- Home
- /
- Intimacy
- /
- Sexual Dysfunction
- /
- Vaginismus
Vaginismus
Introduction
Vaginismus is a condition that affects a woman’s ability to engage in any form of vaginal penetration. This includes sexual penetration, the insertion of tampons, and the penetration involved in gynecological examinations. It is a result of the involuntary tightening of muscles around the vagina, causing the vagina to spasm. It can be quite painful in some women. The condition is most common among women in their late teens and the thirties.
For women with vaginismus the muscles of the vagina may go into spasm in response to being touched. For many women Vaginismus causes a great deal of distress and can lead to relationship problems. It can also create problems when it comes to starting a family. It’s untrue that women who have vaginismus don’t like or want to have sex. Vaginismus can disrupt or completely stop your sex life and make gynecological and pelvic examinations difficult or impossible. In some cases, a woman may need an anesthetic before a doctor can perform an examination. It is easy therefore to understand why this is very problematic for couples wanting to have children.
Many women with vaginismus can still enjoy intimacy and experience and share sexual pleasures with their partner. They are able to achieve orgasm during mutual masturbation, foreplay and oral sex. It is only when vaginal intercourse is attempted, that the vagina tightens to prevent penetration.
There are many factors that cause vaginismus. Some women have had the condition all their adult lives (primary vaginismus) and may never have had sex because of it. Other women may experience vaginismus after having enjoyed a normal sex life. Vaginismus can develop for a variety of reasons for example: after a difficult childbirth, a sexual trauma or a vaginal infection (secondary vaginismus).
Vaginismus is not rare, and it is likely that many women will experience it at some time in their life. This is the case even if they have previously had an enjoyable and painless sex life.
Symptoms
There are several symptoms of vaginismus including:
- Involuntary (you cannot control) spasm of the muscles around the vagina
- Fear of pain or real pain
- Intense fear of penetration
- Loss of sexual desire if penetration is attempted
- Pain if penetrated by a tampon, finger or penis
These symptoms are completely beyond a woman’s control.
Causes
There are many different causes of vaginismus. It is not always fully understood why the condition occurs. Some cases appear to have a physical cause such as an injury, inflammation or infection of the vagina, pelvis or bladder. It may be because of persistent vaginal dryness or irritation due to spermicides or latex (rubber) in condoms. Even if the original physical cause has been resolved vaginismus may still persist.
Vaginismus has also been linked to fear or dislike of sex and may be related to difficult or painful sexual intercourse (known as dyspareunia). It can also be a side effect of alcohol, medication or drug use. Other factors may be a fear that the vagina is too small for sexual intercourse. It could also be due to an unpleasant sexual experience at a young age, or an unpleasant first sexual experience.
Experiencing a past or recent trauma to the genital area or an incident linked to sexuality can make your body respond in a protective way to stop further hurt. A clumsy, painful sexual encounter or examination may be the root cause of the problem in some cases.
For some women, vaginismus may be the result of being sexually abused, assaulted or raped.
A very strict upbringing, where sex was never discussed, or unhelpful messages that lead to feelings of guilt and shame can be another cause. Religious or cultural taboos, or the fear of getting pregnant, can also contribute to vaginismus. Relationship problems can also be a factor.
In some cases vaginismus can occur after a vaginal infection, as after effect of childbirth or as a result of extreme tiredness or depression. Inadequate sex education or being told ‘sex is painful’ or ‘sexual desire is wrong’ can lead to fear and anxiety towards sex.
Treatment
Treatment will depend on whether or not the ‘root cause(s)’ can be identified. If there is an obvious physical cause like an injury or infection, then this can be treated with appropriate medication.
If the cause is less obvious it may be a case of taking time to see if the problem sorts itself out using self-help techniques. In this case getting to know your own body, having an understanding partner, and the help of a health-care professional are important factors in your treatment.
Self-help
There are a few different methods and self-help techniques that can help treat vaginismus. The good news is, it can be cured.
You can start by talking to one of our sex therapist. The therapist can advise you about the problem and teach you certain techniques that you can practice at home. You will be taught techniques to relax the muscle responsible for the spasms in the vagina. It involves gradually widening (dilating) the vagina with a set of vaginal trainers. You start by inserting the smallest one first and you can use a lubricant (such as K-Y jelly) to help. You can go at your own pace and make sure you are relaxed before trying. Once you feel comfortable inserting the smallest one, you can move onto the second size, and so on. It doesn’t matter how long it takes you to do this. There is no point in rushing the process. You just need to make yourself feel comfortable, relaxed and confident about controlling your own body.
When you feel relaxed and comfortable using the larger vaginal trainer, and you are no longer feeling any anxiety or pain, then you and your partner may like to try to have sexual intercourse as the next step. When you are relaxed enough to attempt intercourse make sure you are fully aroused before attempting penetration. Using a lubricant can also be helpful. Remember to take things slowly and gently.
If you still have problem, our sex therapists will be able to advise you on other methods that you can try to overcome the problem.
Remember vaginismus is a curable problem. Do not let it spoil your sex life.
For inquiries, please contact
Tel ： (852) 3167 7040
or Email ： specialist@neohealth.com.hk
Cynthia Ho
As a sex therapist, Cynthia provides sex education and counselling to individuals and couples of both sexes ranging from young teenagers to adults on various sexual issues, such asexual addictions, sexual dysfunctions, sexual desire disorders, sexual arousal disorders and orgasm disorders; emotional, relationship, and communication problems as well as gender and homosexuality issues.
