Vaginismus is a condition which affects a woman's ability to engage in any form of vaginal penetration, including sexual penetration, insertion of tampons, and the penetration involved in gynecological examinations. This is the result of a conditioned reflex of the pubococcygeus muscle, which is sometimes referred to as the 'PC muscle'. The reflex causes the muscles in the vagina to tense suddenly, which makes any kind of vaginal penetration -- including sexual penetration -- either painful or impossible. Sexual penetration (as opposed to outercourse) typically involves the insertion of the penis into a bodily orifice. ... The pubococcygeus muscle or PC muscle is an important muscle in the human body. ... Sexual penetration (as opposed to outercourse) typically involves the insertion of the penis into a bodily orifice. ...

A vaginismic woman does not consciously control the spasm. The vaginismic reflex can be compared to the response of the eye shutting when an object comes towards it. The severity of vaginismus varies from woman to woman.

Experience of vaginismus

The conditioned reflex can create a vicious circle for vaginismic women. One example: if a teenage female learns that the first time she engages in penetrative sex that it will be painful, she may develop vaginismus because she expects pain. If she then attempts to engage in penetrative sex, the muscle spasm will make penetrative sex painful. This and each further attempt at sexual penetration confirms her fear of pain and may worsen the condition. Naturally, penetration may be extremely painful without vaginismus or psychological prerequisite as well. Vicious Circle is an album released in 1995 by L.A. Guns. ...

Primary vaginismus

Primary vaginismus occurs when a woman has never been able to have penetrative sex or achieve any kind of vaginal penetration. It is commonly discovered in teenagers and women in their early twenties, as this is when many young women in the Western world will initially attempt to use tampons, have penetrative sex, or undergo a pap smear. Women who have vaginismus may not be aware of their condition until they attempt vaginal penetration. It may be confusing for a woman to discover she has vaginismus. She may believe that vaginal penetration should be naturally easy, or she may be unaware as to the reason for her condition. Teenagers is the fourth single and eleventh track from My Chemical Romances third studio album, The Black Parade. ... A tampon with an applicator. ... The pap smear as we know it is an invention of Dr. Georgios Papanikolaou (1883-1962), an American of Greek birth, the father of cytopathology. ...

Some of the things that may cause primary vaginismus are:

• sexual abuse
• having been taught that sex is immoral or vulgar
• the fear of pain associated with penetration, particularly that of breaking the hymen upon the first attempt at sexual penetration

This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... For the record label, see Hymen Records. ...

Secondary vaginismus

Secondary vaginismus occurs when a woman who has previously been able to achieve penetration develops vaginismus. This may be due to physical causes such as a yeast infection or trauma during childbirth, or it may be due to psychological causes. The treatment for secondary vaginismus is the same as for primary vaginismus, although, in these cases, previous experience with successful penetration can assist in a more rapid resolution of the condition. Candidiasis, commonly called yeast infection or thrush, is a fungal infection of any of the Candida species, of which Candida albicans is probably the most common. ... Childbirth (also called labour, birth, partus or parturition) is the culmination of a human pregnancy with the emergence of a newborn infant/s from the mothers uterus. ...

Treatment

There are a variety of factors that can contribute to vaginismus. These may be psychological or physiological, and the treatment required can depend on the reason that the woman has developed the condition. As each case is different, an individualized approach to treatment is useful. Psychology (ancient Greek: psyche = soul and logos = word) is the study of mind, thought, and behaviour. ... Physiology (in Greek physis = nature and logos = word) is the study of the mechanical, physical, and biochemical functions of living organisms. ...

The condition will not necessarily become more severe if left untreated, unless the woman is continuing to attempt penetration, despite feeling pain. Some women may choose to refrain from seeking treatment for their condition.

According to the Cochrane Collaboration review of the scientific literature, "In spite of encouraging results reported from uncontrolled case series there is very limited evidence from controlled trials concerning the effectiveness of treatments for vaginismus. Further trials are needed to compare therapies with waiting list control and with other therapies." ^[1] The Cochrane Collaboration developed in response to Archie Cochranes call for systematic, up-to-date reviews (currently known as systematic reviews) of all relevant randomized clinical trials of health care. ...

Psychological treatment

The cause of vaginismus is often psychological or related to trauma, though this is not always the case. It is important to address the psychological aspects of the problem as well as the actual muscle spasm. A woman may choose to address the issue on her own terms, or she may avail the help of a therapist. Psychology (ancient Greek: psyche = soul and logos = word) is the study of mind, thought, and behaviour. ... Trauma can represent: Physical trauma, an often serious and body-altering physical injury, such as the removal of a limb. ...

Many people -- even some professionals -- are not aware of the emotional difficulties associated with vaginismus, which can include low self-esteem, fears, and depression. Women with this condition may wish to seek an understanding professional who has previous experience with women who experience vaginismus. A therapist who has a positive attitude towards sex and the human body may be beneficial. Clinical depression (also called major depressive disorder, or unipolar depression when compared to bipolar disorder) is a state of intense sadness, melancholia or despair that has advanced to the point of being disruptive to an individuals social functioning and/or activities of daily living. ... It has been suggested that Duration of sexual intercourse be merged into this article or section. ... List of bones of the human skeleton Human anatomy is primarily the scientific study of the morphology of the adult human body. ...

Physical treatment

Physical treatment of the internal spasms may include sensate focus exercises, exploring the vagina through touch, and desensitization with vaginal dilators. Dilating involves inserting objects, usually phallic in shape, into the vagina. In treating the spasms through dilation, the objects used gradually increase in size as the woman progresses. Medical dilators may be obtained online, though they may be expensive. Other options include sex toys (such as dildos or vibrators), peeled cucumber, or simply her own fingers. The addition of personal lubricant can ease insertion. The vagina, (from Latin, literally sheath or scabbard ) is the tubular tract leading from the uterus to the exterior of the body in female placental mammals and marsupials, or to the cloaca in female birds, monotremes, and some reptiles. ... Desensitization is a method to reduce or eliminate an organisms negative reaction to a substance or stimulus. ... This article is about the symbol of the erect penis. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ...

Sexuality

If a woman suspects she has vaginismus, sexual penetration is likely to remain painful or impossible until her vaginismus is addressed. Women with vaginismus may be able to engage in other sexual activities, as long as penetration is avoided. Sexual partners of vaginismic women may come to believe that vaginismic women do not want to engage in penetrative sex at all, though this may not be true. Many vaginismic women do wish to engage in penetrative sex, but are deterred by the pain and emotional distress that comes with each attempt.

Masturbation

Women with vaginismus may not realize that most women who do not have vaginismus usually do experience pain or discomfort if they attempt sexual penetration without prior sexual arousal. Most women acknowledge sexual arousal as integral to painless sexual penetration. As some vaginismic women may have trouble achieving sexual arousal, self-exploration of the vaginal area through masturbation can be beneficial in addressing vaginismus. This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... Woman masturbating, 1913 drawing by Gustav Klimt Masturbation refers to sexual stimulation, especially of ones own genitals and often to the point of orgasm, which is performed manually, by other types of bodily contact (except for sexual intercourse), by use of objects or tools, or by some combination of...

One of the problems that can come with vaginismus is that a woman may be fearful to engage in sexual activity, due to the fear of pain with any kind of vaginal penetration. Solo masturbation, with or without penetration, can alleviate this fear, as well as the psychological pressure to 'perform' sexually or become aroused quickly, with a partner.

Despite popular belief, orgasm need not be the goal of masturbation. The reason may be to simply increase comfort with the genital area, to explore various sensations through genital and clitoral touch, and to become aware of those sensations which are relaxing and pleasurable. Sexual arousal causes changes in the shape and color of the vulva, as well as in the vaginal lubrication produced. As a woman becomes more aware of her individual sexual response, she can learn which sensations are best for bringing her to a state of arousal. She will then be better equipped to teach her partner(s) which sensations feel best for her. Orgasm is the conclusion of the plateau phase of the sexual response cycle, and is experienced by both males and females. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Vaginal lubrication is the naturally produced lubricating fluid that reduces friction during sexual intercourse. ...

Emotional experiences

A wide range of emotions may surface during masturbation and other forms of genital exploration. Some women have negative associations with their genitals, including fears that their genitals are dirty, smelly, oddly shaped, or ugly. These associations can lead to negative emotions arising during any kind of sexual expression, including masturbation, and these emotions can take time to process. Especially in the case of a vaginismic woman, feelings of shame, inadequacy or of being 'defective' can be deeply troubling. Relaxation, patience and self-acceptance are vital to a pleasurable experience.

The process of addressing vaginismus requires time, patience, and a focused personal intention to heal. In almost all cases it can be successfully treated.

References

Shortcut: WP:-( Vandalism is indisputable bad-faith addition, deletion, or change to content, made in a deliberate attempt to compromise the integrity of the encyclopedia. ... Shortcut: WP:-( Vandalism is indisputable bad-faith addition, deletion, or change to content, made in a deliberate attempt to compromise the integrity of the encyclopedia. ...

External links

Support and treatment

• Vaginismus at the Open Directory Project

The Open Directory Project (ODP), also known as dmoz (from , its original domain name), is a multilingual open content directory of World Wide Web links owned by Netscape that is constructed and maintained by a community of volunteer editors. ...

Clinical resources

• Vaginismus entry in the Medical Dictionary at NIH
• Vaginismus – Causes, Diagnosis, Treatment & Self Help entry in NHS Direct Health Encyclopaedia (UK)