It’s practically human nature to have sexual urges. However, when one gets too excited, it can cause injuries during sex. Even though films tend to glorify or romanticize injuries acquired from sex, throwing out your back or getting next-day abdominal cramps from taking in a penis that’s too big can — and should — be avoided. Because not only is it embarrassing to explain how you got injured to the ER doctors, it’s also definitely not great to be in pain!

Read on to see if you ever had these injuries before and how you can avoid them the next time.

7 Commonly-Acquired Injuries During Sex

1. Back Pain

Sex involves a bunch of thrusting — and nobody’s taught how to do it because it’s naturally known and done! However, when thrusting is improperly done, a person can injure their back during sex. Whether it’s a muscle strain or a herniated disc, back injuries can be prevented if you and your partner do it in more comfortable positions — and less adventurous ones. Moreover, you can also take it slow and thrust in a less aggressive manner.

2. Vaginal or Anal Tearing

Insertion is one of the highlights of sex. But if a person gets too excited to stick a penis or object inside the vagina or anus, it can tear the flesh inside — and it can sometimes even cause bleeding. Furthermore, when a toy or penis is too big for the person on the receiving end, similar injuries can also happen. Fortunately, there’s a simple solution for this — lube! But even if you or your partner is properly lubricated, anal or vaginal tears can still happen when the insertion or thrusting is too sudden. To prevent this, again, take it slow!

3. Urinary Tract Infection

UTIs can be a bothersome and painful bacterial infection to deal with. Even if there are cranberry juices and prescription medicine for this, it’s still best to avoid getting a Urinary Tract Infection — especially from sex (as it can be transmitted to your partner). Typically, sex-caused UTIs are from the bacteria that are present in a person’s skin — like their fingers or the sex toys they insert. Additionally, your partner’s mouth or tongue also has germs in them. To prevent a Urinary Tract Infection, you should pee after sex to flush out the bacteria! — yep, this is not a myth! In addition to that, you can also take a shower after sex to lessen the chances of getting the infection.

4. Sexually-Transmitted Diseases

One of the most dreaded problems that a person may face from having sex is acquiring a Sexually Transmitted Disease (such as herpes, chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, HIV, or AIDS)  — this is even riskier if a person often engages in casual sex. If this seems like a dilemma that you’re at risk of suffering from, you can simply use protection by wearing a condom.

5. Stuck Foreign Objects

Some people enjoy inserting sex toys or phallic objects in their vaginas or anus to stimulate them. While this is typically done to enhance their sexual pleasure, sometimes, however, these objects get stuck inside the orifices — and it usually requires a visit to the emergency room to have it pulled out. If this is the case, don’t let embarrassment hinder you from going to the hospital.

The National Center for Biotechnology Information published a journal last 2021, and it says that there have been a total of 3,500 reported cases of people visiting the ER for stuck foreign objects in the anus in the last 9 years. But to avoid the inconvenience of having to see a doctor because of this, you can use sex toys that have a wide base — so it won’t accidentally get lodged up the anus.

6. Peyronie’s Disease

Ouch! Peyronie’s disease stems from moderate injuries to the penis and typically results in a curved or bent dick and, sometimes, painful erections. The condition can be caused by sports injuries to the nether regions, but also by bumping into your partner’s pubic bone during sex, for example. To add insult to injury, standard treatment for Peyronie’s disease involves penile traction therapy, steroid injections in the dick and, if all else fails, surgery. So take it easy out there!

7. Heart Attack

Sex shouldn’t kill anyone. Unfortunately, it sometimes happens — as some people die from a heart attack during sex. Though having sex is healthy — as it’s a form of cardio exercise — when your heart isn’t at its peak conditioning, you can be at risk of having a heart attack during sex.

Heart attacks, thankfully, aren’t always fatal. But to make sure you won’t get one while (or after) having sex, you should regularly visit your doctor to make sure that you don’t have health problems you might be suffering from. If you have symptoms that you and your physician should be concerned about, you should let them know right away.

In a Nutshell,

Having sex is one of the most pleasurable feelings that a human being can experience. But when it gets too intense, a person can obtain injuries during sex — ranging from mild to life-threatening; pain, of course, is a sensation that you can do without — especially while having sex. Fortunately, there are easy ways to prevent these sex-related injuries. As long as you take it slow and you’re mindful of your body (by being aware of the symptoms you might have), you can enjoy sex the way you and your partner deserve to.