Dyspareunia can occur for reasons that range from structural problems to psychological concerns. Many women have painful intercourse at some point in their lives.

medical term for painful intercourse is dyspareunia (dis-puh-ROO-nee-uh), defined as persistent or recurrent genital pain that occurs just before, during or after intercourse.Treatments focus on the cause, and can help eliminate or lessen this common problem.

If you have painful intercourse, you might feel:

• Pain only at sexual entry (penetration)
• Pain with every penetration, including putting in a tampon
• Deep pain during thrusting
• Burning pain or aching pain
• Throbbing pain, lasting hours after intercourse

CAUSES OF DYSPAREUNIA 

Physical causes of painful intercourse differ, depending on whether the pain occurs at entry or with deep thrusting. Emotional factors might be associated with many types of painful intercourse.

Entry pain

Pain during penetration might be associated with a range of factors, including:

• Not enough lubrication. This is often the result of not enough foreplay. A drop in estrogen levels after menopause or childbirth or during breast-feeding also can be a cause.

  Certain medications are known to affect sexual desire or arousal, which can decrease lubrication and make sex painful. These include antidepressants, high blood pressure medications, sedatives, antihistamines and certain birth control pills.

• Injury, trauma or irritation. This includes injury or irritation from an accident, pelvic surgery, female circumcision or a cut made during childbirth to enlarge the birth canal (episiotomy).
• • Inflammation, infection or skin disorder. An infection in genital area or urinary tract can cause painful intercourse. Eczema or other skin problems in genital area also can be the problem.
  • Vaginismus. These involuntary spasms of the muscles of the vaginal wall can make penetration painful.
  • Congenital abnormality. A problem present at birth, such as the absence of a fully formed vagina (vaginal agenesis) or development of a membrane that blocks the vaginal opening (imperforate hymen), could cause dyspareunia.

  Deep pain

  Deep pain usually occurs with deep penetration. It might be worse in certain positions. Causes include:

  • Certain illness and conditions. The list includes endometriosis, pelvic inflammatory disease, uterine prolapse, retroverted uterus, uterine fibroids, cystitis, irritable bowel syndrome, pelvic floor dysfunction, adenomyosis, hemorrhoids and ovarian cysts.
  • Surgeries or medical treatments. Scarring from pelvic surgery, including hysterectomy, can cause painful intercourse. Medical treatments for cancer, such as radiation and chemotherapy, can cause changes that make sex painful.

  Emotional factors

  Emotions are deeply intertwined with sexual activity, so they might play a role in sexual pain. Emotional factors include:

  • Psychological issues. Anxiety, depression, concerns about physical appearance, fear of intimacy or relationship problems can contribute to a low level of arousal and a resulting discomfort or pain.
  • Stress.Pelvic floor muscles tend to tighten in response to stress life. This can contribute to pain during intercourse.
  • History of sexual abuse. Not everyone with dyspareunia has a history of sexual abuse, but if one have been abused, it can play a role.

  It can be difficult to tell whether emotional factors are associated with dyspareunia. Initial pain can lead to fear of recurring pain, making it difficult to relax, which can lead to more pain. One might start avoiding sexual intercourse if they associate it with the pain.

HOMEOPATHIC MEDICINE OF DYSPAREUNIA 

1. Platina : Very useful for painful intercourse from a sensitive vagina. There is sensitive, tender vagina and cannot bear to touch it. Useful when there is faintness during coition. In many cases, there may be vaginismus that makes intercourse impossible.Useful for pains of drawing nature which may appear in the ovaries and uterus after intercourse that tend to last for several hours altogether.

2. Argentum Nitricum 

Useful for dyspareunia when painful intercourse is followed by vaginal bleeding. There may be a complaint of vaginal discharge with cervical erosions in females needing this medicine. There is profuse, yellow, corroding vaginal discharge.  There may be bloodstained too. There may be many phobias and anxieties in females 

3. Staphisagria 

 Useful for painful intercourse from sensitive genitals. Very useful in the early days of married life. Along with painful coition burning while urination and constant urge to urinate may be present. Also useful when there  is a history of sexual abuse is present.

4. Kreosote 

 Useful for dyspareunia when there is pain and burning during intercourse and bleeding the next day.Useful when there is soreness of genitals and fear and trembling arise from the mere thought of coition. There may be vaginal discharges that are highly offensive. The discharges are also acrid, leading to violent itching in the vagina with soreness and burning after scratching.

5. Ignatia 

 Useful for dyspareunia when there is extreme sore pain in the vagina during intercourse. A heated sensation may be present in the vagina. Very useful when there is sadness, weeping, excessive irritability, desire for loneliness, aversion to talking and sudden mood swings. Excessive worries, depression, and history of grief may be present.