According to this study unveiled on the occasion of World Well-being Day, 79% of French women have already suffered from at least one form of intimate pain during their life. A massive prevalence which questions our relationship with the female body as much as the persistent gaps in information and access to care.
Frequent pain, but still largely invisible
Intimate pain is not a marginal phenomenon. However, it remains one of the blind spots in women’s health.
According to the Ifop survey carried out for Intimina, nearly eight out of ten French women say they have suffered at least once in their life from intimate pain, whether it occurs during sexual intercourse, a gynecological examination or the use of internal menstrual protection.
The finding is all the more striking as the frequency of painful sexual intercourse seems to have increased significantly over the decades. In 2026, 67% of women surveyed say they have already had this experience, compared to 48% in 1992. An increase of 19 points in thirty-four years.
In detail, 66% of respondents reported pain during sexual intercourse, 64% during gynecological examinations such as a smear or insertion of an IUD, and 55% during insertion of a tampon or menstrual cup.
Certain generations appear particularly affected. Women aged 50 to 59 years have the highest overall prevalence, with 86% reporting pain during their lifetime. Even more worrying, the youngest seem to face specific disorders very early on. Generation Z thus displays the highest rates of vaginismus and dyspareunia, two pathologies that can make penetration extremely painful, if not impossible.
Because behind these pains there are sometimes illnesses that are still poorly understood. The study reveals that 16% of women have already suffered from vulvar pain, 9% from vaginismus, 4% from dyspareunia and 2% from vulvodynia.
However, how can we seek help when we don’t even have the words to describe what we are experiencing? Only 58% of women know the term “vaginismus”. Only 19% know that of “vulvodynia” and 18% of “dyspareunia”. This lack of knowledge often constitutes the first barrier to diagnosis.
When pain becomes a silent norm
But perhaps the most troubling number in the study isn’t about the pain itself. It’s about what women do with it.
Among those who have already suffered during sexual intercourse, 61% say they have accepted vaginal penetration despite the pain felt. Eight percent say they have done it often, 28% sometimes and 25% rarely.
In other words, for a majority of women concerned, the suffering did not lead to interrupting the relationship.
This phenomenon crosses all generations, but reaches particularly high levels among women aged 30 to 39. It becomes even more marked among those currently suffering from vaginismus or vulvar pain: nearly nine out of ten say they have already accepted penetration despite the pain.
Why continue when the body sends a warning signal?
The survey provides the beginnings of an answer. More than half of French women, 57%, believe that there is social or cultural pressure pushing women to accept penetrative sex despite the pain. This perception is even stronger among younger generations.
This normalization of suffering is not without consequences. Among women affected by sexual pain, 58% have already avoided sexual intercourse for fear of suffering. More than one in two report a loss of sexual pleasure. Half evoke a decrease in desire. Nearly one in two women say they feel anxious about having sex.
The repercussions go far beyond the sexual sphere. Twenty-eight percent report a decrease in their self-esteem. Fifteen percent have already hesitated or given up on having children. Thirteen percent even say that intimate pain contributed to the end of a romantic relationship.
Behind these statistics appear journeys marked by the anticipation of pain, sometimes guilt, but also the need to reinvent one’s intimacy. Many people turn to other forms of sexuality: intercourse without penetration, oral-genital practices or the use of adapted sex toys.
A way to preserve the bond, the pleasure and the complicity when pain invades intimacy.
A word that is freed, but solutions that are still too little known
Despite the weight of the taboo, a change nevertheless seems to be beginning.
Nearly three-quarters of women who have suffered during sexual intercourse say they have told someone about it. The partner is the first point of contact, ahead of specialized health professionals.
This development is particularly visible among the younger generations. Generation Z women talk more about their pain to their partners than their elders, a sign of freer speech and better recognition of these difficulties.
Only 39% of affected women have already consulted a healthcare professional specifically for their vaginal pain. Even more worrying, 22% have already postponed or avoided a medical examination because of this pain.
There are many obstacles. Many hope that the problem will disappear spontaneously. Others still consider pain normal. Shame, embarrassment, fear of not being taken seriously or even the cost of consultations are all obstacles that keep women away from the healthcare system.
But talking doesn’t necessarily mean being neat
The study finally highlights a major information gap. One in two French women are unaware that there are therapeutic solutions to treat disorders such as vaginismus or dyspareunia. Perineal rehabilitation, sexological support, specialized physiotherapy or targeted therapies remain unknown to the general public.
This ignorance is particularly strong among less educated women, those living in rural areas or those who declare that they regularly accept penetration despite the pain.
Beyond the figures, this survey ultimately tells a collective story. That of a pain that has long been trivialized, sometimes minimized, often silenced. But also that of a word that begins to emerge and of a progressive awareness.
Naming pain, recognizing it and remembering that it is never inevitable are undoubtedly the first steps towards better care. Because although intimate suffering is common, it should never be considered normal.