Introduction
Burning during or after sexual intercourse is unpleasant for everyone and can have many causes. Some of these causes can be harmless, but others can become dangerous and leave permanent damage. Therefore, every burning sensation should be clarified by a medical examination and a detailed search for the cause.
The main causes of burning during/after sexual intercourse
Bacterial infections The most common cause of burning during / after sexual intercourse is vaginal infections. Such infections are usually favoured by an imbalance of the vaginal flora, for example by changes in pH value due to excessive or incorrect intimate hygiene with conventional soaps. For example, the clinical picture of “vaginosis” can develop in which the natural bacteria of the vaginal flora (lactic acid-forming bacteria) are present in too small numbers and the pathogen “Trichomonas vaginalis” can multiply unhindered.
The cause of a burning of the genitals in men is similar to that of women. Infections in particular are the main cause of burning sensations in the penis during or after sexual intercourse. The responsible pathogens can be, for example, chlamydia, which can be asymptomatic in men, or gonococcus (corresponding disease: gonorrhea).
In case of a corresponding skin change, syphilis should be considered (so-called “hard chancre”). A common urinary tract infection can also be responsible for a burning sensation. In this case, any blood in the urine, lower abdominal pain and/or fever should also be considered.
Nevertheless, as in women, a herpes infection of the genitals can be accompanied by burning sensation. At the same time, itching, swollen inguinal lymph nodes and later pain with herpes blisters would occur. Last but not least, an inflammation of the glans can also be caused by a narrowing of the foreskin.
This would also be accompanied by pain during or after sexual intercourse and can easily be examined and diagnosed by the person affected. An infection with the fungus Candida albicans occurs less frequently in men than in women, but is also a cause worth mentioning. It can either be transmitted through sexual intercourse or be due to previous administration of antibiotics or cortisone.
Infections are, similarly to women, favoured by perfumed or aggressive soaps and shower gels. If these enter the urethra, they can irritate the sensitive mucous membrane. Such a sensitive reaction to fragrances can also be allergic.
This would then be called “contact eczema” and one would look out for the reddish, eczema-typical skin changes. Such an allergic reaction can also be caused by latex or other condom or lubricant components. Especially warming lubricating gels containing the substance capsaicin have a mild burning sensation as the desired effect and can lead to a hypersensitivity reaction.
This could also be interesting for you: Latex allergy
Inflammations of the glans (called “ballanitis”) are rarely triggered by medication. These inflammations are also accompanied by a burning sensation, but mainly by pain. The triggering drugs can be: Paracetamol Salicylate Phenolphthalerin The antibiotic group of the tetracyclines Other aggressive or rare sexual practices, such as objectophilia or the insertion of objects into the urethra, usually lead to trauma and irritation of the (mucous) skin.
Under the term balanitis symptomatica, various diseases can be summarized whose main complaints are burning and pain of the glans and can also be related to sexual intercourse: Psoriasis Lichen planus (psoriasis) Morbus Behcet Erythema exsudativum multiforme Balanitis diabetica (associated with diabetes mellitus, the “sugar disease”) Pemphigus vulgaris Scarring pemphiguid (the latter two are also associated with itchy blisters). Nevertheless, as in women, a herpes infection of the genitals can be accompanied by burning. At the same time, itching, swollen inguinal lymph nodes and later pain with herpes blisters would occur.
Last but not least, an inflammation of the glans can also be caused by a narrowing of the foreskin. This would also be accompanied by pain during or after sexual intercourse and can easily be examined and diagnosed by the person affected. An infection with the fungus Candida albicans occurs less frequently in men than in women, but is also a cause worth mentioning.
It can either be transmitted through sexual intercourse or be due to previous administration of antibiotics or cortisone. Infections are, similarly to women, favoured by perfumed or aggressive soaps and shower gels. If these enter the urethra, they can irritate the sensitive mucous membrane.
Such a sensitive reaction to fragrances can also be allergic. This would then be called “contact eczema” and one would look out for the reddish, eczema-typical skin changes. Such an allergic reaction can also be caused by latex or other condom or lubricant components.
Especially warming lubricating gels containing the substance capsaicin have a mild burning sensation as the desired effect and can lead to a hypersensitivity reaction. This could also be of interest to you: Latex allergy Rather rarely, inflammation of the glans (“ballanitis”) is triggered by medication. These inflammations are also accompanied by a burning sensation, but mainly by pain.
The triggering drugs can be: Other aggressive or rare sexual practices, such as objectophilia or the insertion of objects into the urethra, usually lead to trauma and irritation of the (mucous) skin. Under the term balanitis symptomatica, various diseases can be summarized whose main complaints are burning and pain of the glans and can also be related to sexual intercourse:
- Paracetamol
- Salicylates
- Phenolphthalerine
- The antibiotic group of the tetracyclines. – Psoriasis
- Lichen planus
- Behcet’s disease
- Erythema exsudativum multiforme
- Balanitis diabetica (associated with diabetes mellitus, the “sugar disease”)
- Pemphigus vulgaris
- Scarring pemphiguid (the latter two are also accompanied by itchy blisters).
All articles in this series:
