What is Vaginismus?

The involuntary contraction of the muscles at the entrance of the vagina and the perception of sexual intercourse as painful and impossible is called “vaginismus”. These contractions can be triggered by simply imagining sexual intercourse, other than an actual attempt at sexual activity.

With the involuntary contraction of the pelvic floor muscles, that is, the muscles surrounding the vagina, women with vaginismus and their spouses may feel the vaginal entrance as a wall during sexual intercourse attempts. In sexual act attempts, pain, tearing, fragmentation, burning or tingling may be felt at the entrance of the vagina. Attempts to insert anything (finger, penis, etc.) into the vagina can be perceived as a painful act. At the same time, a panic attack-like situation may occur.

In vaginismus, there may be contractions not only around the vagina but also in other muscle groups. As a result of anxiety, fear and panic, the patient closes his legs tightly, pushes his partner and protects himself by contracting his whole body. These women, who think that the hymen will bleed a lot, will burst, that it will hurt a lot during tearing, that the hymen is too thick or that their vagina is too narrow, try to protect and defend themselves as a result of the expectation of pain and vaginismus develops.

In fact, although the vaginal opening is flexible enough to allow the male’s penis to pass through with the head and body of a baby during normal birth, in women with vaginismus, the pelvic floor muscles involuntarily and tightly contract and close the vaginal entrance, making union impossible.

Although vaginismus, the inability to have sexual intercourse, is quite common in Muslim societies like ours, there are many examples all over the world. It is usually caused by the fear of the first night, the rupture of the hymen that will occur during the first sexual intercourse, the worry of bleeding, and therefore the tension caused by not being mentally ready for sexual intercourse prepares the ground for vaginismus. Generally, women who apply to our clinic with the problem of vaginismus are still virgin women who have not yet had sexual intercourse even though they are married. However, vaginismus may develop later on; There are women who apply with this complaint after difficult and bad births, bad gynecological examinations, sexual harassment and assault.

What is the Purpose of Vaginismus Treatment?

The aim of the treatment of inability to have intercourse is to remove the negative “muscle memory” at the entrance of the vagina and to eliminate involuntary contractions.

How is Vaginismus Seen?

Vaginismus patients usually experience contractions in the whole body, inability to open their legs, stretching during sexual intercourse, and the woman pushes her body backwards by refusing to let her partner into herself. The vagina muscles are severely contracted, during which it is impossible to pass the penis, even the tip of the finger, through the vagina. Even if the woman mentally wants to have sexual intercourse with her husband, the body rejects it. Since the feeling of pain and pain felt as a result of fear and anxiety settles in the subconscious, the vagina muscles contract involuntarily in all kinds of attempts (including touching) to the vaginal entrance. All these negative emotions cause negative “muscle memory” in the muscles surrounding the vagina.

Why does vaginismus occur?

Vaginismus is the condition of the body’s self-preservation instinct during the act of sexual intercourse and the contraction of the pelvic floor muscles surrounding the vagina and sexual intercourse is not possible. The muscles surrounding the vagina contract completely involuntarily. The reason for this situation is “fear of pain”. In other words, sexual intercourse always evokes pain and pain for women with vaginismus. The reason for this pain may be related to the pain and pain that the person feels at the entrance of his vagina during the first sexual act, or it may be an imaginary perception of pain and pain that he has never experienced before. Due to this perception, the contraction of the pelvic floor muscles narrows the entrance of the vagina, causing the woman to feel pain and pain.

The main cause of vaginismus is the wrong and incomplete information that the person hears from his family and surroundings and places it in his subconscious during the formation of sexual identity. Most women with vaginismus have no knowledge of the structure and location of their genitals. The woman who thinks that the penis will tear her vagina, get stuck inside, enter the wrong place, will be locked during sexual intercourse, that she will feel a lot of pain when the penis is inserted, that her hymen is too thick, that her vagina is too small, that she will bleed too much, lies under ignorance. Thus, it develops a negative attitude towards the genitals and sexuality.

Vaginismus may develop later in women who had a normal and healthy sexual life before. Incidents such as pain and pain during gynecological examination, scar tissue due to normal postpartum sutures, vaginal infection, wounds, painful sexual intercourse due to irritation, abuse-rape leave negative traces on the woman’s life and may lead to the development of vaginismus.

Frequently Asked Questions About Vaginismus

In whom is vaginismus more common?

Vaginismus is common in societies that have a dominant and protective family structure, that the hymen is valuable and that it must be protected until marriage, and that strict moral rules are valid. It is possible to develop vaginismus in virgin women who were raised with the thought that sexuality is a shame and sin, who were misinformed and exaggerated about the first night, who do not even know where their genitals are, who are afraid to touch and feel uncomfortable. In addition, vaginismus may develop in women who have been exposed to sexual trauma and rape. Vaginismus may also develop later in women who have experienced a bad and unkind gynecological examination, who have had bad scar tissue due to tears or stitches in the vagina after normal delivery, and who have painful sexual intercourse as a result of inflammation and irritation in the vagina as a result of vaginal infection.

The sociocultural levels of women with vaginismus problems vary. It can be seen in people who are professional, university students, and have a high level of culture, as well as women who grow up in a narrow-minded, overprotective and oppressive family environment. Generally, there is a fear of rupture and bleeding of the hymen and the feeling that it will cause a lot of pain as a result. Fear of penile penetrating into the vagina, stories of first night experiences, and the importance of the hymen in Muslim societies lay the groundwork for the problem of vaginismus.

Women with vaginismus are usually still virgins, and after a few sexual experiences, sexual intercourse did not occur due to fear and pain. It is quite common for couples who have been married for years but have been living in this state for years. Or, there are women who experience vaginismus after being affected by traumatic events such as childbirth, abortion, bad gynecological examination, rape, although they have previous sexual experience.

Is having a small vagina a reason for not having sexual intercourse?

No matter how narrow or small the entrance of the vagina is, it cannot be a reason for not having sexual intercourse. Because the vagina is an organ that can stretch and expand, it can expand enough to allow the baby’s head and whole body to come out during birth.
Some diseases that can cause painful sexual intercourse can also be confused with vaginismus. For example, inflammatory diseases such as vulvitis, vaginitis or vulvar vestibulitis syndrome cause pain and pain during sexual intercourse and can make it impossible to have sexual intercourse. Therefore, first of all, the patient should be evaluated and differentiated by gynecological examination.

Can couples with vaginismus problems have a baby?

Couples with vaginismus problems can have a baby as a result of sperm spilled into the mouth of the vagina or by insemination, although they do not have full sexual intercourse. However, a healthy sexuality is necessary and important for a beautiful and healthy marriage. If the problem of vaginismus is properly treated, its treatment is 100% possible.

What is the difference between frigidity and Vaginismus?

Frigidity and vaginismus are different from each other. In frigidity, the woman does not enjoy sexual intercourse, is not sexually aroused, and cannot orgasm. For this reason, there is no or very little wetting in the vagina. In vaginismus, there is no problem in terms of sexual desire and orgasm. In these people, although a real sexual intercourse does not occur due to the fear of pain during intercourse, the woman can be stimulated by other alternative ways, can experience orgasm, and it is extremely normal to get wet in the vagina during sexual desire.

Detailed Information: https://www.dryesimyercok.com/cinsel-iliskiye-girememek- just-vajinismus-mudur /

How does vaginismus affect spouses?

Vaginismus is not only a woman’s problem, but a common problem for the couple, and naturally the spouses are also affected. In time, sexual reluctance, erection problems or premature ejaculation may be seen in men who question their sexual competence, cannot have real vaginal sexual intercourse or have to continue a limited sexual life without full satisfaction. With the resolution of the vaginismus problem and the start of a normal, healthy sexual life, these problems will resolve on their own.

Is painful sexual intercourse vaginismus?

Painful sexual intercourse, namely “dyspareunia” is not vaginismus. Dyspareunia may develop due to vaginal dryness and atrophy due to vaginal dryness and atrophy due to decreased estrogen in menopause, infections of the vagina, wounds in the cervix, that is, sexual intercourse may become painful and painful. It is necessary to distinguish between these two situations. However, dyspareunia may cause vaginismus to develop over time. For this reason, first of all, gynecological examination should be performed and whether there is an underlying organic problem should be evaluated and appropriate treatment of the detected pathology should be performed.

Detailed Information:  https://www.dryesimyercok.com/agrili-cinsel-iliski-vajinismus-mudur/

Is the fear of the first night the cause of vaginismus?

Incorrect, exaggerated and incomplete information about the first night may cause the development of vaginismus. “Thinking that there will be a lot of pain, pain and bleeding when the penis is inserted into the vagina”, “don’t think that they will be locked during intercourse and have to be taken to the hospital that way”, “the thought that the penis will tear the vagina, get stuck inside, enter the wrong place and will feel a lot of pain when the penis enters it” “, “to think that her hymen is too thick, that her vagina is too small, that it will bleed a lot” or “the fear that if there is no hymen bleeding, she will be accused of not being a virgin” causes her to feel anxiety and fear in her first sexual experience, therefore, the muscles at the entrance of the vagina and even the whole body. It causes involuntary contraction of many muscle groups at the same time.

Detailed information: https://www.dryesimyercok.com/agrili-cinsel-iliski-vajinismus-mudur/ 

Are frigidity and vaginismus the same thing?

Frigidity and vaginismus are different from each other. In frigidity, the woman does not enjoy sexual intercourse, is not sexually aroused, and cannot orgasm. For this reason, there is no or very little wetting in the vagina. In vaginismus, there is no problem in terms of sexual desire and orgasm. In these people, although there is no real sexual intercourse, the woman can be stimulated by alternative means, can experience orgasm, wetting in the vagina during sexual desire is extremely normal.

Jin. Kiss. Dr. Yeşim Yerçok
Gynecology and Obstetrics Specialist