Why Does My Vagina Get Swollen After Sex

Why Does My Vagina Get Swollen After Sex
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Vagina Swells After Intercourse: Causes and Remedies

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Sometimes sex brings a few surprises. Among those surprises can be a swollen vaginal area after sex. What does it mean if you have a swollen vaginal opening after sex? Should you be worried? What if there are other problems, such as redness or irritation? The good news is that a swollen vagina after sex might not be as serious as you think. Read on to figure out what it means and what to do.
“Help! I find my vagina swollen after sex! What does this mean?” That’s a common question that many women have after sex, so rest assured that you aren’t alone in your concerns.
A swollen vagina after sex can actually be a perfectly normal thing. Remember that the vaginal area tends to get swollen and wet when you are aroused, and that swelling might persist even after your sexual fun is over. That means that you can feel swollen for a while.
Sometimes the simple friction of sexual activity can lead to swelling in that area. This is also a common problem, and will often go away soon after sex. If you are still swollen hours or even days later, this might be an indication that the sex was too rough or you weren’t lubricated enough.
Another common problem for women is an allergy to something that they used during a sexual act. This might be an allergy to the type of lubricant you used, to the condom or the spermicide in it, or even to the latex that is used to make the condom. If you used any massage oils, warming oils or creams, these might also contain ingredients that give you an allergic reaction – and thus, a swollen vagina after sex. This might also happen if you used a sex toy that was made of something that irritated your skin.
Interestingly enough, some women are actually allergic to semen. It sounds crazy, but it’s true – and it can be a truly distressing thing for a woman. A swollen vagina after sex, especially when it happens every single time, might be caused by an allergy to semen or sperm. There is actually a name for this particular development, called human seminal plasma protein hypersensitivity. It can range from mild swelling and itching to serious allergic reactions that put you in the hospital.
Finally, you might have a pH balance in the vagina that is easily changed, even by the act of sex, and that can lead to infections and other problems that cause your vaginal area to swell. If you have a history of getting yeast infections or urinary tract infections after sex, this might be the problem.
First, always make sure you are wet and excited enough to invite penetration from your partner. The more excited and aroused you are, the easier it will be to have sex that doesn’t lead to any hurting or swelling. A little more foreplay is great, and being a little gentler will help, too. Remember that a woman needs more time than a man does to get aroused and ready, so make sure you have that time.
If you have trouble producing enough lubrication to do the deed, consider over the counter lubricants that can help ease the way. But also keep in mind that you might have an allergy to one of these. Rule them out slowly, testing them each time to see if a particular lubricant is going to give you a swollen vagina after sex. You can do the same with testing different condoms to see what happens.
You can also try some home remedies to find something that works to bring down the swelling or eliminate it altogether. Some women find great relief from eating more yogurt, thanks to the bacterial cultures that are in the food. You can also try applying fresh yogurt, made without any added sugars, to the vaginal area a few times to help ease the swelling.
Cold compresses might help for serious swelling. Applying a cold pack or ice cubes wrapped in a towel can often bring immediate relief. However, don’t continue to do this for more than a few days, as swelling that lasts that long needs to be checked out by your doctor.
Never scratch at the area, because that can lead to even more problems. If the swollen area is itchy and irritated, it’s time to talk to your doctor, because it could be an infection that is causing the problem.
And finally, avoid the use of any irritants, such as bubble bath, harsh soaps, deodorants, and other applications to the vaginal area. These might spark an allergic reaction, or they might make swelling even worse.
Remember that a swollen vagina after sex that lasts for a long time or happens every single time is cause for concern. That’s when you should contact your doctor to rule out any medical issue that might be causing the problem.

By Esha Iyer July 27, 2020 Posted July 27, 2020
© 2019 Creative Expansions, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Vaginal health is an important thing to think about, especially after intercourse. And a swollen vagina might be warning you that something is wrong.
It's not as if you need to know the benefits of intercourse to enjoy a good tumble. In any case, it does release a lot of stress. And once it's done, rolling over to catch your breath and cool down can be just as relaxing. But then you feel like there's something wrong and there's plumpness you feel in your vagina. Looking down, it seems red, swollen and causes irritation. Is it supposed to be that way?
Not exactly. There are many causes for vaginal swelling after intercourse. Some might be nothing to worry about while some might warrant medical intervention. If you feel uncomfortable, visiting a doctor to clear up your doubts is advisable.
However, here are a few reasons why you might be experiencing swelling and redness down there:
If you find that accompanying your swollen vagina is a rash, then it could be that you are sensitive to something that comes in contact with your vagina. For example, you might be allergic to a brand of condoms or in some cases, even sperm. In order to find out what is causing the reaction, try eliminating some of the items you are using during intimacy and make note of how your body responds to it.
According to Medical News Today , intercourse can cause the vagina to swell but if the act takes places when the vagina is not lubricated enough, the friction can cause minor tears in the vaginal walls. This can lead to pain during intercourse which can also cause extra swelling later. Due to the minor tears, it also leaves you more vulnerable to infection.
Healthline states that your vagina requires a proper balance of good bacteria in the vagina to protect it. Those bacteria can battle bad bacteria and make sure your vagina is healthy. However, sometimes the bad bacteria can outnumber the good bacteria and cause a vaginal infection known as bacterial vaginosis. Of the symptoms that appear, swelling, redness, itchiness and a fishy odor from the vagina are some of them.
The most common symptom of a yeast infection is extreme itchiness in and around the vagina, according to the Office of Women's Health . As per Dr. Alyssa Dweck, a gynecologist in New York, the infection can give you redness and swelling that can make your vagina look "beefy, inflamed, and blistered," according to Women's Health Magazine .
Vaginal dryness starts to occur as you grow older. "The issue could be the result of not enough foreplay, but low estrogen levels due to menopause, perimenopause, lactation, or birth control can also cause vaginal dryness and atrophy [thinning, drying, inflammation of the vaginal wall]," says Dr. Dweck. This can also cause your vagina to feel thin or inelastic. This may lead to rough intercourse which could also cause the swelling.
In more severe cases, your vaginal swelling could be caused by an STD like chlamydia, trichomoniasis, genital herpes or gonorrhea. A reddened, swollen vulva can also lead to bleeding after being physically intimate, irritation, odor, and be a sign of an STD says the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology (ACOG) . If you notice this happening, you need to visit a doctor immediately to have it treated.
Though you may be facing menopause or may have already gone through it, a swollen vagina after intercourse may also be a sign of pregnancy. During pregnancy, increased blood flow and pressure from the uterus can increase the swelling in the vagina, according to the Office of Women's Health.
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I'm an 18 year one lesbian, recently every time me and my partner have manual sex or when we have mutual masturbation- where she rubs my vulva. At the end of this whole sexual activity, my clitoral glans, labia minora and vagina walls swell up. There was once it was really painful when I sat or bathe especially when I wash it with feminine hygeine wash. I like this whole sexual activity but I don't want my vagina to swell everything we do such a thing it's quite a hassle cause it feels quite uncomfortable. Please tell me what to do. Thank you, any advice would be greatly appreciated.
originally written 07.09.2008 • updated 06.19.2018 •
Delilah: what you're describing is most likely a completely normal physiological response to being sexually aroused.
Part of female sexual arousal , much like erection for men, is swelling of the genital tissues due to blood pooling in the pelvis: the clitoris (both externally as well as internally), the outer and inner labia , even the mons will often get larger and "puffy" when a woman is very sexually excited. How much or how often that happens really depends on a given woman. Some women get that aroused and have that response all the time, others less frequently, and some have yet to ever have it happen. You may not be noticing or feeling it as much when it's going on, because you are (understandably) distracted while sex is going on.
But it's not really something a woman can prevent, save doing whatever we can to keep ourselves from becoming highly aroused, which doesn't sound like such a good deal to me, particularly if you're going to be having any kind of sex. Even though I hear that you're not feeling comfortable with this aspect of your sexual response, sex isn't going to feel as good when we're less aroused: the more excited we are, the better it feels. If, however, your partner is being particularly aggressive with her hands or fingers, that might cause additional swelling, so if you like, you can try a few times where she's a little more gentle to find out if that helps and feels better for you during and afterwards.
That should subside, however, within a few hours of sexual activity or arousal, if not in a shorter period of time. If and when it doesn't, it might be because orgasm wasn't reached, so that vasocongestion (what men call " blue balls ," but it happens to women, too) sticks around and can start to feel painful. If and when that happens, rather than washing your genitals -- particularly if you're using fragranced or antibacterial washes, or washing inside your vagina , neither of which are healthy for your vagina -- your better bet is a cold compress, and/or a basic analgesic, like an aspirin, Tylenol or Ibuprofen.
In the off-chance that this isn't about arousal, and is ONLY happening after sex is over, the only other possibility would be that it's an allergic reaction to something: maybe a hand creme your partner uses, the soap she's washing with, the kind of lube you're using, et cetera. If you want to check and see if it's that. Next time have her use latex or nitrile gloves for the manual sex and a hypoallergenic lube (Pink lube or Emerita lube are both good in that department), and see if you have the same response. If you do not, then it may be an allergy or sensitivity we're talking about, so what you'll want to do is either keep to gloves (they usually feel better with manual sex anyway), or start narrowing down what the allergy is through trial and error, by her one day not using a given hand creme, the next using a different soap to wash up with, what have you.
But if it turns out not to be an allergy, and instead your normal sexual response, what I'd encourage you to do is to just try to get a bit more comfortable with it. If it's a psychological discomfort, know it's a normal sexual response, just like reaching orgasm is normal, feeling your heart rate elevate is normal, just like self-lubricating is normal. If it's physical, then set a cool compress or ice pack near the bed before sex begins that you can use right afterwards if you like. If it's continuing long after sex is done and you're not reaching orgasm during sex, then you two might try some new things to see about getting you to orgasm.
To sum up your plan of action?
1. May as well check for a possible allergy first to rule that out, or discover that's an issue. If so, figure out what the allergy is to and get rid of that agent. If you two can't figure it out yourselves, you could see your gynecologist and get some professional help in finding the culprit.
2. If it's not an allergic response, try having your partner adapt what she's doing to see if some or all of the swelling just isn't a bit much.
3. If it's none of those things, accept that this is part of your normal sexual response simply because you're getting very aroused and enjoying yourself, which is obviously a good thing. If you find it uncomfortable afterwards, treat the issue with a cool compress and/or an analgesic.
Here are some links for you with a little more information:
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The vagina and vulva are sensitive parts of the anatomy, and there are a number of reasons why either might experience swelling.

Swelling of the vagina , the inside part of the genital anatomy, can be related to an infection, a cyst, or even sexual arousal. Swelling of the vulva , the outside part of genital anatomy (including the labia minora and majora), can also have many causes. Chafing, infection, sex, or allergies can all be reasons for the vulva to swell.

There are a number of reasons why someone might end up with a swollen vagina or vulva. They can generally be broken down into infectious and non-infectious causes.

Infections are things like sexually transmitted diseases , yeast infections , and bacterial vaginosis . These may require medical treatment to go away.

Non-infectious causes of genital swelling include things like chafing and irritation of an allergic reaction. These may be the result of the types of underwear or menstrual supplies you are using, laundry detergent, and other topical irritants. Irritation from sex can also sometimes lead to vulvar or vaginal swelling.

Not all vaginal swelling is abnormal. For example, it is natural for your vagina and vulva to swell when you are sexually aroused. Other types of vaginal swelling, such as irritation from bike riding, may be self-limited.

However, if your symptoms last for more than a couple of days, reach out to your healthcare provider. They can help you determine what is causing your symptoms. Then you can work on a plan for treatment or prevention.

Other symptoms to keep an eye out for include:

More information about specific reasons you may be experiencing a swollen vagina or vulva is below.

Irritation from something your skin has been in contact with can cause the vulva to swell. 1 Rubbing and moisture trapped against the skin can both cause swelling. Contact dermatitis is a more specific type of skin reaction to an irritating substance.

Finally, allergies can sometimes lead to swelling. Some items that can lead to an allergy or other reaction of the vulva and vagina include:

If you experience vaginal irritation after making a change in your hygiene routine, take notice. You may be experiencing a reaction to the new soap or product. Similarly, if you’re experiencing swelling when you have your period, make certain you’re using appropriate menstrual products and changing them as recommended .

A variety of infections can lead to vaginal swelling; not all of them are necessarily sexually transmitted. Infections that can irritate the vagina and vulva include: 1

New lesions or sores that appear on your vulva are always a reason to see a healthcare provider. However, many people experience recurrent bacterial vaginosis or yeast infections. Since yeast can be treated with over-the-counter (OTC) medications, some pe
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