Several causes can explain pain related to sexual intercourse: hypersensitivity of nerve cells, hypertonicity of the pelvic floor muscles (too tight), a stiff episiotomy scar, a related medical condition such as fibromyalgia, etc.
The pain often takes the form of a burning or razor-sharp sensation and can occur upon penetration, during and after sex.
Several diagnoses are associated with this pain:
Dyspareunia: the medical term for pain during sexual intercourse.
Vestibulodynia (formerly called vestibulitis): pain at the entrance of the vagina (the vestibule).
Vulvodynia: pain in the vulva.
Pudendal neuralgia: pain in the pelvic region along the course of the pudendal nerve, on one or both sides.