A non-scented mineral or vegetable oil serves as a very good lubricant. Also, bioadhesive vaginal lubricants can be used on the vulvar area. Women who have vaginal intercourse in spite of feeling a fair amount of vulvar pain are much more likely to develop involuntary vaginal muscle contracture called vaginismus. They may also develop loss of sexual desire because of the fear of pain with intercourse. This is especially true after the menopause when more natural dryness takes place.
Painful intercourse leads to fear of intercourse and a decreased sexual desire.
If the vulvar pain is a chronic long standing problem, a woman and her partner will need to discuss non-intercourse methods of sexual satisfaction. Be sure to discuss these with the doctor. Sometimes the vulvar skin becomes very thin and thus more susceptible to any sort of irritation or inflammation. This is much more common after the menopause or in any hypoestrogenic states. The skin just outside they hymeneal ring at the entrance to the vagina is usually not very sensitive to estrogen treatment.