Still, that’s small consolation when it feels like your breasts are on fire, and nerve endings are only part of the story. There are two common reasons why nipples or your breasts in general feel sore after sex: changing hormone levels and friction during sex itself.
Throughout your menstrual cycle, hormones like estrogen and progesterone do a delicate dance of rising and falling to help trigger your ovaries to release an egg in the ovulation process. Then, if you’re not pregnant, your hormones go to work again, telling your body to shed the lining of your uterus about two weeks later, as part of your menstrual cycle. Those fluctuating hormones can also impact nipple and breast soreness. This is called cyclical breast pain, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine.
For example, some people find that their nipples feel especially sore in the two-ish weeks between ovulation and their period—you may even think of it as a sign of premenstrual syndrome (PMS) and a tip-off that your period is coming soon. Some studies show that the dropping levels of progesterone compared with estrogen in this part of the cycle is to blame for increased breast pain, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine, while others suggest that a hormone called prolactin may contribute to the issue.
Either way, rest assured that cyclic breast or nipple pain is normal and not dangerous, says. Dr. Fine.
Aside from hormonal causes, nipple pain after sex also may be related to irritation. Did your romantic interlude include a lot of foreplay? Any sort of nipple friction (from pulling, sucking, or biting) can irritate the sensitive nipple skin, causing pain afterward, says Dr. Fine. (Ask your partner to be gentler in the future to avoid the burn afterward!) Friction might also be caused by your skin rubbing against sheets or other fabric, leading to nipple pain.
While not every woman will experience nipple pain or breast soreness after sex, for those who do, it’s almost always benign. What
In fact, for many women, simply feeling sexually aroused can lead to natural changes in your nipples, which may be contributing to sensations you notice after sex. “With sex, typically with orgasm specifically, oxytocin is released, and then it can cause contraction of the ducts, which can cause some nipple changes” or even discomfort, explains Dr. Forgach. Translation: Totally normal.
If your nipples are burning or feeling tender after sex (or any other time) there are simple steps you can take to get some relief:
Other reasons to seek medical attention for nipple pain: redness that doesn’t go away, skin changes, a persistent mass you can feel within the breast, or nipple discharge from the same single duct—particularly if it is bloody, says Dr. Fine.
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