What Is Vaginismus?

Have you been facing a lot of uneasiness and difficulty in penetration while having sex? Do you find it difficult to attend a vaginal examination when you visit your gynecologist? Are tampons just not meant for you? Then chances are, you must be going through vaginimus, a medical condition where a woman just cannot engage in any kind of vaginal penetration. Check out this list of symptoms and see if you have been going through any of these. If you answer a ‘yes’ for most questions, it’s time to meet your doctor and sort it out.

1. Tightness of the vagina
2. Stinging or burning sensation near the vagina
3. Sexual discomfort
4. Fear of pain
5. Avoiding sex or penetration of all kinds
6. Difficulty in inserting tampons
7. Loss of sexual desire
8. Difficulty in reaching orgasm
9. Spasms in body muscles, especially near lower back and legs
10. Stress

If you think you are noticing most of these symptoms, then you need to visit your gynecologist as soon as possible. It is important because it’s affecting your physical as well as your emotional health and sexual life. The other point that you need to keep in mind is to never attribute your failure to perform sex as an incompetency of yours. Your reflex action of avoiding sex or feeling uncomfortable is because of the physical situation that you are finding yourself in. It is not you who are creating such things out of the blue. Also, never force yourself to have sex. Studies reveal, some women go against their will and tolerate the pain so as to satisfy their partner. But years after, their situation complicates to such an extent that it disrupts their sexual life for ever. Lastly, no matter how difficult you find it to deal with vaginismus, do not think that your world has come to an end. It does have a cure. Most women who are diagnosed with primary vaginismus are found to have a psychological problem rather than a physical one. Hence, it is treated with counseling and sex therapy. Doctors also use sensate focus exercises and dilators to help a woman out of such a situation.

Vaginimus not only affects a woman’s sexual life but also hampers her self-esteem and her relationship with her spouse or partner. It may also lead to depression. But, there is a way out. Research reveals, most women, who have vaginismus, do have a desire for sex and they find satisfaction in oral sex, mutual masturbation and foreplay since they are unable to have penetrative sex. So, the key is to find alternative methods.