The male sexual pain syndromes

Abstract

Pain provoked by sexual intercourse in men is a well-recognized symptom that has received surprisingly little attention in the medical literature and has rarely been the subject of systematic study. Sexual pain disorders have generally been considered in the context of the sexual dysfunctions, and in men have received much less attention than in women. Reports of male sexual pain lack use of a uniform definition for the condition. Sexual pain, especially ejaculatory pain, is a common feature of chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CPPS). However, a range of physical and medical causes for sexual pain in men has been reported, usually in the form of isolated clinical reports. Our understanding of the aetiology and pathogenesis of male sexual pain is very limited, and systematic evaluations of treatment approaches are lacking.