Vaginismus

Pelvic Floor Advice That Could Help Improve Your Sex Life

Not everyone has a great relationship with their genitals. Whether you have hard time orgasming or getting wet, feel pain during sex or have a hypersensitive clitoris – if you have a vagina, you've probably, at one point in time, thought something was wrong with it.

Vaginismus: the common condition leading to painful sex

The social and cultural messages we receive around sex give the impression everyone’s “doing it” and it’s always fun and enjoyable. But for many people, having sexual intercourse is extremely painful or impossible. One of the leading causes of painful sex is vaginismus. Vaginismus is an extremely common condition, that can have a huge impact on women, their partners and relationships. Yet many with it feel alone and without hope as it’s rarely talked about.

What It’s Like to Have Severe Vaginismus

There’s no single cause, and it can be psychological as well as physical. Factors that can cause or exacerbate vaginismus include anxiety, past sexual trauma, or a fear of intercourse (sometimes stemming from inadequate or nonexistent sex ed). There can also be physical explanations, like complications from pelvic trauma or cysts.

Fast Facts: What You Need to Know About Vaginismus

Do you ever feel like you're "hitting a wall" when you try to insert something into your vagina? If so, you're not put together wrong. You may just have vaginismus, a condition that causes the vaginal muscles to automatically tighten in anticipation of vaginal penetration.

How I Enjoy Intimacy With My Partner, Despite Having Vaginismus

I grew up thinking sex was solely about penetration (it’s not), a belief I imagine came from learning about sex through an abstinence-only, heteronormative lens. PIV sex (penis-in-vagina) was also central to relationships in the TV shows and movies I watched.

Seventeen Years of Bad Sex

Medical science is just catching up to what so many women experience.

Successful management of vaginismus: An eclectic approach

Vaginismus is defined as recurrent or persistent involuntary spasm of the musculature of the outer third of the vagina, which interferes with coitus and causes distress and interpersonal difficulty.

The Painful Vaginal Disorder No One Talks About

Vaginismus is a disorder that two out of every 1,000 women will experience in their lifetime — probably more, but shame and embarrassment prevents a lot of women from reporting their symptoms. So, in this culture that stigmatizes sexual health and encourages body shame in women, it is important that we ask ourselves, what is vaginismus and how do we treat it should it ever happen to us?

Vaginismus May Be The Reason That Penetration Is Painful

Some people with vaginismus have explained that as they’ve grown to associate penetration with pain, they’ve developed a fear of vaginal penetration. There are so many other options when it comes to getting intimate with someone or alone.

Vaginismus: What You Need to Know about the Condition Which Can Make Sex Incredibly Painful

Vaginismus is a complex psychosomatic condition and the precise root cause is often not known.

What It's Like to Be Cockblocked by Your Own Vagina

I was 15 when I learned I had vaginismus, a condition that causes your pelvic floor muscles to involuntarily tighten when attempting penetration.

Why Does Penetration Hurt During Sex for Some People?

While there is no definitive solution to vaginismus, relaxation therapy, cognitive behavioural therapy, dilator use under the supervision of a therapist, and adequate foreplay and lubrication are all recommended starting points for treatment.

'It destroys lives': why the razor-blade pain of vaginismus is so misunderstood

This common condition can lead to relationship breakdown and unnecessary surgery. So why is treatment still so poor and underfunded?

7 Ways to Naturally Heal Vaginismus (i.e pelvic tension)

The condition has been linked to past sexual abuse or trauma, past painful intercourse, and emotional factors, and in some cases, no direct cause can be found - making it a complete mystery.

PainScience.com

Vaginismus is vaginal resistance to penetration. It’s usually painful, sometimes severely, and historically presumed to be muscular in nature — the vagina clamping shut, a kind of cramp. Although surprisingly obscure, this is a major pain topic for women.

NHS

Vaginismus is when the vagina suddenly tightens up when you try to insert something into it. It can be painful and upsetting, but it can be treated.