All About Vaginismus

The majority of women may experience pain during intercourse at some point in their lives. But for a small number of them, the reason is an involuntary muscle reflex called vaginismus. It can cause pain during sex and gynecological examinations, or even difficulty inserting a tampon.

Indeed, when something is inserted into the vagina, the muscles are supposed to relax in order to stretch the vaginal opening. For women with vaginismus, this relaxation does not occur, and the muscles tighten, narrowing the opening and making the insertion more difficult and painful.

Types of vaginisms

Primary vaginismus is when pain and muscle contractions have always been present. Women who suffer from it have never tolerated any type of vaginal penetration.
Secondary vaginismus occurs when a woman has not experienced pain during penetration during her life, before experiencing vaginismus. In this case, a traumatic event, childbirth or infection can trigger the symptoms. Global vaginismus, general or total, means that a woman feels pain every time something enters her vagina. Finally, situational vaginismus is for women who experience pain during certain types of penetration, for example, during sex, but not during a pelvic exam.

Symptoms

The main symptom of vaginismus is intense pain when something enters the vagina. After feeling this pain, the woman often develops an anticipatory fear, which leads to a vicious circle: the pelvic floor muscles contract reflexively, even before penetration.

Possible causes

No one knows the exact cause of vaginismus, and there are probably many contributing factors. The stitches after childbirth, a serious and long-term infection, sexual trauma ... anything that can affect the pain sensors can be pointed at. Vaginismus can occur in women with anxiety. It is also possible that it is a response to pain in the vulva. Menopause may also play a role because lower estrogen levels make the vagina less flexible. When this happens, the muscles can contract involuntarily.

Treatments

Vaginismus should be treated as soon as possible to block the cycle of fear, advises Health. A doctor may exclude infections and other causes of vaginal pain. There are exercises that help strengthen the pelvic floor and stretch the muscles. Just focusing on that part of your body and trying to relax it can help. Mental relaxation exercises can also be helpful in reducing tension in the muscles. Analgesics, relaxants and anti-depressants are sometimes used to treat vaginismus, but these drugs are only a short-term help.