A study released in last month’s Journal of Sexual Medicine found that 30% of women experience pain during their most recent experience of vaginal intercourse.

30%! That number is staggering!

The study also found that very few women tell their partners when they’re in pain. Most women grit their teeth and keep going, causing themselves to endure even more pain.

Sexual pain can be frustrating to deal with. No one wants to admit to being uncomfortable during such an intimate act. A lot of women unfairly pressure themselves into believing that acknowledging their pain would be acknowledging that something is wrong with them, with their partner, or with their sex life. And a frightening number of women think that pain and sex simply go hand in hand.

The saddest part of all of this is that many cases of sexual pain can be resolved with the use of lube, by taking a break, or by changing positions. No big deal!

Of course there are some cases of pain that are more complex, but there are so many resources available these days, including sex therapy, pelvic floor therapy, and other forms of physical therapy.

I don’t want to diminish how difficult it can feel to seek help for sexual pain, but I would also encourage women to recognize that pain is your body’s way of crying out for help and asking for your attention. You may feel embarrassed, afraid, frustrated, worried, or hopeless, but your body needs you to take care of yourself.