The treatment for dyspareunia depends very much on the underlying cause, and can include anything from a simple change of soap to surgery. Problems with vaginal lubrication can be helped by the use of personal lubricants, hormone therapy for menopausal women, or simply by increasing arousal. UTIs, infections of the reproductive tract, and infections of the surrounding tissue can usually be treated fairly easily, with a course of antibiotics, or antifungal medications. Recurrence of such infections can be prevented by having protected sex to reduce the change of STD infection, and keeping the vaginal area clean and free of irritating chemicals or synthetic materials that can increase the change of microorganism growth. Severe cases of endometriosis may require surgery, as can a tipped or retroverted uterus, but discomfort can often be decreased by avoiding deep penetration or experimenting with different positions during intercourse. Overgrowth of scar tissue can be dangerous, and may require surgery to prevent other, more severe medical conditions. Life-threatening conditions such as cancer of the reproductive tract require immediate, intensive treatment, even if there is no dyspareunia involved.
If no physiological cause can be found, and dyspareunia seems to have an emotional root, counseling may be necessary to reduce or eliminate symptoms, especially if the patient has avoided seeking treatment for a long period of time, which can increase the surrounding anxiety as patients begin to associate all sex with pain and discomfort.
