{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,30]],"date-time":"2026-09-30T18:42:41Z","timestamp":1790793761341,"version":"4.1.0"},"reference-count":49,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"8","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2021,7,21]],"date-time":"2021-07-21T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1626825600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Medicina"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Headache associated with sexual activity (HAWSA) has accompanied humanity since ancient times. However, it is only since the 1970s that it has become the subject of more extensive and detailed scientific interest. The purpose of this review is to provide an overview of the development of the concept of HAWSA, its clinical presentation, etiopathogenesis, diagnosis and treatment especially from the research perspective of the last 20 years. Primary HAWSA is a benign condition, whose etiology is unknown; however, at the first occurrence of headache associated with sexual activity, it is necessary to exclude conditions that are usually immediately life-threatening. Migraine, hypnic headache or hemicrania continua have been reported to co-occur with HAWSA, but their common pathophysiologic basis is still unknown. Recent advances in the treatment of HAWSA include the introduction of topiramate, progesterone, and treatments such as greater occipital nerve injection, arterial embolization, and manual therapy. Whether these new therapeutic options will stand the test of time remains to be seen.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/medicina57080735","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2021,7,21]],"date-time":"2021-07-21T11:53:23Z","timestamp":1626868403000},"page":"735","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":13,"title":["Headache Associated with Sexual Activity\u2014A Narrative Review of Literature"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"57","author":[{"given":"Piotr","family":"\u015aci\u015blicki","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Student\u2019s Scientific Society, Department of Neurorehabilitation, Faculty of Medical Sciences in Katowice, Medical University of Silesia, Medyk\u00f3w 14, 40-752 Katowice, Poland"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Karolina","family":"Sztuba","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Student\u2019s Scientific Society, Department of Neurorehabilitation, Faculty of Medical Sciences in Katowice, Medical University of Silesia, Medyk\u00f3w 14, 40-752 Katowice, Poland"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-7480-5723","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Aleksandra","family":"Klimkowicz-Mrowiec","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Internal Medicine and Gerontology, Faculty of Medicine, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Jakubowskiego 2, 30-688 Krakow, Poland"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-5081-8343","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Agnieszka","family":"Gorzkowska","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Neurorehabilitation, Faculty of Medical Sciences in Katowice, Medical University of Silesia, Medyk\u00f3w 14, 40-752 Katowice, Poland"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2021,7,21]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"342","DOI":"10.1007\/BF03004787","article-title":"Headache during sexual intercourse (coital cephalalgia). 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