What is Vaginismus?

Vaginismus is involuntary spasm of the vaginal muscles in response to the attempt to insert anything into the vagina (tampons, sexual penetration, pap smear, etc.) It is usually caused by some sort of psych issue. For example, fear that vaginal penetration will cause pain, history of sexual abuse, being taught that sex is dirty/immoral.

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Vaginismus is an involuntary spasm of the muscles surrounding the vagina. The spasms close the vagina.

Causes, incidence, and risk factors

Vaginismus is considered a disorder of sexual dysfunction. It has several possible causes, including past sexual trauma or abuse, psychological factors, or a history of discomfort with sexual intercourse. Sometimes no cause can be found.

Vaginismus is an uncommon condition, occurring in less than 2% of women in the United States.

Women with varying degrees of vaginismus often develop anxiety regarding sexual intercourse. The condition causes penetration to be difficult and painful, or even impossible. However, this does not mean the woman cannot become sexually aroused. Many women may have orgasms when the clitoris is stimulated.

Symptoms

Vaginal penetration during sex is difficult or impossible.
Vaginal pain is common during sexual intercourse or an attempted pelvic exam.

Signs and tests

A pelvic exam can confirm the diagnosis of vaginismus. A medical history and complete physical exam is important to rule out other causes of pain with sexual intercourse (dyspareunia).

Treatment

Treatment involves extensive therapy that combines education, counseling, and behavioral exercises. Such exercises include pelvic floor muscle contraction and relaxation (Kegel exercises).

Vaginal dilation exercises are recommended using plastic dilators. This should be done under the direction of a sex therapist or other health care provider. Such therapy should involve the partner, and can gradually include more intimate contact, ultimately resulting in intercourse.

Educational resources should be provided. This includes information about sexual anatomy, physiology, the sexual response cycle, and common myths about sex.

Vaginismus is an involuntary spasm of the muscles surrounding the vagina. The spasms close the vagina.

It is an involuntary contraction of muscles around the opening of the vagina that makes sexual intercourse painful or impossible.

Vaginal spasm preventing the intercourse or making it difficult + painful.

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Vaginismus (the German equivalent of the word Vaginism) is a condition which affects a woman's ability to engage in any form of vaginal penetration, including sexual penetration, insertion of tampons, and the penetration involved in gynecological examinations. This is the result of a conditioned reflex of the pubococcygeus muscle, which is sometimes referred to as the 'PC muscle'. The reflex causes the muscles in the vagina to tense suddenly, which makes any kind of vaginal penetration -- including sexual penetration -- either painful or impossible.

A vaginismic woman does not consciously control the spasm. The vaginismic reflex can be compared to the response of the eye shutting when an object comes towards it. The severity of vaginismus varies from woman to woman.

Some of the things that may cause primary vaginismus are:

* sexual abuse
* having been taught that sex is immoral or vulgar
* the fear of pain associated with penetration, particularly that of breaking the hymen upon the first attempt at sexual penetration

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RASH IN THE VAGINA