KEY FIGURES
A) A HIGH PREVALENCE OF PAIN, WITH REPORTED CASES ON THE RISE OVER THE PAST THIRTY YEARS
1 – 67% of French women between the ages of 18 and 69 reported having experienced painful sexual intercourse in 2026, compared to 48% in 1992 (ACSF survey by ANRS/INED), representing a 19-point increase over thirty years. 37% report experiencing it regularly.
2 – The pain is not limited to sexual intercourse: 64% of French women report having experienced pain or discomfort during a gynecological exam (Pap smear, IUD insertion, etc.) and 55% during the insertion of a tampon or menstrual cup.
3 – Beyond occasional pain, a significant proportion of French women have already been diagnosed with a condition: 16% report having suffered from vulvar pain at some point in their lives, 9% from vaginismus, 4% from dyspareunia, and 2% from vulvodynia.
B) “CONSENTING” DESPITE THE PAIN: A NORM THAT THE #METOO ERA HAS NOT YET BROKEN
4 – 61% of women who experience painful intercourse have already agreed to vaginal penetration despite the pain, including 8% who do so “often.”
5 – 57% of French women perceive social pressure pushing women to accept painful intercourse. This proportion rises to 65% among Gen Z and 64% among Millennials.
6 – 31% of women who have experienced painful intercourse have never discussed it with their partner —a proportion that reaches 45% among Baby Boomers. And among those who did confide in their partner, 18% report that their partner was not always understanding—a figure that rises to 30% among Gen Z.
C) FROM AVOIDANCE TO REINVENTING SEXUAL PRACTICES: SERIOUS CONSEQUENCES FOR AFFECTED WOMEN
7 – The consequences for sexual life are severe for women affected by this pain: 58% report avoiding intercourse, 56% mention a loss of pleasure, and 50% report a loss of libido.
8 – The consequences extend beyond sexual life: nearly one-third (28%) of French women report that their self-esteem has declined, 15% are hesitant or no longer wish to have children, and 13% say this has already led to a breakup.
9 – In the face of pain, sexual practices are diversifying: 41% of affected women have already had sex without vaginal penetration —a proportion that rises to 55% among Gen Z, compared to 35% among Gen X and Baby Boomers.
D) BETWEEN SHAME, IGNORANCE, AND MISTRUST: A MASSIVE AVOIDANCE OF HEALTHCARE
10 – Only 39% of women who have experienced pain during sexual intercourse have consulted a healthcare professional about it.
11 – 53% of those who did not consult a healthcare professional believed their pain would go away, while 36% considered the pain normal and 22% cited shame—a proportion that rises to 35% among Gen Z and 36% among Millennials.
12 – One in two French women (50%) is unaware of the existence of pelvic floor rehabilitation or specialized therapies to treat vaginismus and dyspareunia—a proportion that rises to 63% among women who often tolerate painful intercourse.
Ifop’s take on the study:
This survey delivers a stark diagnosis: female sexual pain remains an invisible public health issue that is inadequately addressed. The 19-point increase in prevalence since 1992 cannot be explained by a physiological worsening of the condition, but rather by women’s greater willingness to recognize and name their pain—which is, in itself, a step forward.
But this progress remains largely unaddressed: it is hampered by three gaps that reinforce one another.
First, an informational gap: while experiencing pain certainly raises awareness of the terms (vaginismus, dyspareunia), it does not increase awareness of the remedies—women who have suffered from these conditions are no better informed about treatment options (51%) than those who have never suffered from them (49%).
Next, a relational gap: paradoxically, it is the younger generations—who speak most openly with their partners—who most often encounter a lack of full understanding, raising questions about how men respond to women’s accounts of pain.
Finally, an institutional disconnect: therapeutic tools exist (perineal rehabilitation, specialized therapies), but the information and care chain does not reach those most directly affected.
The real challenge for the coming years, therefore, lies less in encouraging women to speak out—they already do, at least among the younger generations—than in creating the conditions for their voices to be heard: within the medical community, within the intimacy of the couple, and as part of a public health policy that still struggles to recognize that female sexual pain is neither a biological inevitability nor a symbolic price to be paid for an intimate life.
Mathilde Tchounikine, group leader of the Gender, Sexualities, and Sexual Health division at Ifop
