What Is Vaginismus? This Penetration Disorder Can Make Sex Painful
The thing about sexual problems in women is that we often stay mum about it. Often and in many cases, the women are not aware of the dysfunction they have or if it even has a name. There is so much stigma around everything related to sex that people shy away from going to a doctor or talking to a loved one about it. Feeling odd and unusual, it begins to affect, not just your sex life but also your self-esteem. One such sexual problem is vaginismus – and it is more common than you think.
Back when we were younger, a friend of mine confided in me that each time her boyfriend would try to enter her, it seemed like her vagina was shutting him out. It would hurt and she was confused why that was happening. She felt like something was seriously abnormal about her and she was losing her confidence. But when she consulted an Ob-gyn she figured she had vaginismus and that it happens to women, she found her answers.
So what is vaginismus?
WebMd has a definition of vaginismus. This is when the vagina contracts involuntarily or becomes tense. It can happen before sex, while using a tampon or even during a pelvis exam.
There are two types of vaginismus – primary and secondary. A woman who always felt pain when something penetrated her vagina belongs to the first category. However, when someone used to have painfree sex before but now has discomfort during penetration, it is said they have acquired or secondary vaginismus.
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For people with vaginismus, is penetration always painful?
Some women feel discomfort with anyone or anything penetrating their vagina. Some women can feel it with a certain partner or a certain object. It’s not always sex, women with vaginismus can feel discomfort when inserting a tampon too! It’s not known whether the anxiety came first or the sexual dysfunction but the two are definitely interlinked.
There are ways to manage it and consulting a gynecologist is advisable. The pelvic exam will be discomforting too but it will be the first step of the treatment!
