What in her vagina is scraping my penis?
January 10, 2010 4:57 PM Subscribe
Something in her vagina hurts my penis during intercourse; what might this be?
We started having sex a month ago. A week or 10 days ago during missionary intercourse, something inside of her hurt me when I'd thrust deeply. I'm fairly extensively sexually experienced and have never experienced this before.
I changed the angle slightly and the issue disappeared. I mentioned it to her afterward and she shrugged it off.
A few days later I was thrusting deeply inside of her (I'm about 6" but her legs were up so I was deeper than usual) and she made me stop because of some intense pain deep around her lower-right abdominal area. The pain lasted a good 30 minutes, then dissipated. We discussed possible medical causes, but didn't link the two occurrences.
Then last night, after extensive intercourse in missionary position, she switched to reverse cowgirl. It started out fine, but within a dozen or so strokes I felt a very sharp, scraping pain on the head of my penis. After another such contact, I immediately withdrew, and described my sensations (which quite killed the mood I can tell you!). Later I noticed two very evident, 1/4" long red scratches on my glans in an area corresponding to her lower-right abdomen (or rather upper-right vagina); I showed them to her and she said she'd consult her doctor immediately.
My question is: wtf could this be? She is current on her exams, the most recent being 6 or 9 months ago. She has a history of HPV and had some pre-cancerous stuff removed from around her cervix several years back. She has an IUD...could it possibly be that? I can't imagine I'm reaching her uterus.
She is going to the doctor this week I believe, but I'm curious if anyone can offer any insight into this odd set of circumstances. When I tried googling all I got were hits on females experiencing pain during intercourse.
We started having sex a month ago. A week or 10 days ago during missionary intercourse, something inside of her hurt me when I'd thrust deeply. I'm fairly extensively sexually experienced and have never experienced this before.
I changed the angle slightly and the issue disappeared. I mentioned it to her afterward and she shrugged it off.
A few days later I was thrusting deeply inside of her (I'm about 6" but her legs were up so I was deeper than usual) and she made me stop because of some intense pain deep around her lower-right abdominal area. The pain lasted a good 30 minutes, then dissipated. We discussed possible medical causes, but didn't link the two occurrences.
Then last night, after extensive intercourse in missionary position, she switched to reverse cowgirl. It started out fine, but within a dozen or so strokes I felt a very sharp, scraping pain on the head of my penis. After another such contact, I immediately withdrew, and described my sensations (which quite killed the mood I can tell you!). Later I noticed two very evident, 1/4" long red scratches on my glans in an area corresponding to her lower-right abdomen (or rather upper-right vagina); I showed them to her and she said she'd consult her doctor immediately.
My question is: wtf could this be? She is current on her exams, the most recent being 6 or 9 months ago. She has a history of HPV and had some pre-cancerous stuff removed from around her cervix several years back. She has an IUD...could it possibly be that? I can't imagine I'm reaching her uterus.
She is going to the doctor this week I believe, but I'm curious if anyone can offer any insight into this odd set of circumstances. When I tried googling all I got were hits on females experiencing pain during intercourse.
When I saw the question the first thing I was going to ask was "Does she have an IUD?" It's most likely the strings. As PhoB says, they should soften up over time.
posted by Lobster Garden at 5:02 PM on January 10, 2010
posted by Lobster Garden at 5:02 PM on January 10, 2010
Seconding the IUD. In addition to the above advice, you can just steer clear of positions where you are making contact with her cervix.
posted by kimdog at 5:03 PM on January 10, 2010
posted by kimdog at 5:03 PM on January 10, 2010
And, just for informational purposes here a picture, which I guess isn't safe for work if your coworkers are good at discerning what body parts are what, of cervix with IUD strings peeking out so you can get some idea as to why they'd poke you.
posted by PhoBWanKenobi at 5:04 PM on January 10, 2010
posted by PhoBWanKenobi at 5:04 PM on January 10, 2010
(A pan poked? I meant a man poked, of course.)
posted by PhoBWanKenobi at 5:06 PM on January 10, 2010
posted by PhoBWanKenobi at 5:06 PM on January 10, 2010
'Strings' is a misnomer. They are more like little wire bristles from hell. If she's having pains too she should ask the obgyn to feel for ovarian cysts. I had an IUD for only 2 months and developed a large cyst, which went away after I got rid of the IUD. (Never had one before or since.) I know some women love them, but for me it was The Worst Evar ©.
posted by wowbobwow at 5:14 PM on January 10, 2010
posted by wowbobwow at 5:14 PM on January 10, 2010
I've had an IUD. I read literally the 'above the fold' intro to your question and thought "If it is a sharp/scraping pain it is the string from the IUD". Yes, the string is plastic, more like thick fishing line then string.
When I got mine, Gyn said she was leaving the string long for 3 months (time when the IUD is most likely to come out, though it is a small chance of doing so), but could thereafter trim the string. The string is left in both for the ultimate removal of the IUD, and also because the user is supposed to check every so often that it is still in there.
I think her pain is probably completely unrelated, and I could not begin to suggest what the cause might be.
posted by bunnycup at 5:41 PM on January 10, 2010
When I got mine, Gyn said she was leaving the string long for 3 months (time when the IUD is most likely to come out, though it is a small chance of doing so), but could thereafter trim the string. The string is left in both for the ultimate removal of the IUD, and also because the user is supposed to check every so often that it is still in there.
I think her pain is probably completely unrelated, and I could not begin to suggest what the cause might be.
posted by bunnycup at 5:41 PM on January 10, 2010
(By 'her pain is unrelated' I just mean that it is not caused by her IUD string. It certainly could be caused by her IUD, there are a lot of different reasons women might feel pain during intercourse.)
posted by bunnycup at 5:42 PM on January 10, 2010
posted by bunnycup at 5:42 PM on January 10, 2010
By 'her pain is unrelated' I just mean that it is not caused by her IUD string.
Actually, if you're bumping up against the strings you're probably jiggling the IUD, and that can hurt a lot - crampy hurt, which sounds pretty accurate.
Her doctor can likely either trim the strings a bit, or tuck them away; in the meantime, avoid anything too deep and you should be fine.
posted by you're a kitty! at 5:55 PM on January 10, 2010
Actually, if you're bumping up against the strings you're probably jiggling the IUD, and that can hurt a lot - crampy hurt, which sounds pretty accurate.
Her doctor can likely either trim the strings a bit, or tuck them away; in the meantime, avoid anything too deep and you should be fine.
posted by you're a kitty! at 5:55 PM on January 10, 2010
Yep, IUD was gonna be my guess.
posted by limeonaire at 5:56 PM on January 10, 2010
posted by limeonaire at 5:56 PM on January 10, 2010
I knew you were talking about an IUD before I read the part at the bottom too. My ex used to refer to my strings as "fork tines."
For what it's worth, mine do seem to have softened up over time - my new partner claims never to have felt them at all, and I know they're still there.
posted by streetdreams at 6:12 PM on January 10, 2010
For what it's worth, mine do seem to have softened up over time - my new partner claims never to have felt them at all, and I know they're still there.
posted by streetdreams at 6:12 PM on January 10, 2010
My ex used to refer to my strings as "fork tines."
See, I knew I was famous for something.
In case one more vote helps, my guess was IUD strings, too.
posted by Forktine at 6:23 PM on January 10, 2010 [7 favorites]
See, I knew I was famous for something.
In case one more vote helps, my guess was IUD strings, too.
posted by Forktine at 6:23 PM on January 10, 2010 [7 favorites]
Vagina dentata?
Ok...kidding, obvs. Nthing IUD "strings," wires, forktines, what-have-yous. A good friend of mine also experienced this with her (male) partner.
posted by pecanpies at 6:42 PM on January 10, 2010 [2 favorites]
Ok...kidding, obvs. Nthing IUD "strings," wires, forktines, what-have-yous. A good friend of mine also experienced this with her (male) partner.
posted by pecanpies at 6:42 PM on January 10, 2010 [2 favorites]
The IUD also may be protruding. If I were her, I'd go to the ob/gyn to check that it's still in there correctly.
posted by cecic at 6:50 PM on January 10, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by cecic at 6:50 PM on January 10, 2010 [1 favorite]
Not that you need another person saying the same thing, but IUD was my first thought even before I clicked on the "more inside."
posted by katemcd at 6:55 PM on January 10, 2010
posted by katemcd at 6:55 PM on January 10, 2010
And if you're hitting the strings, you might be tweaking/nudging the IUD itself, which can cramp and hurt.
posted by barnone at 7:11 PM on January 10, 2010
posted by barnone at 7:11 PM on January 10, 2010
I thought it was an IUD thing before I clicked, too, like everyone else.
The fact that she had no idea this could happen is pretty sad. As my doctor was installing the thing in me, she told me it was likely to happen. Her doctor ought to have told her, as well.
posted by Coatlicue at 7:19 PM on January 10, 2010
The fact that she had no idea this could happen is pretty sad. As my doctor was installing the thing in me, she told me it was likely to happen. Her doctor ought to have told her, as well.
posted by Coatlicue at 7:19 PM on January 10, 2010
As soon as I started reading your question, I knew that's what it was. I had one also and it was definitely a mood killer for both of us. Your lady should discuss making this form of birth control more comfortable for both of you, and/or alternative methods that will work for both of you.
posted by Lynsey at 8:40 PM on January 10, 2010
posted by Lynsey at 8:40 PM on January 10, 2010
It's almost certainly her IUD. She needs to go to her gyn to get it inspected and the strings trimmed. She ought to be checking the strings occasionally to make sure the IUD's not squirming around when it shouldn't be.
posted by lilac girl at 9:09 PM on January 10, 2010
posted by lilac girl at 9:09 PM on January 10, 2010
Woah. I don't mean to alarm you, but if you're both feeling pain, the IUD may have slipped. What you are feeling might not be the strings; it might be the plastic end of the IUD, protruding from your her cervix.
Your girlfriend needs to get her IUD checked by a professional, right away. A slipped IUD won't protect her from pregnancy, and worse, if the IUD is sitting at the wrong angle, it could puncture her uterus or the damage surrounding tissue.
Please, stop with the sexing for now and take your girlfriend to a doctor.
posted by embrangled at 9:16 PM on January 10, 2010 [3 favorites]
Your girlfriend needs to get her IUD checked by a professional, right away. A slipped IUD won't protect her from pregnancy, and worse, if the IUD is sitting at the wrong angle, it could puncture her uterus or the damage surrounding tissue.
Please, stop with the sexing for now and take your girlfriend to a doctor.
posted by embrangled at 9:16 PM on January 10, 2010 [3 favorites]
posted by embrangled at 9:18 PM on January 10, 2010
This thread is closed to new comments.
It's probably this. An IUD usually has strings that protrude out of the cervix into the vaginal canal. It's a pretty well-known IUD side effect to have a pan poked in the penis by these strings. They're supposed to eventually soften, or curl up around the cervix, but your lady friend can also have the strings trimmed if she wants (although there are some reasons to keep them long, like checking if the IUD is in the right place). I've also heard of men reaching up there and repositioning the strings before sex.
posted by PhoBWanKenobi at 5:01 PM on January 10, 2010 [2 favorites]