This pressure is felt by 57% of the women surveyed. It is particularly strong among the youngest. For women suffering from vaginismus or vulvar pain, the phenomenon is even more marked, revealing how pain can settle into a circle that is difficult to break.
“We accept because we feel that we must accept”
Pain is therefore not always enough to make you give up sexual intercourse. Among women who have already experienced painful intercourse, 61% say they have accepted penetration despite the pain: 8% often, 28% sometimes and 25% rarely.
The phenomenon concerns all generations, with 63% of Generation Z women, 65% of Millennials, 62% of Generation X and 57% of Baby Boomers.
Social or cultural pressure plays an important role. In total, 57% of the women surveyed believe that there is pressure pushing them to accept penetration despite their pain. This proportion reaches 65% among Generation Z women and 64% among millennials.
And the more the pain is present, the more this pressure seems to weigh. Among women currently suffering from vaginismus, 89% say they have already accepted penetration despite the pain. The same rate is observed in those who suffer from vulvar pain. Among those who experienced pain during their last sexual intercourse, the proportion reached 90%.
For Laure Senemaud Carriquiry, sexologist, this situation refers to a deeply anchored sexual norm: “The essential problem revealed by its figures is the very notion of sexual relations and norms. Indeed, today, and always, “sexual intercourse” implies systematic vaginal penetration for the majority of men and women..
A sexuality still too often thought around penetration
This vision can lead some women to consider penetration as an essential step in sexual intercourse, even if it means putting their own pain second.
“Moreover, we still call “foreplay” what we should call non-penetrative sexual relations in order to escape the penetrative-centered vision of sexuality. If we changed the paradigm by broadening the notion of sexual relations to everything concerning sexual intimacy, penetration would no longer be seen as the obligatory climax!”estimates Laure Senemaud Carriquiry.
The survey concretely shows the price of this situation. Among the women affected by pain, 56% say they have lost sexual pleasure and 50% have lost desire or libido. Nearly one in two, 46%, also feel anxious about having sex. This proportion rises to 83% among women suffering from vaginismus.
Some also end up avoiding sexual intercourse: this is the case for 58% of women affected by pain, and 87% of those suffering from vaginismus. For 13%, pain even contributed to the end of a romantic relationship.
When pain becomes a circle that’s hard to break
Pain during penetration is not always the initial problem, however. It can also be the consequence of a lack of desire, apprehension or difficulty expressing what we feel.
“The societal norm around sexuality puts real pressure on women to accept penetrative sexual relations even when they don’t want to… the reasons often mentioned in consultation are the fear of being left or being cheated on.explains the sexologist.
She adds: “Many women talk about sexual desire but not always desire for penetration and feel out of step with their partner..
This situation can have physical consequences. “Lack of desire leads to disorders of the physiological sexual response, notably insufficient lubrication leading to pain during penetration, often at the entrance to the vagina called superficial dyspareunia.she specifies.
When the pain is repeated, it can in turn promote the onset of long-lasting sexual disorders, notably vaginismus.
Learn to listen to your body again
The Ifop survey for INTIMINA was carried out online from April 30 to May 4, 2026 among 1,020 women representative of the French female population aged 18 and over, using the quota method.
His results don’t just tell a story of pain. They also show how difficult it can be for some women to consider their own feelings as a legitimate limit.
For Laure Senemaud Carriquiry, it is therefore essential to give women an active place in their sexuality again: “It is essential that women know their anatomy and can explore the sexuality that suits them in full awareness while having the ability to communicate effectively with their partners.
And she concludes: “Becoming an actress of one’s sexuality allows one to define its contours and framework in order to flourish fully and painlessly!”