Half of women put up with discomfort during sex, survey says

It also revealed that a third of women are not ‘completely satisfied’ by their sexual experiences

(PeopleImages/iStock)

Have you ever felt a bit of discomfort during sex? You’re not alone. A new survey has found that nearly half of women are putting up with sexual discomfort - because they don’t know what is ‘normal’.

The poll of 2,000 women, found one in six (16 per cent) admitted to suffering discomfort “often” or “all the time”

As a result, a third of the respondents of the Durex survey said that they are not “completely satisfied” with their sexual experiences.

Vaginal dryness was the biggest culprit for the discomfort (46 per cent), followed by not being aroused (44 per cent) and 13 per cent of women said they have struggled because the condom “wasn’t lubricated enough”.

Nearly a fifth (18 per cent) didn’t know that vaginal dryness is a natural part of a woman’s monthly cycle, and three in five said they wished it was more acceptable to discuss sex openly - 72 per cent of respondents think there’s a taboo around sex and female sexual satisfaction.

The survey revealed that 76 per cent of women feel sex education at school did not teach them enough about what to expect during sex and what female sexual satisfaction entails.

And three in 10 women weren’t even taught about the female anatomy.

A spokesperson for Durex said: “Knowing your body and what is and isn’t normal for it is a key part of being able to enjoy sex.

“Many women are having less than satisfying sex experiences because they are unaware of why they might experience discomfort, don’t feel confident in knowing what to do about it and therefore, put up with it.

“Much of the discussions around satisfaction and pleasure can be male-centric, so it makes women feel less confident in asking important questions so they can find the solutions right for them.”

Additional reporting by SWNS.