Headache is not a myth. Sexologist explains popular excuse
7:19 AM EDT, October 16, 2023
Headache in women is associated by some with a popular strategy to avoid sex. It is so effective because it is impossible to check. However, Zbigniew Lew-Starowicz appeals not to draw hasty conclusions. "What if it really hurts?"
Many men complain that they hear the words "my head hurts" too often from women who are not in the mood for intimacy. Although they consider it an excuse, it turns out that it doesn't have to be that way. A sexologist explains that there is something like a headache associated with sexual contact.
Headache from sex
What is a headache from sex? It turns out that for some, intercourse is associated with great suffering.
"Patients describe this pain as throbbing, stabbing, or diffuse. The pain attack lasts on average up to 30 minutes, but can persist for up to 24 hours," explains Zbigniew Lew-Starowic in "Wprost".
"The pain usually begins as sexual arousal increases and suddenly intensifies at the moment of orgasm," explains the sexologist.
From the data published in the III International Headache Qualification, it appears that the problem affects up to 1.5 percent of the population.
Causes of headache during intercourse
What is the cause of the problem? In most of the participants, cerebral vasoconstriction and their impaired autoregulation were diagnosed.
The cause of a headache can also be due to migraine, epilepsy, or circulatory disorders in the brain. When these are ruled out, we speak of a so-called specific pain that occurs during intercourse.
To alleviate pain, the doctor may prescribe medications recommended to be taken before sex. Supporting psychotherapy also helps.
It's worth noting, however, that the issue is rather rare - it affects up to 1.5 percent of the population and occurs three times more often in men, primarily between the ages of 30 to 40.
Let's remember that any woman who does not feel like having intercourse on a given day has the full right to tell her partner about it and should not feel guilty for it. The same applies to men as well.