Why Do I Have Painful Orgasms?

Q: After I have an orgasm, my clitoris is very sensitive. It actually causes me pain. It hurts so much that I just want to stop and not do anything. This problem is not only uncomfortable, it also makes it very difficult to have multiple orgasms. Is my condition normal?

— Susan

A: Susan, what you are describing is completely normal for many women. The orgasm creates kind of a hypersensitivity on the clitoris—the nerves are screaming—and this can be painful for many women. To help you achieve multiple orgasms, I suggest that after your first orgasm, you move to other kinds of stimulation—kissing, breast fondling, cuddling—but no more direct clitoral stimulation. Then, after a few minutes, you can go back to indirect clitoral stimulation, and once you start moving through the arousal process again, you will be into the direct stimulation, and you can have an orgasm again.

— Dr. Laura Berman