The painful reason women don't want to have sex that no one is talking about

There's a problem affecting women's sex lives but no one seems to talk about it.

A growing number of women are reportedly undergoing physiotherapy to cure stress-related muscle pain in their pelvis, according to the Daily Mail.

The pressures of modern life – working long hours in demanding jobs, caring for children and ageing parents – are reportedly taking their toll on women, and this is one of the physical results.

When stressed, instead of tensing back and neck muscles, women can store anxiety in the muscles of their pelvis. The muscles then become knotted and the pain “can be just as agonising as a stress-induced migraine or bad back,” the article claims.

The problem can take a toll on people’s sex lives, according to women’s health physiotherapist, Katie Mann, who told the Mail:

Tension can get to any muscle. Some women carry it in their neck and shoulders. Others will get migraines or irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Some will find it affecting their pelvic floors.

Foor many, the physiotherapy saves relationships. It’s not just that making love goes out of the window — intimacy does, too, because women become afraid of having a cuddle in case it’s expected that sex will follow.

The National Centre for Pelvic Pain research states on its website:

We know that when you have pelvic pain symptoms, you usually live with some level of anxiety and/or depression.

Our recent study at Stanford shows a greater early morning rise in salivary cortisol in pelvic pain patients as opposed to normal, non-symptomatic control subjects.

These findings which suggest heightened anxiety in individuals who suffer from pelvic pain syndromes.

If you're worried about any aspect of your health, it's always worth talking to your local GP.

More: These are the most appealing sexual behaviours