so, then likely after you clear your active HPV infection (and the LEEP removes the dysplasia) the cervitis will clear as well which should help with the pain. (did that make sense? I may have been rambling)
And I agree, sex is important! It is also an integral part of a healthy marriage but just know that you wouldn't be the first women to have to take some extra time to get back that part of her life following dysplasia and sugery (myself included). It could all very well be mental and not something physical but it can take time, there are other things you can try in the meantime that don't necessarily involve intercourse, be creative and give yourself time ;-)
Best wishes to you!

bethieboo

Hi,
I get my test results back from my punch biopsy next monday. Sex has been different for me since I started all of this... this is my second punch biopsy - I've had freezing and the leep and still have not had a clean pap. Anyway, I think it's the dysplacia that causes the pain - but for me I don't mind it during sex... it's just the pelvic pain afterwards that I don't like. It your pelvic or is it during sex perhaps because of the dysplacia...

flowershoplady

as simplynat said, the hp virus itself, as well as dysplasia, wouldn't cause any pain or discomfort - if it weren't for pap and hpv tests and biopies, we wouldn't even know we had these! but, often along with hpv and dysplasia, a woman may have inflammation which is what might have resulted in the virus staying active and causing dysplasia. the biopsy might have resulted in infection or inflammation, perhaps, thus causing pain? particularly if you had multiple biopsies, then it might be more uncomfortable til it all heals. perhaps your doctor can take a look to be sure you're healing ok from the biopsy taken during colposcopy. and, i think a lot of sexual pleasure, including interest in sex, is in our minds, and when we're feeling our whole range of emotions about having hpv and dysplasia, etc., then that could interfere with sexual pleasure. i hope things get better for you soon.

Nathalie04

Well if it makes things any better I had so much work done to me its untrue !! I had various biops, coln etcs and and god did it hurt, I bled for weeks and could not bear the pain. I then after 6 months had a Wertheims Hysto and finally !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! After 3 months after that I'm fine and enjoy it even better now with Paul. Excuse me to say this.... the sensation is better and the whole thing is a whole lot more........ sensitive ! WOW !!! Our love life is better now than it was 2 years ago.. so there is hope !!! give it time, i'm sure it wil all work out for the best x

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