I want to have sex, but it feels like my vagina tightens every time and it hurts. Why is this? What can I do?

Vaginal tightness and pain during sex is common and can be caused by many things. First, make sure that you and your partner are both comfortable and relaxed, as stress can cause tightening or less pleasure. Also, foreplay or working on getting "turned on" more can cause your body to relax more during sex and decrease tightness. Using things like lube can also help with friction! Communication and comfort can be key to decreasing stress and increasing arousal to lessen vaginal tightness.

However, there are also medical reasons this may occur, such as vaginismus, or uncontrollable muscle spasms that may occur during sex or even when inserting a tampon. For this, you can talk to your doctor and there are therapies, such as pelvic floor therapy, that may help with this issue.